Navigation Links That Are Interesting

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How can you make the name of your navigation links stand out from other websites and why would you want to?

Since the beginning of the Internet, navigation link names have been boring and uncreative: About, Contact, Home and Store have pretty much ruled the web. You can name your navigation links anything that you want, so why aren't website designers more creative?

Not only can naming your nav links something cool make your site more memorable and stand out from the rest, they can actually hide certain stealthy calls-to-action and subliminal marketing techniques. The founder of IMTC, Tom Antion, started long ago hiding the fact that something my be for sale on his site to discourage high-pressure tactics. Using the words “Store” or “Products” can create a sales resistance. Instead, he uses the phrase “Speaker Tools” to link to his popular public speaking CD's. This gives the impression that the page has needed tools and information to help public speakers get more gigs and make more money. In fact, that's exactly what his training CD's do, without a bunch of hype. People click on that navigation tab much more than if they know ahead of time they are being pitched to.  

Another overlooked tab is “About.” Simply re-naming this tab “Meet Mary” (use your own name of course) can create a more friendly and personal feeling. The same goes with “Testimonials.” Why not use something more creative such as “Praise” or “Fans Say…”?

With just a few minutes of thinking outside of the box, you can come up with something witty, unique and fun for your site.

When will you start taking the reins of your future?

 

Internet Marketing Techniques – Linkedin Groups

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Job Searching

Linkedin is growing more everyday. I'm starting to like it more than Facebook because of the quality of the users. The groups feature on Linkedin is divided into professional categories where like-minded people get together and share information that can lead to building a client base.

Linkedin groups are a great place to start discussions about topics where you can lend your expert opinion. Jumping into the discussion at any time can help build your credibility and status within the group and your industry. It's a great place to let the other members know about upcoming retreats, webinars, seminar or teleclasses. In this way, you can attract sign ups and funnel interested parties into your services.

The Linkedin search function is a very powerful way to get ‘discovered' by people needing your products and services. Be sure to optimize your profile with keywords in the title of your profile and to customize your URL with your name or brand. While the popularity of Facebook is growing among the general population, Linkedin is attracting more business people than ever before. If business people are what you seek, then you're starting in the right place.

How can social networking grow your online business?

Crowdfunding, How Can It Help Me?

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crowdfunding

 

Crowdfunding is raising funds to start a business idea by reaching out to your community and friends. Crowdfunding has become popular because of social networking. To date there have been thousands of business's that were funded by a crowdfunding project.

Everyday people push their business ideas to the back burner because they do not have the money to start working on their dream. This is where crowdfunding comes into play. There are multiple crowdfunding platforms:
KickStarter
Indiegogo
Fundable

It doesn't matter which platform you choose, they are each unique so do your research. In order to be successful with a crowdfundong project there are a few steps that you must follow and execute.

1. Promote,  you have to reach out to all your friends, family, and social networks so they can help fund your project. In this case the more the merrier.

2. Engage your supporters by making it a competition by offering a reward for the highest bidder.

3. Communicate your goals and let your social network know your current progress and be passionate and personable.

4. Make sure you pick an realistic time goal to raise your money. If its too short your project will not have enough time to win the interest of your network. If it is too long you will annoy your network. A good idea is to let your community know your plans and create excitement before you post your crowdfunding project.

These are just a few tips to get you headed in the right direction when looking to fund your great business idea. Make sure you stay motivated and positive through the duration to get your supporters excited fpr your new business venture.

Yes, Consumers Still Open Emails

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If done correctly email marketing can be extremely effective in attracting new business, getting leads, and building brand awareness. It is important that your content is original, and shows your personality. Marketers love emails because the recipient has to opt-in which means they are interested and want to hear more about your products or services.

Your email marketing campaign should:

  • Use an attention grabbing headline
  • Ask your audience questions
  • Include relevant content
  • Promote a free product or service
  • Answer frequently asked questions

Make sure you engage your prospects by creating an email that is visually stimulating because 80.8% of users access their email on a mobile device. The last thing you want to do is bore your audeince to death with a page full of small hard to read text.  A short video is a great option for emails because we are so used to seeing text in our inbox, this small change will stick out in a consumers mind. When you decide that email marketing is right for your business please remember, you should always have a way to analyze and measure the effectiveness of your campaign efforts.

Here at IMTC we have the resources and knowledge available to get your email marketing campaign rolling. For more information, Please visit us at IMTCVA.org.

 

 

 

 

Are You a Dream Chaser?

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question

You are reading this blog because you want to pursue a career in Internet Marketing. I am so happy that you have decided to dedicate the time and self discipline needed to be successful in this business. I can't and won't sugarcoat it, it won't be easy, but like anything that requires full commitment, it will be worth it.

Many of your friends and families may question your lifestyle choice.
“Why don't you get a regular job?”
“Why would you want to sit on the computer all day?”
“Is that a scam?”

The list goes on and on, they don't understand and that is Ok. Some people are perfectly happy in their comfort zone and have different goals for life. On the other hand you are a Dream Chaser, you feel driven to reach your fullest potential and want more than the typical 9 to 5. Dream Chasers live for the challenge of wanting more out of life.

Aside from the outsiders questioning you, you may be doubting yourself internally and have feelings of being scared, uncomfortable or just unsure about your decision to be a Dream Chaser. Stay positive and keep pushing past the negative thoughts because deep down you know you will never truly be happy pursuing the 9 to 5 or letting life pass you by.

Achieving anything worth bragging about requires long and short term goal setting. This is where your personal definition of success will play a major role in reaching your goal. It will define what or who you are striving to be and why. Make sure your reasons are true to your heart and passions because when times get tough those goals need to stay as the main focus and that will keep you going toward your long term goal. Motivation is the key so make sure you set short term goals also so you can recognize your progress along the way. Many successful people agree dream chasing is much more than reaching the end result and along the way you will grow, learn, and be a better you because you chased your dreams.

So go out there and get started, be a Dream Chaser and follow your heart! Visit IMTCVA.com to get started in Internet Marketing today.

Let Your Visitors Stay Connected With “Follow” Icons

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follow me icons

Having easy to see and understand ‘follow me' icons can greatly increase your social networking followers and help your visibility on the web. Many websites use them, but often they aren't updated or in a place where they are easy to find. The example above is from a website where the icons are almost the first thing you see – placed correctly in the top right hand sidebar area just above the opt-in form.

The eyes naturally gravitate towards the top right corner of a website as we are reading the content, so it is a highly visible place for these icons. I've often seen them in the footer area as well, but this is an area seen very little by most visitors. Why are follow me icons so important? They give your visitors an opportunity to learn more about you and stay updated about your business without having to use their email to sign up for something. People are becoming more and more reluctant to sign up for newsletters because of the overwhelming amount of email they already get and, of course, the increasing amount of spam.

Social network following also gives people the chance to ask you questions without having to conduct it through email. Social networking gives you a ‘forum' for all of your followers to get together and talk among themselves while you share important content with them. Building this kind of following is easier when your icons are visible and in good shape.

Use the free WordPress plug-ins “Sociable” and “Floating Social Icons” to increase your popularity online. There are many other plug-ins available so experiment and have fun! Learn more about how social media and social sharing can increase your online success.

 

 

 

5 Important Steps to Successful Internet Marketing

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success

 

Step 1: Be specific when defining your goals
Most people fail at Internet Marketing because they haven't decided on a specific goal.

Step2: Know your target audience
Online marketing involves understanding your target audience and knowing what they want and don't want.

Step 3: Know your competition
Know what Internet Marketing Strategies they are using. If your competition is successful, take notes. If your competition is not successful, and take notes to learn from their mistakes.

Step 4: Measure progress
Measure and check to see if your goals were achieved. This is the only way to gauge the success of your Internet Marketing efforts.

Step 5: Know when to outsource
Making the decision to learn how to make your own logo or hiring somebody to do it for you is very important. As a business owner it is your responsibility to decide what is more cost effective for your business.

Here at IMTCV we teach our students each one of these important steps in Internet Marketing. Just skipping one step will greatly hinder your marketing efforts. Make sure you understand how to implement each of these steps into your business marketing plan. If you want to learn more visit IMTCVA.org.

All Online Businesses Need an SEO Specialist

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Internet Marketing careers are in high demand. There are many businesses that are not online yet and need your help. If you are reading this you probably already know how powerful the Internet is, and you are looking for a career in Internet Marketing. Lucky for you there are many options for anybody looking to tackle the Internet head on.

One popular topic in the Internet Marketers world is search engine optimization or SEO for short. SEO involves using strategies and techniques to increase the amount of visitors you get to your website because your page ranks higher than the competition.

Over the years the job of an SEO Specialist has become more complex. Most business owners simply do not have time to learn SEO and use it effectively, so your services will allow them to focus on what they do best. To be a good SEO Specialist you must:

  • Always be learning because the search engines are forever changing.
  • Be a great communicator because you will be collaborating with webmasters, copywriters, and graphic designers.
  • Pay attention to detail.
  • Love solving problems to get the desired search engine results for your client.
  • Be a creative thinker because thinking outside of the box will keep you ahead of your competition.

A good SEO Specialist is a very valuable asset for any online business. Here at IMTCVA we teach the best and most current SEO practices to get websites ranked higher in search engines. Start your career as a SEO Specialist now!

 

Consumer Online Activities

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popcorn

There are many different reasons consumers go online. Listed below are the top 6 activities consumers perform online:

  • 92% Email
  • 92% Search
  • 81% Check the Weather
  • 76% Read News
  • 71% Watch Videos
  • 71% Purchase Products

You are reading this because you are thinking about starting a career in Internet Marketing or you already have a business and you are trying to increase your web presence. As an Internet Marketer it is your job to capitalize on the current trends. A lot of tasks we used to do offline have been replaced by online activities. For example the Netflix streaming volume exceeded rentals in 2012. Consumers are still watching movies but the Internet has made it easier, you don't even have to leave your couch to purchase the latest movie. While Netflix is making profits, Blockbuster went bankrupt. Instead of going against the trends, stay ahead of the curve and visit IMTCVA.org to start your profitable Internet Marketing career.