Ktech14 Blog

Marketing Is NOT a WAR

2008-04-10T01:44:00.000-07:00

It's becoming very hip lately to refer to marketing in military and especially warlike terms.
Mark Joyner, of Aesop.com, is especially big about this.
(which I just finished reading), Mark
In fact, in his new book Mind Control Marketing
takes the perspective that selling something is a "fight to the death" between you and
your customers where your goal is to "conquer their resistance"

WHAT?!

Now, maybe I'm still young and naive when compared to the great Mark Joyner, but I like
to think of marketing as a bridge between people's wants and a solution to extinguish
those wants (which is where the products come in). In short, I still see marketing as a
benevolent act that should be undertaken with honesty and sincerity - not a battle
to be won.
When I buy a product, it's because I wanted it. Sure, I've been scammed before, but I'm
still pleased with the vast majority of my purchases because I wanted something that a
particular product or service could fill. The owner didn't need to wear down my
resistance, she simply needed to recognize my wants and seek to meet them at a
reasonable price.
So if you're reading this with an open mind, here's the lesson I hope you take with you...
Seek to create products (and services) that genuinely help
people and meet their most pressing wants.
If you do that, then all your marketing has to do is isolate the targeted prospects and
show them how your product does what it says it will do. Do that and you won't need any
"mind control" tactics or "hypnotic selling" strategies.
But then again, that's just my take on it...let me know what you think...

How to Price an Ebook

2008-04-10T01:43:00.002-07:00

The title of this article is deceptively simple, but I promise there's more to pricing an
ebook than you would think. The inspiration for this tip came from an email I received
from a subscriber, which read...
"I'm planning on releasing my ebook soon and I'm trying to decide how to sell it.
(i.e. with resell rights, customization rights, etc) Any tips you could give as to how
I should sell it for maximum profits?"
The way I look at it, you create a product because you want to accomplish one of two
things:
1. Make a lot of money
or...
2. Build your list and generate publicity
You really can't do #1 very effectively if you don't charge a premium for your ebook, so in
my opinion if you don't feel your ebook is worth at least $37, then you should consider
refocusing your marketing plan from profit generation to list generation. (Note:
The $37 figure is not set it stone, but it's what I've found works best for my business.)
So how do you transition from profit generation to list generation? Simple...just offer low-
cost (or free) resell rights to your ebook.
If your ebook has resell rights available (and it's of high quality), it will spread much
faster giving you more recognition while building your list at the same time. But let's not
forget...you'll also make a tidy sum selling the ebook on the front end, and then charging
extra for resell rights and customization.
Then all you have to do is roll out another (more expensive product) to your new list, and
watch the really BIG profits roll in.
I realize that this idea isn't anything new, but so few info publishers are actually
using it that it's worth discussing. Far too often I hear of people trying to "make it big"
off of a $17 ebook. I hate to burst your bubble, but it isn't going to happen!
So instead of busting your butt for a small fortune, bust your butt for a HUGE list. It may
not seem as sexy at first, but I promise it will pay much larger dividends over the long-
haul.

The Single Most Effective, Yet Unused, Joint Venture Tactic

2008-04-10T01:43:00.001-07:00

Here's a joint venture technique you can use that I guarantee will get the attention of
even the busiest, most successful website owners.
Consider this...
If you were going to approach someone about forming a joint venture or partnership,
what method would you use? Well if you're like 99.9% of the people out there, then
chances are you would simply send them a personal email and then wait for a reply.
Sometimes the reply comes, and other times it doesn't. Well here's a way to virtually
ensure a reply of some sort...
Don't email your potential partners your offer - MAIL it to them. That's right! It's time to
dust off those old stamps, break out envelopes and actually send a real, live letter. I
realize this sounds a little backwards, but that's the beauty of it.
Here's an example...
I receive dozens of joint venture requests every day, some of which are worth replying
to, and some of which are not. The funny thing, however, is that of the thousands of JV
requests that have cross my path, not a single one has been delivered via postal mail.
So what do you think my reaction would be if I did receive something in the mail? Don't
bother guessing...I'll tell you! I'd be shocked, amazed, and impressed all at the same
time. Even if the offer was not for me, you better believe that I would give it extra-special
consideration. (And that's really all you can ask for when approaching a potential
partner.)
But let's take this one step further...
Instead of just sending a personal letter via First Class mail, try sending it through
Federal Express, or even registered mail. Heck, make the person sign for it! :-)
Obviously you don't want to go too overboard with this, but if the joint venture could earn
you thousands of dollars, isn't it at least worth the cost of a postage stamp. I think so...

STOP Buying Internet Marketing Products

2008-04-10T01:42:00.001-07:00

I'm going to take a lot of heat from some of my buddies in the Internet Marketing field for
this article, but some things just have to be said. Ok here goes...
"You should stop spending all your money on Internet marketing related
products!" (And yes that also includes my own products, Opt-In Automator, Pop-
Up Rotator, and "The Great Ezine Experiment".)
So why am I saying this?
Well, it all springs from an email I received a few weeks ago from a guy wanting to make
a trade for Opt-In Automator. The email went something like this:
===============
"I'm very interested in your product, Opt-In Automator, but I'm really low on cash
right now so I was hoping to trade you [product name withheld] for it. If you're not
interested in this product, I have many more that I can offer you."
===============
So out of curiosity, I asked this gentleman to send me the URLs to his website(s) so I
could check out these “other products” that he mentioned.
Here was his response:
===============
"Actually I don't have my own website, yet. Right now I'm just trying to acquire all
the Internet marketing materials I can so I know what I'm doing when I finally
launch my own site."
===============
If you were paying attention, this response should have thrown up quite a few red flags.
For starters, Opt-In Automator does you absolutely no good if you don't already have
your own website and mailing list. So this guy is spending his time and money acquiring
products that are useless to him and his business. (That's not a great formula for
success.)
Second, (and this is really the whole point of this article so pay attention) the notion that
you must have all the wisdom, resources, and software at your fingertips before you start
is simply ridiculous!
Sure, you need some basic knowledge so you have some clue as to what you're doing.
So read an ebook here and there and digest all the free information you can.
But above all else, try something! Just get out there and do it. That's where you really
learn what works and what doesn't.
I see way too many people fall into the trap of "Perpetual Preparation". They spend so
much time getting ready to start their business that they never actually get around to
doing anything.
And whatever you do, stop wasting all your money buying every ebook and hot new
software product under the sun. Instead, buy a domain name and a year of hosting. Buy
an autoresponder account, and a payment processor.
In short, invest in the things that directly benefit your business before you waste
all your money on knowledge you can no longer afford to use.
Once you start turning a profit, you can let your business fund your continuing education
and also purchase that great new piece of software you've been eyeing for the last few
months. (Hopefully it's one of mine.) ;-)

How NOT to Joint Venture

2008-04-10T01:41:00.001-07:00

I get dozens of emails everyday from people wanting me to joint venture with them on
their latest ebook or software project, the majority of which are barely worth replying to.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm always open to joint venture opportunities, but please
please please if you're going to make an me an offer, you better make sure it's one I
can't refuse. (And this goes with other marketers as well.)
Here's what I mean...
All too often, the joint venture offers I receive go something like this:
"I just wrote an ebook and would like it if you could advertise it to your list. It sells
for $17, and I pay 50% commissions. I'd really appreciate your help."
Ok, this joint venture offer has 2 major problems...
1. You can expect any marketer to get excited about an $8.50 commission.
(Actually it's less than $8 after the merchant company gets their part.)

If you want someone with a large responsive list to promote your product, your
commissions really need to excite your potential partner. Personally, I expect to
make at least $25-$30 off of every sale I make. Anything less and it's really not
worth it to me to send out.
2. Don't expect big-name marketers to "help" you for next-to-nothing.

I'm a pretty nice guy, but when it all comes down to it, I got started online to
make money. And so while I try to help people whenever I can, I have to make
sure that I'm meeting my own bottom line.

So please don't beg me (or other marketers) to help. It just isn't fair to ask
someone to sacrifice their own profits when they also have a family to provide
for.
Ok, so all that being said...how do you formulate the perfect joint venture offer?
Well like I said before, the name of the game is to make someone an offer that they can’t
refuse. You do that by selling high margin products, and offering huge
commissions.
And it may sound crazy, but don't be afraid to offer people with really huge lists even
more than 50%. If there's a person that you really want to joint venture with, and they tell you that they expect $25 off of every sale (but your product sells for $40)...give them
$25!
The way I look at it, $15 is a heck of a lot better than $0, and this way you also get your
name out there and have the potential to make more sales in the future. (Just make sure
that you cover your own costs, especially if the product you market is physical.)
This tip isn't a full blown explanation of joint ventures, but hopefully it'll lead you in the
right direction when you go to email Mr. or Ms. Big about your brand new product.

Complexity...The Most Infectious Disease in Product Development

2008-04-10T01:40:00.001-07:00

I'm not a programmer, but since my first two products, Opt-In Automator and Pop-Up
Rotator, happened to be software-based, I get a lot of emails from people who want me
to work with them on their own software projects.
And of the literally dozens of requests that I've received, can you guess how many I've
taken?
The answer...none, zero, zilch. And do you know why? Because every single one of the
projects that have been proposed to me all suffer from the same disease...Complex-
itus.
Now I'm not going to claim credit for the term Complex-itus because it was coined by a
friend of mine, Ben Prater of "Software Secrets Exposed"
, but what it essentially
means is over-complicating a product (or project) until it's virtually impossible to
complete.
For example, I had a guy email me with an idea for the ultimate HTML editor. The way
he made it sound, his product would do everything that Dreamweaver and Photoshop
could do, but faster, easier and better.
The problem...a project of this scope would cost literally millions of dollars and untold
years to develop. (This person had neither.)
Now I understand that we've been taught our whole lives to "Think BIG," but when it
comes to product development, whether it be software, an info-product or whatever else,
my advice is to "Think Small".
So, instead of creating the HTML editor to end all other HTML editors, why not just
create a simple program that can fill a common need. That's how you make a lot of
money! And instead of writing a 500 page ebook for your first project, why not just create
a short, 30-page report on a more targeted area. Not only will it be easier to create, it
should also sell better than a lengthy, unfocused manual.
I can assure you that if you follow this advice, you'll finish a lot more projects, and earn
a lot more money. If all else fails, you can "delay" your really big ideas until your "little
ones" are bringing in some cash. :-)

How Do I Get Started Online If I Don’t Have My Own Products (Part 2)

2008-04-10T01:37:00.000-07:00

In the last "From the Trenches" Tip, I said that people should publish a newsletter as
their first product, because it's cheap, easy, and lays a strong foundation for future
product rollouts.
You have to keep in mind that there are literally millions and millions of people that can
be reached on the internet, and so virtually any topic (within reason) can be in demand.

====================== Side Note ======================

"Hang Gliding", for example, was searched over 5000 times on Overture alone. Is that
enough interest to start a business? I don't really know, but I do know that you should be
able to find a topic that has a slightly broader appeal than hang gliding. :-)

====================== Side Note ======================

My suggestion is, first and foremost, to pick a topic that you know *something* about,
and really enjoy doing. I know it seems like a cop-out, but this really is the best way to
succeed online.

Once you've chosen a topic, then see if other people who would be interested in that
topic can be easily reached through the internet. Check out the search engines and the
newsgroups. See if there's anyone else out there who shares in your passion.

If there isn't anyone, then just come up with a different topic until you find something with
an audience. Once you have your topic (and a known following) then just choose how
you will form your newsletter and build yourself a site to "sell" it.
Advertise it a bit to this group, and then send out your first issue after about a month of
advertising. Depending on the response, you should have a good idea of whether or not
it would be profitable to continue to nurture a relationship with this group.

If the response is good, just keep doing what you're doing and before you know it you'll
have a list of raving fans who trust and respect you, and will pay close attention to any
product that you rollout in the future.

Ok, I admit that I have dumbed the process down quite a bit, but there have been whole
books written on this topic and so it would be ridiculous of me to try to cover everything
in this one article. What I want to do, more than anything, is to outline the basic steps so
that you can adapt them to your own business.

In short, I'm trying to teach you how to fish rather than just handing you baked salmon.

So start thinking about what you really really love, and then isolate a niche that you can
reach on the Internet. If other people online share in your passion, you could very well
have a profitable newsletter on your hands.

====================== Side Note ======================

I said earlier that whole books had been written on the topic of ezine publishing...

How Do I Get Started Online If I Don’t Have My Own Products (Part 1)

2008-04-10T01:33:00.000-07:00

This "From the Trenches” Tip is an answer to the question that I get asked more than
any other. That is...

"How Do I Get Started Online If I Don't Have My Own Products?"

You know the internet is a great place to start your own business, but you have no idea
how or where to start.

You've tried the affiliate programs and the so-called “opportunities” only to be
disappointed time and time again.

You want to have your own products, but you don't have the time or starting capital it
requires to roll them out.

In short, you're stuck...

You have the desire but you don't have the vehicle. Oh sure, you've read about how
some “guru” wrote a best-selling book or came up with some million dollar idea. But what
about the average Joe or Jane who can't write and isn't bursting with ideas?

What do they do?

What do YOU do?!

Well I don't claim to be a guru, but I can tell you what I did and what worked for me...
When I first got started online, I had almost no spare cash and even less spare time. I
knew I wouldn't be able to sit down and write and entire ebook, and so I decided instead
to publish a newsletter.

That's right...my newsletter, “Webs Worth Watching”, was my first product!

If you haven't considered having a newsletter as your first product, then take a look at
this...
They're cheap to develop They require less time than writing a full ebook and most importantly... They allow you to build a base of potential customers *before* you even
release or start to develop a single product

So if you're still looking for a way to get your foot in the online door, don't take months
and months to write an ebook or develop a product - start a newsletter and build a site
that can "sell" it!

Not only will this put you on the map, it will also be great practice for when you start
rolling out your own million dollar ideas.

And who knows? One day you may be looking at your own online empire and thinking to
yourself..."Gosh, and it all started with one simple newsletter." :-)

I hope I've given you a fresh idea that you can take and apply to your own business.