Destructive Firesale Habits…

———————————–
Carmen’s Marketing Journal

http://journal.MarketingChick.com

> Formerly AimDIRECT Entrepreneur Ezine
> http://www.AimDIRECT-Ezine.com
———————————–

**************************************************
22 IRRESISTIBLE Secret Hot Buttons
That Make Consumers Spend Money Like Crazy…!
**************************************************

Once you know these secrets, you’ll be able to use
them to your advantage to transform prospective buyers
into “sold” consumers time after time after time.

In a nutshell, you’ll learn how to create sales
messages that Hold Consumers Captive from the
Pre-headline to the Order Form…

Visit Website

=========================================
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE…
=========================================

A Note From Carmen
~ Protecting Yourself From Online Stalkers…
~ Claim Your $25 Cash With New Paypal Alternative!

Internet Marketing Action Plan
> Earning 20 Cents Per-Click With Your New/Low-Traffic Blog.

Down ‘N Dirty — Carmen **UNCENSORED**
> Getting Trapped In FIRESALES

***************************************
I LOVE My Laptop… Want One For Cheap?
> Starting at $299
***************************************

Ask Carmen!
> How much should I be making from my home busi.ness?

IMSN Marketing Goodie Bag: 105 Power Tips To Get
Your Internet Business Noticed And Profiting!

Talk To Me!

Subscription Management

=========================================
A Note From Carmen
=========================================

Long time no see, everybody! I hope you’re all
doing well… I missed you guys :’)

I’d like to welcome this week’s newest subscribers!
I hope you enjoy my Marketing Journal, and put the
featured tips, ideas, and strategies to use right away!

—

Protecting Yourself From Online Stalkers

As much as I enjoy ‘meeting’ new people via the Internet,
I’ve had my share of ’strange & uncomfortable’ encounters.
Colleagues resorting to serious verbal abuse, minor
harassments, and creepy ’secret admirers.’

Without getting into too much detail… I’ve crossed paths
with yet another piece of work.

It all began when this individual began having an ‘affair’
with an AI (artificial intelligence) program I integrated
into my site. Because my AI was still in the ‘learning’
stage, she wasn’t very bright. This greatly frustrated
this individual and his ‘conversation’ with my AI began
turning very abusive… until he decided to take his
frustrations out on me.

He continuously sent me harassing e-mail messages using
fake addresses and several IPs. I was just about to lose
my mind when I made the decision to temporarily cease
downloading and reading my e-mail messages.

Ignoring this individual wasn’t making matters any better…
as a matter of fact, it worsened. He called and left me
several voicemail message on my toll-f r e e number. Now,
reading these messages is one thing… HEARING the harasser’s
VOICE is something completely different. It’s frightening.

So following the advice of a friend to whom this has happened
to before, I filed this with the police.

Here are some tips I’d like to share with you:

* Do not post your home address online… use a P.O. Box or
Mailboxes Etc. type services. If all you have is your home
address, don’t post it on your site - or anywhere else. I
don’t care what anyone says about not posting P.O. Box addies
on websites… are they going to take responsibility if a
wacko shows up at your doorstep?

* Do not post your home phone number… use a voicemail
service, or even better, a service allowing you to get a
local/Toll-F r e e number that forwards calls to any number
you choose.

* Keep one e-mail address EXCLUSIVELY for family and friends.

* Isolated incidents such as one-time heated exchanges can
most likely be safely ignored…

* However, if it escalates to ‘annoying,’ and you no longer
choose to be contacted by this individual, block them from
accessing your site, sending you e-mails and IM messages.
Ask your phone company if you can add phone numbers to a ‘block’
list so they can no longer call in. Keep in mind though, that
blocking and ignoring these pests sometimes aggravates the
situation because stalkers thrive on control and attention.

* REPEATED attacks that threaten your wellbeing should alert
you that you may in fact have a serious problem. Keep records
of all e-mails you receive (including headers), install an
answering machine to your home number to record evidence,
and contact your local authorities with your information.

Whether it’s someone lurking on the forums or a big-name
respected by many people online… you just can’t be sure
unless you REALLY know the person. That’s the ‘darker’
side of meeting people on the Internet.

It’s been quite a stressful several months for me and my
family, but we’ve been helping each other getting both
personal and the biz side of things back to ‘normal.’

Please, please take proper precautions to monitor and protect
you and your family’s Internet privacy.

(Please take this as an advice from a friend… I’m not a lawyer
and do not intend to render legal or other professional advice.)

—

Claim Your $25 Cash With Paypal Alternative!

When you Open a F R E E GreenZap Account, GreenZap will
deposit $25 for you to spend online at eBaY, Yahoo or
iTunes (to name a few). Plus, earn $5 when YOU Refer
OTHERS To GreenZap!

Open a f r e e account and get $25 at:

http://www.MarketingChick.com/go/go.php/journal-greenzap

—

I will definitely see you again next week…
and now that we got that out of the way,
let’s get on with this week’s issue!

Warmest Regards,
Carmen Maranon, Editor

http://journal.MarketingChick.com

P.S. I think I found the school where I attended first
grade in Japan!! I’m not 100% about this, because I
can’t read kanji, but I’m excited nevertheless!

http://www.okegawanishi-es.ed.jp/

“The vision must be followed by the venture.
It is not enough to stare up the steps…
we must step up the stairs.” ~ Vance Havner

=========================================
Internet Marketing Action Plan
Strategies you can use Immediately!
Take a minute or two to DO IT NOW
=========================================

> Earning 20 Cents Per-Click With Your New/Low-Traffic Blog.

Have you seen all the blogs sporting AdSense blocks?
I don’t doubt that among them are those who receive
a nice monthly check from Google as a result.

But maybe you’ve just started your blog, or your site
doesn’t get so much traffic yet… hey, not a problem!
Here’s a zero c.ost, quick ‘n simple method to get you started:

1) Find links that will pay you per click.
——————————————

If you’re not yet a member of Affiliate Fuel and clixGalore
affiliate networks, go and open your f r e e account now. Login
and select links that will reward you from 5 to 20 cents per
click. NO GUESSING how much you’ll earn, or what ads will
show up on your page… you’re in complete control.

* clixGalore

http://www.MarketingChick.com/go/go.php/journal-clixgalore

* Affiliate Fuel

http://www.MarketingChick.com/go/go.php/journal-afffuel

Make sure you select ads appropriate for your audience for
maximum clicks, and add the links to your page. (I’ve added
these short advertisements on my blog at the most ‘click-busy’
area of my page. Go see!: http://blog.marketingchick.com)

2) Join targeted blog exchange programs for quick traffic.
———————————————————-

These programs allow you to earn credits (1 credit = 1 visit)
by surfing their members’ blogs. You can even purchase credits
for cheap… 500 visits in BlogExplosion costs just $5.

You can choose which category to list your blog under, as
well as which categories of blogs you want to surf through…
for T A R G E T E D traffic!

* BlogExplosion

http://www.MarketingChick.com/go/go.php/journal-blogexplosion

* BlogXchange

http://www.MarketingChick.com/go/go.php/journal-blogxchange

* BlogCrowd

http://www.MarketingChick.com/go/go.php/journal-blogcrowd

* BlogClicker

http://www.MarketingChick.com/go/go.php/journal-blogclicker

3) Submit your site to blog/RSS directories.
——————————————–

Check out Robin Good’s “RSSTop55 - Best Blog Directory And RSS
Submission Sites.” At the time of this writing, the list has
grown to 120 submission sites strong. For your convenience,
the site links directly to each directory’s submission page.

http://www.masternewmedia.org/rss/top55/

4) Pinging
———-

This is when you notify the blog tracking sites that your
site has been updated with new content. You can notify
dozens of services whenever you update your site at:

http://pingomatic.com/

Or… add the following site to your blogging software
to send automatic notices each time you post a new entry:

weblogs.com
Technorati
blo.gs

http://ping.weblogalot.com/rpc.php

http://api.my.yahoo.com/RPC2

http://rpc.blogrolling.com/pinger/

In Closing…
————-

Now that you’ve added your PPC ads to your site, joined blog
exchanges, and submitted your site to blog directories, be sure
to monitor the performance of your ads, as well as test different
ad placements on your page for maximum returns!

P.S. If you add me to your blogroll/frequent reads list,
e-mail me at carmen @ marketingchick.com with your
blog URL and I’ll add you to my list : )

http://blog.marketingchick.com

=========================================
Down ‘N Dirty — Carmen **UNCENSORED**
Here’s what I REALLY think about…
=========================================

Firesales.

You see them more frequently now… a large collection of
products and services being sold off for a huge discount.
Oftentimes, the price will increase as each day pass…
creating a sense of extreme urgency to buy now - RIGHT NOW.

The thing is, most firesales I’ve checked out recently
really DO offer unbelievably fantastic deals.

My concern is for the consumers with the habit of purchasing
every package being promoted because they’re afraid of missing
out on anything - so for convenience, their credit cards are
pasted to their foreheads, just in case.

Does this sound like you? If so…

When you look through your hard drive, do you ask yourself,
“How did all this stuff get here?” and “What am I going to do
with all this?” - then justify it with, “I’ll look through
them later” ??

But then you can’t find the time to use or sell these products
and they eventually grow out-of-date (and you certainly can’t
use or sell these ‘out-of-date’ items…), so you find yourself
playing ‘catch up’ by grabbing at even more special sales…

And being the hot & hip marketer that you are (never mind that
screaming rectangular mark on your forehead), you want only the
newest and coolest products to use and promote…

Then realizing there’s not enough time to go through them all,
you tell yourself, “I’ll look at them later” - but later never
comes, at least not before another firesale comes knocking at
your inbox, and you peel off that plastic from your forehead
to get access to those new products because the un-opened zip
files in your hard drive contain a bunch of old stuff…

And you certainly don’t have any use for these ‘out-of-date’
items… etc. etc.

However, if you are one of the few who quickly take these
products and turn them into profit, I say, “You are the Iron
Chef!” - er, marketer. Because there *is* money to be made from
these offers… but only for those who open the products and
promote them right away.

For others, it’s a dangerous trap to get caught in - especially
if you’re just starting out with this ‘ebiz thing.’ With all
that stuff you’re continuously collecting, you’ll begin to feel
as though no matter how much you invest in your business, you’re
still not seeing any results… forgetting that you haven’t
actually learned or used whatever the product is supposed to
teach you, or put in the effort to sell the items in order to
make back your investment.

Firesales are HOT… just don’t burn yourself.

**************************************************
I **LOVE** MY LAPTOP… WANT ONE FOR CHEAP?
(Courtesy my hubby: Al Maranon  )
**************************************************

Al doesn’t promote these online, so I whipped up these pages
to showcase the specs. Warranty & Support included!

* IBM ThinkPad 390X ($299)
Celeron 400 MHz, Win 98SE

http://www.MarketingChick.com/go/go.php/journal-ibm390XC

* IBM ThinkPad 390X ($429)
Pentium 3 450MH, Win 98SE

http://www.MarketingChick.com/go/go.php/journal-ibm390X

* Toshiba TE 2000 ($649)
Pentium 3 1 GHz, CD/CDRW/DVD, Wi-Fi

http://www.MarketingChick.com/go/go.php/journal-toshiba2k

* HP OmniBook VT6200 ($729)
Pentium 4 1.4 GHz, CD/CDRW, Win XP Pro - Only 7 Units Left!

http://www.MarketingChick.com/go/go.php/journal-hpvt62k

=========================================
Ask Carmen!
=========================================

Dear Carmen,

I recently subscribed to your ezine and look forward
to receiving my first issue! Now for my question:

How do you determine how much profit you should be making
from your home business each year, and when is the right
time to quit the 9 to 5?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Gia Ippolito

**

Hi Gia,

To answer your first question, I’d start at the END.
Ask yourself how much annual income you want to bring in…
divide that by 12 (months), then by 4 (weeks), then 7 (days).
This will show you how much you should make each day/week/month
in order to successfully see your end result.

For example, for an $85K gross annual income, you’ll need to
bring in approximately $7,083/mo, $1,770/wk, and $253/day.

I personally keep my eye on my weekly & monthly numbers
and use that info to determine what affiliate/resale/public
domain products I need to add on top of my own products
and services to keep me on track.

Look for high-quality, recurring income programs to
promote, since it takes as much effort to market a
one-time $10 commission product as it takes a $10 monthly
recurring product. Recurring commissions are as close to
‘regular paychecks’ that you’ll get, so find programs
offering recurring commissions and promote them like mad!

As for deciding when to quit your 9 to 5, I’d wait until I’ve
made my monthly goal for at least three consecutive months.
Also keep in mind that you’ll have to take care of your own
health/dental/etc. insurance, so make sure you’ve made
the proper arrangements.

I do know a few people who left their jobs after simply
*deciding* to start their own home business (which I think
is VERY gutsy), hoping it’ll motivate them to make it work
as quickly as humanly possible. Although it didn’t work
for everyone, some have been very successful… so go with
your gut and do what feels most comfortable for you!

—
Submit your marketing questions at:

http://www.AskCarmen.com

=========================================
IMSN Marketing Goodie Bag
=========================================

This week’s Featured F r e e b i e:

105 Power Tips To Get Your Internet Business
Noticed And Profiting!

Login to the IMSN Private Site at:

http://marketingchick.com/go/go.php/journal-imsn

F r e e Access to the Internet Marketing Support Network!
You’ll receive limited access to the Private Site, including
Carmen’s notes, progress reports, webmaster toolbox, and more!

Create your account at:

http://www.marketingchick.com/go/go.php/journal-imsnfree

=========================================
Talk To Me!!
=========================================

Send in your COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, and SUGGESTIONS
for AimDIRECT Ezine! Letters to the Editor will be
considered for publication unless the writer requests
otherwise. We reserve the right to edit your submission
for clarity and space. Initials will be used on request
only if your name and e-mail address is included.

Carmen Maranon, Editor
carmen @ marketingchick.com

—
“In helping others, we shall help ourselves,
for whatever good we give out completes the
circle and comes back to us.” - Flora Edwards

“Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they
are the children of your soul, the blueprints of
your ultimate achievements.” - Napoleon Hill

=========================================
Legal Information
=========================================

Copyright (c) 2005, ALACAR Interactive Media, Inc.
and Carmen Maranon. All rights reserved.

We accept no responsibility whatsoever for the content,
profitability or legality of any published articles or
advertisements contained within Carmen’s Marketing Journal.

It is the advertiser’s responsibility to check and abide by
the Local, State, Federal and International laws pertaining
to the products, services or opportunities they advertise.
Although all of the articles have been selected for their
content, the publishing of such articles within this ezine
does NOT constitute a recommendation of the products or
services mentioned or advertised within those articles.

Carefully investigate each advertiser’s claims before
responding to, purchasing, or joining any offer.

This list is powered by Aweber.com

http://www.marketingchick.com/go/go.php/journal-aweber

   Permalink