Online Marketing: Always a Good Business

I just read this article, Top Businesses to Start in a Sluggish Economy by Heleigh Bostwick from the Legalzoom newsletter.

Look at 7 and 8:

7. Internet Marketer

Many people jump on the website bandwagon without really understanding internet marketing. After all, what good is a website if no one sees it? Internet marketing is becoming more and more important as people comparison shop online and purchase items online. That's just one of the reasons why it's a good business when the economy goes south.

8. Web Entrepreneur

You don't have to be a computer geek to become a web entrepreneur all you need is a good idea or product. You can create a website yourself or hire a web designer to do it for you.

Read this entire article by clicking here.

Learn how to get started in online marketing with this set of FREE videos: click here!

ONLINE BUSINESS OWNERS' HEDGE AGAINST RISING GAS PRICES

Gas prices have recently soared to continued record highs, increasing the amount consumers pay at the pump and for other necessary goods, like food and utilities! Some truck drivers recently parked their trucks in protest in Washington D.C. and U.S. lawmakers are working to regulate oil prices.

It does not take a rocket scientist to realize that these higher prices make a direct impact on most people’s daily budget and have led to a need for cuts in personal spending and budgets. Some people are really struggling.

Others are not struggling as much.

There is a group of people that are hedged against rising gas prices and the incidental costs associated with higher gasoline costs. This group of people is home business owners. Home business owners have two distinct advantages in times of rising gas prices: mileage tax deductions and supplemental income.

Home business owners save a large percentage of their gasoline costs every year through the deduction of the business mileage from a personal vehicle. Marketing a home business allows a standard mileage deduction of 48.5 cents per mile in 2007 and 50.5 cents per mile in 2008.

Here is a quick example of the impact of a mileage deduction.


Bob spends $100 on gas a week, $5200 per year. Ouch!

He drives about 600 miles per week. If Bob has a small business and uses his personal vehicle for business 50% of the time and can prove it with documentation, 50% of his mileage is deductible at the end of the year.

If he drives 600 miles a week, he drives 31,200 miles per year. 50% of the 31,200 miles become tax deductible when using his automobile for business 50% of the time. In 2007, Bob would save approximately $7,566 on his gas expenses (31,200 miles / 2 * 48.5 cents per mile).

Quite a hedge on the rising fuel costs! Bob saves $7,566 from a mileage deduction alone. He spent $5,200 on gas, hypothetically.

Plug in your expenses and mileage to determine how much you could save with a home business.

Learn more about the ultimate tax shelter, a home business, click here.

The other advantage home business owners have is the simple fact that they are making a supplemental income. Some home business owners only work their home business, but a large group of home business owners run their home business while continuing another line of work. For those that run a home business in addition to another job, they simply have an additional stream of income to rely on in tight economical times.

Here are some important questions to consider if you are thinking about starting a home business or if you already have one?

How could a supplemental income help you?

Help you stay out of foreclosure?

Help you beat bankruptcy?

Help you pay off your car loan?

Help you get rid of your credit cards?

Help you get out of debt?

Help you make your mortgage payments?

Help you pay your bills?

Help you save for retirement or retire early?

Help you pay your house off early?

Help you take a vacation?

Help send your kids to private school?

No matter what your answer is today, it is absolutely vital to understand how much of an impact a home business can have on your financial situation and life. A home business can allow you to start earning a supplemental income to achieve whatever financial objectives you may have, while allowing key tax deductions like the mileage deduction mentioned above.

There are thousands of home business options in various industries, but the one variable throughout various businesses that makes the most sense is online marketing.

Online marketing allows you to leverage your time. Forget handing out business cards, buying leads, cold calling and bugging friends and family. Forget going down to get part-time work at the grocery store or gas station.

With a little bit of work, online marketing allows you to make a supplemental income while continuing to do what you are already doing, whether you are still working, retired, going to school, etc.

If you need or want a supplemental income and/or a home business, I encourage you to do some research to find the right home business for you. Try to find a business that interests you, one that sells products that you already use or would like to use or one that offers a service that you are familiar with.

Once you have found a solid business that you believe in, take it to the Internet to access the millions of other people just like you that are looking to for what you have to offer.

To Your Success!

Do you need help with online marketing? Find the secret here!

MORE ABOUT MARKETING LIKE SUBWAY

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article titled, “How to Market Like McDonald’s, Subway and Las Vegas”. Recently I found this article written about another great ad by Subway and I felt compelled to share it with you.

Apparently, Subway is making an effort to get back to its foot long roots with a special on its 12 inch sandwich, offering foot long subs for five dollars.

When reading this article, remember that Subway is not in the sandwich business, nor is it in the fool long business. Subway is in the healthy fast food business! Now we can get healthy fast food for five dollars and they have done it with a catchy new ad.

Enjoy this ad by clicking here!

Much Success!

HOW TO MARKET ANY BUSINESS ONLINE WITH THE POWER OF POSITIONING

Whether you are marketing online or using traditional offline methods, it is very important to understand that the means of communication is not the most important factor in marketing. The angle that you take in your marketing is what will determine your success.

To be successful, the angle you must take is to sell yourself first. Position yourself as an expert and as a useful resource to your customers, consumers or partners.

Why do you want to be the expert?

You want to be the expert because everyone wants to work with the best. Everyone wants to work with the best real estate agent, the best doctor, the best financial planner, the best tax advisor. Everyone wants their kids to go to the best schools and have the best coaches, right?

Luckily, to position yourself as the best does not require you to actually be the best. Read this carefully. To position yourself as the best does not require you to actually be the best!

Wow! This is huge! You do not have to be the best online marketer or the best at your home business or be the best in your industry!

Being the best is simply a relative decision that stems from an opinion. It may be the opinion of your customers, consumers, partners or teammates. Since an opinion is what determines your expertise, you have the ability to form the opinions of those customers, consumers, partners or teammates.

So, how do you position yourself as an expert to help others form positive opinions of you and your expertise?


You must give without want!

To position yourself as the best, you must give without want! Giving without want simply means that you provide VALUABLE information freely without the expectation of getting something in return.

Here is an example showing how a local real estate agent in my area uses these techniques.

I recently received an email newsletter from a local real estate agent who, a couple of years ago sold an identical condo to one I had listed at the same time mine was listed. This agent sold the condo he had listed in less than a month. It took my agent over six months to sell mine. I don’t know if this agent’s marketing techniques are what allowed him to sell the other condo so quickly, but I would imagine that they probably did.

The newsletter was titled, “Market Trends: Your Monthly News for Real Estate News and Information”. The title of the newsletter immediately caught my attention because of the state of the real estate markets.

I have never done business with this agent, but I was very impressed with his newsletter. He focused on providing valuable information about the local real estate market. He included information about the number of homes being bought and sold in the area, the average sales prices compared to a year ago and an outlook on the market.

There were no sales pitches, or no special offers, just VALUABLE information about local real estate and his contact information.

This valuable newsletter provided information that anyone looking to buy or sell or anyone just interested in the local real estate would want. He provided VALUABLE information freely to his target market! By providing this valuable information, he is positioning himself as an expert in the local real estate industry.


I am not currently looking to buy or sell, but when others and I who want a real estate agent who know the local market, we will call this particular agent because he has established himself as an expert!

Other means of marketing that could be compared to this newsletter are articles, press releases and reports that provide VALUABLE information to a target market.

Possible subjects related to the real estate example could be, “The Best Kept Secret of the Local Real Estate Market”, “5 Things You Need to Know before You Buy Your Next Home” or “The 3 Biggest Mistakes Made When Buying Real Estate”.

Another important note to make is that it is essential not to plug your business up front, but to sell your business or service on the back end. Just like the newsletter from my local real estate agent, do not send newsletters or any other form of marketing promoting your business first. If he would have listed homes for sale or tried to solicit buyers, I would not have read the newsletter.

By authoring the newsletters that provide VALUABLE insider information about the local market up front, he has automatically positioned himself as an expert. On the back end, he provided his contact information for those with questions about his real estate business.

Even with traditional marketing, you would use these techniques. Provide valuable information in the form of direct mailers, postcards or free reports using the best means of communication for you, your business and your customers.

You can become an expert by providing VALUABLE information to help others who want the information you are providing- your target market. By helping others get the information they want, you will position yourself as an expert in your industry. By positioning yourself as an expert, you will become a success in your industry, profession or home business.

To Your Success!

To learn more about the power af positioning and other attraction marketing techniques, learn from the best, Mike Dillard.