However, in the blogging world, we get the benefit of skipping some of the practical rules of the world.

So let’s get to it. You absolutely should be doing these 5 key items:

linkedin

1) Use the Widget and Links on Your Profile Page to Maximize Exposure. Getting people to visit your profile is half the battle with LinkedIn, however once they are there are you inviting them to go where you want them to go? Using the website links as well as widgets such as “WordPress” to add your blogs post to you profile are a great way to engage people. These people are already interested in you, they are reading you profile. Don’t limit their engagement to what you can type on LinkedIn, take them to other places that can educate them further and/or promote your brand or your products.

2) Respond to Questions and Answers. This is often encouraged to gain expertise and “rank” within communities as an expert. This is very true, however there is also a very important aspect of engagement when you provide value to a conversation in this format. You automatically engage a targeted audience who all have a certain mindset. If you’re savvy, you cannot just build expertise, but you can weave in relevant self-promotion that is usually highly effective.

3) Provide research to a community. This is basically providing a group with interesting data and topics as news or discussion. Similar to the reasons above, this type of engagement will not only provide you an audience and build your rank within a community, it will also make people more receptive and engaging when you lead them to self promotion. People don’t mind being “pitched” or getting some level of promotion from folks as long as they first get value from them.

4) Figure out what you want, then build a group to accomplish it. Most people feel intimidate to start their own group on LinkedIn or feel like it’s going to be a hassle to maintain. Before you dismiss it, give it a try. It’s not that hard and you may be surprised by how many professionals out there are interested in same goals or topics you are. Owning a group has several advantages, perhaps the largest is you can communicate directly to them at any time.

5) Use LinkedIn. Ok, this one sounds a bit dumb. However a majority of people we train do not login and interact frequently. They use it more as a repository for their online resume, which they update once every few months, then happily go about “facebooking” several times a day. This is ok if you’re 18 or if you have no current professional goals or needs. However, if you need a job or have a business objective that requires others, get on LinkedIn! It’s overlooked often, but truly is one of the most effective and powerful networking tools today.

For more information, join one of our linkedInformarketing.com webinars and subscribe to our newsletter.

Dave Albertson
About the Author:
Small Business Growth Expert Don’t you love it when people tell you what you are doing wrong?
Well, if you’ve read the book “how to win friends, and influence people” you’d know to avoid this tactic, for making friends.

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There are many paths of Online Marketing that you can use to connect with the almost one billion people on the web. Obviously you need to provide your product or services, but it’s a bit frustrating figuring out exactly what to do and how to do it.

Having a defined plan of action is vital to avoid struggling and produce measurable results. Luckily, there are gurus that are sharing secrets for both experienced and novice website or blog owners. Yes, there is a better way to follow that works in time for any niche. Here are the Four Main Steps to getting your plan in place. First is the need to be found by visitors to your blog or website], attracting them to join your list through a great landing or “squeeze” page, then the follow up system to stay in touch, ending with asking them to purchase your services or product items after building their trust. Here’s a bit more detail on these 4 Online Marketing Basics :

1) Attract and Drive Traffic To Your Blog or Website. Using an strategy of blog articles, posting to forums or commenting are nice ways you can target your niche market. Having your links available to obtain more information into the area of interest can send many prospects your way. Develop a relationship with your visitor through being a “friend” or trusted advisor first and give them some value. Don’t attempt to sell them with an obvious pitch right away.

2) Your Capture, Landing or Squeeze Page. This needs to provide something FREE or beneficial/useful that they can get right now . The message should be brief and make them motivated to have what you are providing because it contains value. On this page your goal is to get them to enter their name and email so that you can build your subscriber base and be able to follow up with them later. They exchange their information for your gifts and mentoring through this window.

3) Follow Up Through an Autoresponder. You will now provide a series of messages or follow up information to inform, gift and educate your list members. Your Online Marketing messages cannot be too heavy on sales pitches, and will be linked randomly to your products or services after you recommend them to your subscribers. Building rapport is vital here. You should give more than they expect and leave them hungry and anxious for your next bit of knowledge. Provide that info through your links leading to a potential sale.

4) The Product or Service Page. Here you recommend something that your prospect can try and will benefit them immediately. It could also be an invite to your mlm or network marketing business opportunity. Do not put this right at the beginning of the page. Give them something of value again and afterwards offer your product or service to them through its benefits. Remind them that they have your services as well that they trust by now. Ask them to make the decision, in a limited time, to purchase. Give more incentives or benefits just by being on your list and you should see results.

Using this system and including the elements above in your Online Marketing strategy gives you a much greater chance for success. Improve and test your pages and systems often.It may take some time as it is not a get rich quick scheme. Continue the article marketing and posts to comments on the forums in your niche to maintain interest and perpetuate traffic flow. Becoming respected within your target market and see results which will increase and grow in proportion to your activity using this game plan.

If you like this article, please recommend it or share it below with the share/save button. Also please leave a comment – scroll down and let us know what you think? Your feedback is appreciated.

Need Help With Your Articles or Blog? Subscribe to this blog below and receive Traffic Explosion Secrets Free!

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Ever wonder why there are so many blogs appearing online these days? If you are reading this and have a business of any kind online, and are reading about your competition, you have answered the question. A blog is vital to your online success and here are 4 reasons why :

1) A Way to Find Your Business – You need a place to drive your targeted audience to your business and to create your sales funnel through your opt in form. You will give them value through your information and articles, they will then return for more and may buy from you.

2) Keeping In Touch With Your Clients – When your clients hear from you they feel connected and appreciated. Connected is a good thing, you stay on their mind and then you continue to provide quality information that they need and can use. Friends work with friends…
3) Creating Traffic – You need to keep the clients you have, and gain new ones to stay in business. Traffic increases subscribers, more subscribers increases sales and search engine rankings improve (more on that in another strategy post)
4) Building Your Social Media Networks – Your blog will have buttons to inform your guests how to stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media. This becomes a continuing source of new visitors and traffic magnet. Now go back to #1 and repeat over again.

Now you understand the “why” of the blog.

For ways to create a blog from the ground (or keyboard) up, click here. Also, be sure to check out a website called How To Make My Blog that may help you keep your blog in order.

I hope you find this information helpful and it helps you take action toward your own blog.

Want to set up your blog FAST? Click Here for the process.

Already have a blog? Great! Still need help? Click here to take the proven next step in driving traffic to and monetizing your work.

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What is an entrepreneur? There are several definitions, so I will combine them into a basic one: An Entrepreneur is an individual that creates opportunity through strategic thoughts and actions; one that has the will to overcome any obstacle in the pursuit of the success they are searching for. Wow, this sounds pretty powerful, and it is. The reason is that this is exactly the type of person needed to create a new economy, the one that is needed right now in the face of a global collapse of “what we used to do for a living”.

Finding that entrepreneur is not easy. Too many people became used to cozy jobs, the ones that are now gone, where company benefit packages were normal. We all saw the world changing, but not enough of us changed, then when the economy exploded, we were not really prepared and many were somehow shocked. The entrepreneurs have come out of this crisis fine. Their resilient shell seems to repel any financial disaster. Read it here, again…In these times, you must find a passion of your own and then create your own business! The answer for many could very well be network marketing.

As Rich Dad author Robert Kiyosaki writes in his book, The Business of the 21st Century,“I saw network marketing as a great personal development type of business. It is about developing people, not pushing them down. It’s about building them up so they can take better control of their lives and their future without worrying about being fired all the time, or will I be downsized, or what if the economy changes. Network marketing business, the business in the 21st century, is about turning people from employees to entrepreneurs. That’s what I support”. Sounds a lot like what entrepreneurs do. Is there a direct message here?

Being an employee means that you might lose your job one day. You have no control. Your family and your life may be altered forever. Why risk that? Why make another person rich with your work, isn’t that what you are doing? It’s OK to learn from someone for awhile to pay the bills while you “entrepreneur” on the side. But when your efforts take effect and can match that “job” income, its time to finally control your life and be able to live in freedom. It’s time to take action, those that do will be the foundation of tomorrow’s economy.

If you are ready to look at a fantastic network marketing opportunity now click here! Take Action!

If you are ready to start building an existing business or network marketing (mlm) and need a plan, click here!

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When should your business get involved in using social media? The answer is yesterday. Not only have the giants in social media like Facebook and Twitter become useful in the branding of your business, but they are options that nearly everyone with internet access expects (demands) as a client or customer these days. If you’re not doing social media, start now.

Using social media takes a plan in order to be successful with it. It is pointless if people that follow you on Twitter don’t use or even know what your product is. Relevancy is the key. Find a common interest with your target market and then provide value when you connect through these channels. The same idea is true for Facebook. The “like” button allows people to become part of the base that you should be able to interact with. But remember, simply running a popularity contest with no connection to your audience may look good to some, but really has no benefit to the business or those that “like” it.

Your business must be using social media to create your brand and to blast it everywhere over the web while maintaining control over that defined identity. Your followers need to know you, trust you and be able to see that you are “X Brand” and recognize it when they see you. This is another reason to get involved now -before someone else takes your opportunity to lock in the identity you want and use it for their own products.
Be creative, but not too much that people cannot remember your logo, spelling or catch phrase. Have a plan of action and purpose for using social media before you dive in as well. What are you looking to accomplish? More traffic? Logo or name branding? Blog subscribers? Or, maybe you want to survey your customers to see what they want and then move in that direction with product development? With these focus points clearly defined, your social media strategy will need to be tailored in a way to best reach that agenda. Then you will see success.

The bottom line is simple. Using social media is a must for all businesses big or small. Start today and create your brand if you plan on competing in both the short and long term.

Go To “Work With Steve Lheureux” on Facebook or Follow Steve LHeureux on Twitter

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While companies struggle with campaign marketing to attract new clients, some are returning to time-tested and somewhat old-fashioned techniques but with a modern technology twist to “deliver” the message. The focus here is on getting back to the human side of marketing. Since the internet craze and daily email started in the mid-1990′s, people have become immune to a lot of sales pitches through ingenuine, “I am a robot sending this” piles of inbox messages from alleged real persons. When was the last time you received something from a company that you could physically touch and had a personal greeting? Exactly.

Campaign Marketing through an “appreciation strategy” can accomplish relationships that separate your company from the other 99 percent that hope to gain a new client or customer. Simply put, it is the strategy that lets your client know that they are special and appreciated and psychologically ties them to you. The chances of them working with your company are much greater if a choice is to be made between you and the other company.This is all because you used a human approach and became likeable. Lets face it, it’s more comfortable to work with someone you know and trust and that cares about you.

Retention is increased using campaign marketing with an appreciation strategy. Your client is attached to your style of “I am glad that we have you as a customer” and that alone deters the temptations when your competition moves in. You take care of your client and they feel special with your team. This can provide resistance to change (meaning the other offers being considered), and would be like them “leaving a friend”. No one likes to do that.

When it comes to referrals, who is your client going to mention? Yes, it is your company. You have that attraction factor, the ability to connect in a human way with your customers.This means using your marketing dollars in a way that creates meaningful relationships, increased respect and sales -instead of tactics that are boring, typical and often ignored, turning your potential (and current) clients away. Congratulations on your new campaign marketing strategy.You and your clients are much happier and they now want to hear from you again and again.

If you are interested in FREE appreciation campaign marketing strategy programs, information and/or training, click here! or email Steve LHeureux today!

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So, you are ready to start your blog. Assuming you have done the essential items first that I recommended, it is now time to begin using WordPress and start your writing. The easiest way to install wordpress and get it connected into the domain name you have selected and hosted is through Fantastico. This handy tool is likely included in your hosting package in the host site’s cPanel. I provide step-by-step instructions when you join my team as this is an absolute must for branding yourself (more on that vital topic will be a separate post here coming soon.)

Which wordpress is which? Well, this is the answer: You want wordpress.org as it gives you the freedom needed to host and control your content. The free version at wordpress.com is one of those “you get what you pay for” things, meaning that it is a great product either way but the .org is your place if you want to blog for your business, you need the control that wordpress.org offers you.

Setting up wordpress for your basic settings, themes, plugins and widgets will be done before any postings. Many of these are personal preferences, but there are some that you will want, to give your blog a bit of a boost and some protection before sending it out on the web to compete. More of the specifics on which of these work well and why will be in future posts here. There are countless items you can add to your wordpress blog through the dashboard and I will share with you where to get these when you simply enter your name and email for “Work From Home Success Secrets” here on this page on the right side. At this point if you have not done it already, get your domain name selected and set up along with your hosting. Then install wordpress and you will be on your way. More soon as we continue get you up and running to work from home…stay tuned.

P.S. If you have not connected with me on Facebook yet, do it here now. Also follow me on Twitter here.

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If I only had one dollar for everyone on the internet that has asked themselves or others, “Where do I start?” when it comes to an online business that they can work from home. Then another dollar for too much information (TMI) frustration on getting more traffic, building a blog, which program to use…on and on. It is literally mind blowing.

It is tough to find a person, whether successful or not, that cannot echo that they have had the same feelings as the rest of us wanting to get online with our business and make a fortune on the web. Do not quit your day job yet…it is going to take time (more effort will likely shorten that) and some amount of investment, even a little is better than none, if you really want to truly be independent in your own business.

Taking action is great -if you have a plan first. Do not start by buying every program you see as that will certainly drain your available resources. Begin to read the free advice first including books from successful, proven educators and prepare yourself a bit before simply jumping in. There are a lot of systems that are incomplete and will leave you at the first paragraph here if you simply buy them without some investigation or valid recommendation. Too many of us have purchased nearly everything out there and been left disappointed with the overall content.

This is my first things first approach:
1) Read at least one or two foundational books from proven financial leaders to instill the core basic concepts of creating wealth. The Business of the 21st Century
by Robert Kiyosaki – on this page to the right is a perfect read as to what type of businesses to get into for our current economy and provides a wealth concepts base. Without understanding this information and knowledge is power here, you may never see how the rich got that way.
2) Take some notes and develop your first action plan of things you will accomplish such as coming up with your main strengths and interests to later base your blog or website on and some key words or ideas of a relevant domain name that you must register and claim as your own to start anything.

I really need to stop you here if you are a novice. Once you have the above 2 things done, then some of the next steps can be implemented. Getting too far ahead of yourself will only cause more stress. You have to build a foundation and get the minimum basics in place before you can start putting up the walls to your new work from home business…more on that soon.

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Whether you are a novice or experienced marketer on the web, sooner or later you will need to master or improve your ability to use your list of opt-in (no spam) email subscribers to best deliver quality content and increase your sales as well. The biggest issue for the average website or blog owner is how to go about this process and who should I work with? In the video below, by Fathom SEO, some basic concepts are explained and will help you to understand some keys to getting the most from your future email campaigns. Enjoy and here’s to your success!!

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Steve LHeureux is an entrepreneur, writer, and father of three who enjoys new ideas, technology and the concept of helping others combined with continuing education toward attaining personal goals.

Work With Steve LHeureux

The purpose here is to provide information and ideas that the average home based person can then try on their own as they work toward financial and personal independence through a chosen opportunity. There is no get rich scheme or promise of certain results – as those solely depend on the effort and motivation of the individual. First things first are to think positive, have a win-win attitude and always an open mind…from there I will provide some food for thought and action for you to explore and create your own success story.

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