Copyright 2006 Willie Crawford
Almost every day, I get at least one email or phone call from a subscriber or potential client who is in a financial bind. Often they need $1000 or more for rent or car payments within the next few days. They're looking for me to give them a quick-fix solution, so that they can then focus on building a solid online business.
I shudder when I hear someone say that they need to do something "now" because I've seen so many people in similar situations make very bad decisions. Often when they implemented poorly conceived plans it ended up costing them much more in the long run.
Here are the top suggestions that I offer to Internet marketers who find themselves in the above described situation:
1) Write an ebook and offer resale rights to it. Currently Internet marketers love resale rights to ebooks. If you can put together a complete package that includes a website that's even better.
Writing an ebook is no harder than writing a high school research paper and then converting it to PDF format. If you are really stuck, you could get a ghost writer to do it for you, but that means you need capital upfront.
Creating a website is no harder than visiting any of hundreds of template sites (which offer many free templates) and choosing a suitable template. Then you edit the template in your favorite html editor.
If you do offer the website with the ebook package then you also need to come up with the copy. The absolute easiest way to do this (for me) is to pretend I'm explaining, to someone sitting across from me, what problem(s) the ebook solves and why they need it. Then you go back and add things such as a guarantee, bonuses, and perhaps testimonials. To get the testimonials, offer free copies of the ebook to online associates in exchange for feedback. If the feedback they give you is negative, then that tells you where you need to fix the ebook.
This won't give you the best copy in the world but will give you something that can be reworked several times. After you're out of that bind, if you want to become a really good copywriter, then you get a top copywriting course, such as the one I own (Yanik Silver's Ultimate At Home Copywriting Course): http://www.ultimateonlinecopymanual.com
After the ebook package is created, you can offer it to your list if you have one. If not, you can offer it prominently on your website. Make the offer irresistible. You can also offer it through online forums, and community-type sites, where they allow you to advertise. In a real pinch, you can offer it through Ebay auctions, but realize that Ebay buyers are generally looking for a bargain.
2) Create, or have created, a piece of software and offer resale rights to it. Practically everything said about marketing the ebook package applies to a software package. You can go to numerous sites such as Elance.com and RentACoder.com and place a description of the software you want created. "Techies" registered at these sites then bid on your job. You review their bids, their references and portfolios, and then choose one to do the job.
There are techniques and intricacies to hiring out work through these sites. I won't explain them here because there are countless articles on the topic that you can find through the search engines. Read several of these articles, and you should be equipped with the do's and don'ts of hiring out work through "lance-type" sites.
3) Offer your services. If you've been online for any amount of time, and been seriously learning the skills required, then you should have marketable talents. Many online marketers do the tasks that they do best and outsource the rest. If you make it known that you are available to do some of these chores, you should be able find jobs.
One problem that I've noticed in this area is that someone will offer to pass along work to another person (as a favor to get them out of a bind), and the person gaining the work will quote outrageous fees. Don't do that! The person offering the work will just go find someone who charges reasonable fees.
The are numerous Elance-type sites where you can go to list your availability and/or to see what jobs may be listed. You can also post your availability on certain discussion forums and community-type sites.
4) Sell an affiliate product using article marketing. This is one of my favorite selling techniques, and one that I teach often to "serious content marketers" such as members of Content Desk where I sometimes help conduct webinars. Its at, appropriately enough : http://MassiveCashFromArticles.com
My system, which should be easy for you to adopt, is to first identify a product thats really needed and wanted by your marketplace. It should already be selling well. Identify the problems that this product solves. Then you write an article about the PROBLEMS. Emphasize why these are really serious problems that your reader really wants to solve. Then you show why the affiliate product that you are marketing is the perfect solution. This is a proven formula!
After you've written the article, you can distribute it to article directories and publishers using article submission software. You can also use article submission services which may be a little more expensive (but can also be more convenient). The software that I use, submits to over 700 sites, and comes as part of my membership in Content Desk.
You can also submit your article directly to the publishers of your favorite ezines. Use a personal approach with each one. Explain that you are a longtime subscriber, and why you feel that this article is perfect for their ezine. Explain how their readers would benefit from the article and therefore be further endeared to the ezine. By explaining the "what's in it for them and their readers" you increase the chances of them using your article dramatically.
5) Run a sale from your site of specially selected product(s). If you have a steady flow of repeat visitors, this can solve your cash flow problem very quickly. What's critical here is that you make absolutely certain that the product is fresh, in-demand, and properly priced.
After identifying a product that you plan to sell, do a search on Ebay to confirm it's not being sold dirt-cheap over there. Then do a search on your favorite search engine for the product, and visit a few sites selling the product to see what they're selling it for. Unless it's your own product, or brand new, you should be able to find it in the search engines. If you see a lot of sites giving the product away, that a sign that you should seek another product (one that's not being devalued).
Find, or have created, a good product, place it on its own page on your site (with NOTHING else), and then direct traffic to that page. Then use standard copywriting techniques to sell the product. Prove to them that your price is better than they can find it elsewhere. Prove to them that the product will solve their problems. The easiest way to do this is with testimonials. Ask them for the order, and make it as easy as possible to place the order.
Any of the above five techniques will enable you to generate some quick revenue in a pinch. I've used 1, 2 and 4 numerous times with fantastic results, although I wasn't in a pinch. The reason that I don't use number 3 is that I don't like trading time for money, which is what you're doing when you offer a service. Your earnings are limited by the amount of time that you can offer. I rarely use number 5 but when I have used it, it's worked well too.
The final thing you have to do after deciding to use any of the above techniques is to DO it. Make a plan and then take massive action. Don't over-analyze. That's what stops too many people from extricating themselves from that crisis! |
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