Kevin Lampard

Mind The Gaps In Your Marketing Strategies…

I am pleased to bring you a guest post from my good friend Bob (the teacher) Jenkins. If you have never come across Bob before I can honestly say he is the best online markeing strategies coach by a huge margin. Enjoy his post… Guest Contribution By Bob The Teacher It’s easy as an entrepreneur to focus your attention on the cutting edge of new technologies, marketing strategies, and the latest tools. I know that doing so keeps me on my toes and I love to share new things with others. But in that focus there’s a danger of missing the obvious ways to generate more revenue and profit in your business. These are the marketing gaps that show up more and more in any business that continues to grow. The truth is there are always going to be new ways to make money in your business, new tools to learn, and new technologies to test out. But forgetting the basics, overlooking the holes that get wider, and neglecting the golden goose: these are all ways that we are missing out (and that includes me!). I challenge you to find the holes in your marketing and fill them.

Not with new ways of doing things, but the solid, proven things you already know how to do but have either forgotten that you know them, or simply have been putting them off for way too long.

This week, let’s talk about those gaps and how to fill them. I’m going to show you what gaps exist in my business, how I’m finding them, and what I’m doing over the next few weeks to patch up those holes.

These will be simple tweaks, but with powerful results that combine together to regain lost revenue and solidify long term profits.

Join the Mind The Gap Free Training

Sneak Peek: 7 Ways To Mind Your Marketing Gaps

Here are 7 ways you can mind your marketing gaps (these are what I’m focusing on, too):

Discover where traffic on your website is going that is not actually working (i.e., 404 error traffic)

Determine popular pages on your website that aren’t monetized at all, or could be monetized better

See which videos on YouTube are getting attention, but aren’t effectively monetized

Examining sidebar bloat

Replacing out of date websites with related but current marketing funnels

Optimize follow up sequences in Aweber by tweaking older messages

Add new messages to lists where the bulk of subscribers are at the end

These are just 7 examples that I’ll be diving deeper into in the upcoming training. Join me for those and many more in Mind The Marketing Gaps!

Bob The Teacher

p.s. What gaps in your marketing do you already know you want to fill? Post them below with a comment!

Why You Should Be Guest Blogging…

You may be familiar with guest blogging but find yourself wondering if it’s beneficial and something you should be doing in your business. I first learned about it from my friend Nicole Dean when she introduced us to her course on Guest Blogging Secrets. Let’s take a look at 7 important reasons you should be guest blogging.

1. Build relationships with other business experts in your niche – It’s a win/win situation when business owners help each other. Guest blogging now can turn into joint ventures in the future. One thing to keep in mind when it comes to guest blogging is that you want to make sure you have something to offer that is appealing in exchange, so it doesn’t seem one-sided by those you are reaching out to connect with online.
2. Increase your website traffic and get your name out there – Guest blogging is a way to increase your traffic. But more importantly, it’s going to be very targeted traffic! Meaning, because you’ll be blogging on sites within your niche, these audiences are already looking for you. Now that you’ve gained their attention and they know where to find you on the web, they can start spreading the word.
3. Grow your reputation as an expert – By guest blogging and sharing your knowledge on your topic, people will be able to see that you know what you’re talking about and start seeing you as an expert. Make sure you’re giving them quality information they haven’t heard before.
4. Build back links to your website – Building back links to your site is a great way to show Google your site is popular, important and relevant. Find out what the blog owner will allow you, in way of links, in your post. Normally, they’ll let you add 2-3 links between the content and author bio. Be sure to use keywords in the text you choose to use as a link to your site.
5. Build your brand and reputation – The audience that follows the site you’ll be guest blogging on has grown to know, like and trust the blog owner. Now it’s up to you to garner some of that trust. Share quality content that the audience will be interested in and wants to read.
6. Build your mailing list – Because you’ll be gaining a highly targeted audience in your niche market, it’s going to be important to get them on your list. Make sure to entice new visitors with an opt-in offer they can’t refuse so they’ll sign up immediately for your list.
7. Gain more guest blogging opportunities – If you follow the rules of the host site, provide relevant, high quality information and bring your “A” game, more than likely you’ll gain more guest blogging opportunities from those that follow the sites you guest post at.

These reasons for guest blogging that we just went over are also some of the benefits for your online business. Once you learn more about guest blogging and do more of it, you’re going to position yourself and your brand as an expert, the ‘go to’ person, and this will more than likely get you recognized and sought after by other experts in your niche. It will also get you into the habit of writing, a skill that will serve you well as an online entrepreneur. Be sure to take a look at Guest Blogging Secrets to see how you may add this marketing strategy to your business.

Kevin Lampard

10 Creative Traffic Building Ideas

Everyone wants traffic to their website. It is not always easy to get more people to visit your site. There are ways to generate the desired traffic. It takes being creative and innovative sometimes; so let me give you 10 creative traffic building ideas that will help.

1. Use Flickr. Social photo sharing drives people to your website. Add good tags to the photos so they attract the members on the site. Write a post in your blog and add the link to the Flickr site. The two sites will work in unison to draw traffic to your site.

2. Join a social bookmarking site. Share your favorite sites with other people sharing the same interests. Include your website. The social sites are like a specific search engine for many people. Add the bookmarks to your blog site to increase your internet traffic. Add interesting links to relevant products that the users are searching for. The more interesting links you have bookmarked the larger your following will become.

3. Start blogging. Join several sites where you comment on the blog posts. Add your URL with posting. Keep in mind you are commenting on your posts so remain focused on the topic since you do not want your posting to be deleted or considered as spam. You want to appear knowledgeable and someone others can trust.

4. Use forum signatures for promotion of your site with a live link. Use topics with great information and link them back to your sties. The more information you provide the readers the more they will rely on you for your new information. They will return repeatedly to read what you are posting.

5. Add widgets, themes, and extension to your site. There are many free additions that will enhance your site. Make your site interesting rather than the typical boring website. Make your site user friendly and exciting. Users want to see and experience new things, give it to them with your site.

6. Use your friends to know your business and have them help spread the word about your website. They can use their personal blogs, websites, and contacts to increase your website traffic.

7. Use industry specific sites to add links and networks with by contacting the websites. Many are willing to join the cause to help your build your website traffic.

8. Expand your exposure by adding podcasts to your site. Include audio and video that is interesting and intriguing.

9. Submit your feed to blog site directories. The feed will drive traffic from another site to your site.

Last but not least:

10. Submit articles to article directories, using the resource box to drive traffic to your site and establish strong backlinks to your site; for the Search Engines.

When you do your traffic building, it is not really about the traffic but offering what the readers want. When you reach out to them with information and products you service a valuable purpose.

Hope this helps you get started on driving traffic to your site.

Kevin Lampard

5 Webmaster Skills You Need To Keep More Of The Money

Whether you have a webmaster or you do your website yourself, you’ll be well-served by knowing your way around the back end of your website. Ignorance of some basic features of your own website could cost you a ton of money every year. In fact, the five skills I’m talking about today could be worth over $8000 in lost profit.

To be clear, a lot of webmasters rock at what they do, and your business will grow the less of the on-going maintenance of your site you do (as long as you’re using that extra time performing your highest value business activities). But too many times you can be left in a lurch if you push these particular things away.
Skill #1: Creating Professional Email Addresses

Cost of not knowing: $25 or more plus a weaker reputation among your prospects

Many hosting companies like to charge extra for email addresses. For example, as of today, GoDaddy charges $2.59/month for having up to 5 email addresses.

If you use a free email service, then you are advertising Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc., on your business cards instead of your business.

I’m a big fan of Gmail, but you should know how to set up your own email forwarders and/or accounts.
Skill #2: Redirecting Traffic

Cost of not knowing: $100 or more per month

Sites go down. Pages change names. Recommendations go out of favor. Partners change their affiliate systems. All these are the biggest reasons why you should know how to create redirects.

Imagine a scenario where you want to promote your favorite autoresponder. So you post your affiliate link everywhere you can: social media, forums, blog posts, guest blog posts, inside PDF reports, in the middle of YouTube videos, etc.

And 6 months from now that autoresponder system makes a change (or worse yet, goes out of business). Changes could include: pricing, new rules, worse delivery, etc. Or they change the way their affiliate links work.

In essence, every single link you’ve ever posted is now either dead or goes somewhere you don’t want new readers to go.

If you used a redirect then you could quickly change where visitors go instead of to a dead end.
Skill #3: Basic Uploading And Managing Of Files & Pages

Cost of not knowing: Potentially $500/month or more in lost business

Having your site hacked is a major pain, and you’ll likely want a professional (or your hosting service) to do a major security audit if it ever happens.

But in the short term, if you discover something’s wrong, you can usually identify a problem file in your website’s File Manager and delete or rename it and restore functionality.

In other situations, you may have a sales page that has typos, a wrong price, or a broken image – all of which could significantly decrease the results you get from that page.

And finally, you may sell an ebook, video, or audio program that customers want to be able to download. If you’re only using WordPress, and you have a limitation on the size of your uploads, you would have difficulty delivering on what you sell.

But if you know how to use your website’s File Manager, your just a couple clicks away from ensuring your customers’ experience is a good one.
Skill #4: Creating And Using FTP Accounts

Cost of not knowing: $1000/month or more in lost business

FTP is the way you upload and manage files on a larger scale than your site’s file manager. And if you ever outsource your web design and site infrastructure to a webmaster you could be vulnerable to a serious problem.

Again, many webmasters rock and run their business with integrity. But I’ve heard too many horror stories where the webmasters become unresponsive or even malicious.

When you know how to set up and manage FTP accounts, you can control what your team member has access to. If something goes wrong you can quickly remove access.

The big mistake most people make is giving a temporary team member their root username and password for their website. In moments, that info could change and you could be locked out of your own site!
Skill #5: Hosting More Than One Domain On The Same Account

Cost of not knowing: $5-$10/month for each extra domain

Multiple products, coaching programs, top-level redirects, advertising tracking – these are just a few reasons why you’ll want to have more than one domain name for your business. And while you don’t need to have 400 or so, you’ll likely have at least 10 domains in your portfolio. Many webmasters and hosting companies will charge you to host each one separately (even if they are actually hosting them on the same server).

Instead, when you know how to use the Add-on Domain feature of your website, you’ll pay just one hosting fee per month (usually $10/month or less)!

Kevin Lampard

p.s. One question I often get is what web hosting company do I recommend? If you’re just getting started, or you have less than 5 websites, then you’ll be well-served by Hostgator. Oh, and you can use the coupon code Feb35 and save at least 35% on your invoice! But hurry the offer is only open until the end of February 2013.

Video Marketing Revolution…

Forget everything just for one moment..

Ok, that may be a bit dramatic but I really
don’t know how else to put this…

Listen, we all know that Video Marketing
is the way and video marketing is where
making money online is at today… but the problem is,

You Still Have To Make VIDEOS…!

…well, at least you did until now!

“…Video Review Master Software – Allows
You To Swipe Other Peoples YouTube
Videos – Cloak Them With YOUR Affiliate
Link And Instantly Convert Them Into Fully
Automated Income Streams!..”

It’s what some people are calling the…

“Swipe And Cloak!”

Take a look at a demo I have set up for you:

Click on the image to see the software in action.

Get yours NOW!!

Kevin

60 Ways To Use An Extra 60 Minutes This Week

Are you excited about your extra hour this weekend, but not sure what to do with the time? In case you don’t already have 10,000 things competing for your time, my friend Bob (the teacher) Jenkins came up with this list of things you can do this week in under an hour. You’ll notice some of these are all about you, others are focused on improving your business, and a few that impact others around you. Pick one and go for it!

1.   Record a teleseminar
2.   Mindmap the next 30 days of strategy for your business
3.   Play with your dog at the dog park
4.   Do a Fall cleanup of leaves in your yard
5.   Declutter your office
6.   Change the batteries in smoke detectors, remotes, and clocks
7.   Follow up with 4 prospects
8.   Post unused stuff on Craigslist
9.   Get a massage
10. Clean out your closet
11. Take clothes donation to Goodwill
12. Try a new recipe
13. Create promotional social media posts for your affiliates
14. Treat yourself to an hour of exercise
15. Give a complimentary consultation to a prospective client
16. Share your wisdom in a new blog post
17. Send out your holiday cards ahead of time
18. Set up a WordPress blog
19. Enjoy a podcast about your favorite hobby
20. Play miniature golf
21. Call a few friends you haven’t connected with in a while
22. Call your mother and/or father
23. Volunteer at a local food bank
24. Write a couple of chapters of your new book
25. Sleep in
26. Throw out expired food from your fridge and pantry
27. Enjoy a long, hot bath
28. Revise your autoresponder follow up series
29. Say yes to something you wouldn’t normally say yes to
30. Read up on the local and state candidates for the election
31. Watch 3 TED Talks
32. Learn something new at Udemy
33. Get a haircut
34. Make green smoothies for the next couple of days
35. Challenge your kids to their favorite board game
36. Play with new gadgets at an electronics store
37. Create and upload a video to YouTube
38. Write recommendations for 5 of your connections on LinkedIn
39. Attend a Meetup
40. Join and contribute to a few groups on Facebook or LinkedIn
41.Host a book club
42. Clean up the sidebar on your blog
43. Create a special offer page for your customers
44. Organize your kitchen cabinets
45. Watch a documentary
46. Peruse the shelves at a local book store
47. Send thank you cards to your best customers and affiliates
48. Host a Google Hangout
49. Have a bonfire and toast marshmallows
50. Make homemade apple sauce
51. Cook up a batch of chili
52. Send a survey to your past clients
53. Organize that scary corner of the garage
54. Audit your domains for renewals and expirations
55. Host a wine (or cider) tasting
56. Book your winter vacation
57. Clean out your gutters
58. Listen or watch that teleseminar/webinar you’d “get around to”
59. Go for a hike in the woods
60. Write a blog post about 60 ways to use 60 minutes 🙂

Remember, there’s only 1 extra hour, and you can only use it once. So don’t let it slip through your fingers by deliberating or waffling with your choice! Enjoy the time intentionally, and let us know how it goes.

Kevin Lampard

p.s. No doubt we missed some other cool ideas! Share your tip or which of the above you’ll be doing below.

p.p.s. Bookmark this list and come back to it any time you find yourself with an extra hour and you want a little inspiration!

Make Your Site More Entertaining…

Why not make you site or blog more entertaining for your readers when you show your YouTube videos in your own cinema!

Yes, that’s right. You can now have your very own virtual online cinema. You can now give your readers a fantastic cinema experience every time you post a video on your site.

You can even show feature length films directly from YouTube for you and your visitors to enjoy. This amazing new software will convert any video into a fantastic experience for its viewer. It will convert any video into an instant cinematic experience.

The developer of this new software is a good friend of mine, Matthew McDonald. He has made a video explaining just how this all works and I have popped this into one of his cinema templates to show exactly how it works.

The software is available now and for a very low price….in fact less than the price of some popcorn!

See for yourself just how good this is here:

http://kevinlampard.com/cinema

The video that will play in my cinema is from the developer of the software but please note that when he says click the link below this video, the link is, in fact, above the video! Hey ho, can’t win them all!!

I am so thrilled with this software I now use it on all my sites.

Kevin

My Mentor Said… “Take Action, Revise Later”

Today, I want to talk to you about the importance
of TAKING ACTION.

You know the most difficult part of getting started
online or continuing your success starts with
TAKING ACTION.

We find that our daily lives can EASILY interfere
with our progress along with the distractions.

I don’t know about you but when I am sitting at my
computer with a list of jobs I need to do my brain
seems to find all sorts of other things to do.

It says to me “Lets have a cup of coffee before we start”
or “Better just check your emails in case a fantastic
new offer has been sent.” or “Have you decided what to
watch on tv tonight?” It seems to be hell bent on
trying to scupper all my efforts.

The biggest question I get asked is “what do I do?”
to which I reply and believe is the truth. If you’ve
been into IM for any amount of time “You already
know enough information to be successful” The key
is TAKING ACTION

So here’a a list I found of simple things you
should do to set up your system for TAKING ACTION
and staying on track.

This list is NOT in any order, just a quick list
to help you take action.

1. Try to check emails at 2 or 3 EXACT times a day
and no other time. (This includes smartphones)

2. FOCUS on just ONE item at a time. It’s very common
to get sidetracked because we spread ourselves thin.

3. SET TIME for your projects. Put yourself on a schedule
in which you dedicate that EXACT time for whatever project
you’re working on.

4. TAKE ACTION. You’ll NEVER get anywhere if all you
do is buy products or continue reading and learning. What
you need to do sometimes is just DIVE right in. That means
you may make mistakes, but that’s the BEST way to learn.

5. GET RID OF NEGATIVITY. Sometimes the reason for our
failure revolves around the energy or people around us. If
you find someone/something is slowing you down, then get
away from it.

This used to be a big issue for me and it wasn’t until I took
the advice of my mentor, who always used the phrase
‘Take Action, Revise Later’ that I actually started to
just “DO IT” that I saw huge gains in my business online and
which has allowed me to leave my old job and have the ability to
work for myself in my online business.

Hope this helps and of course if you have any comments or
your own ideas then please share this with us below

Kevin Lampard

Don’t Give Up….

Look, you’re not on an easy road…

If you have just started on internet marketing or if you have been around for a while but are still trying to break through, it isn’t easy. Just don’t give up. Most people would never go to the lengths you’ve already gone to. This isn’t for the faint hearted…

There will be so many ups and downs, so many failed promises and a lot of heartache. I spent so much time and money (money I didn’t really have) pursuing my dreams and there were so many moments of self doubt and despair along the way, that sometimes I would become terrified that I was destined to wind up a “failure” forever.

But nothing could stop me. I was bound and determined to make this work, to prove to myself and the world that I could be something, despite everyone telling me that I needed a “career”.

My friends doubted me, my family doubted me and I had to constantly make up excuses about what I was doing… Nobody understood?

After years of work and nothing to show for it, I began to believe that it would never work…

But that’s where something else came in, something more powerful:

BELIEF.

I decided one day that I didn’t care how bad my circumstances were. I didn’t care what people thought of me. I didn’t care how hard it became- I was going to make this work!

Without that belief I wouldn’t be writing this today.

Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t reached all my goals, but I’m closer than I was yesterday, and much closer than I was last year- and finally, I’m beginning to gain the respect of my family and peers.

I’m not sharing this with you to try and make myself out to be some kind of “underdog hero”, I’m telling you this because I want to keep you in the race!

I don’t care if you’re sweeping floors and washing dishes right now. You can still do it. You can still make it happen. All it takes is a PLAN and some perseverance… Well, a lot of perseverance.

Some people get lucky and hit it big quick. Or they come from a privileged family. But the majority of us STRUGGLE.

I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t matter. Please don’t give up.

Will it take time?
YES

Will it take money?
YES (usually)

But time you have, and money can be saved.

The only question is:
HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?

Kevin

Leave a comment and tell us how you are getting on.

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Mind The Gaps In Your Marketing Strategies…

Sneak Peek: 7 Ways To Mind Your Marketing Gaps

Why You Should Be Guest Blogging…

5 Webmaster Skills You Need To Keep More Of The Money

Video Marketing Revolution…

60 Ways To Use An Extra 60 Minutes This Week

Make Your Site More Entertaining…

My Mentor Said… “Take Action, Revise Later”

Don’t Give Up….

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