To the contrary, competition can be beneficial for a variety of reasons including –

* Researching.

If there IS a lot of competition, you can reasonably expect there this to be a lucrative marketplace. Generally speaking, a large product and service line means there is large consumer interest and demand. I encourage you to LOOK for markets with lots of competition as it’s a shortcut to researching where revenue is available.

* Partnering.

The more competition there is, the more likely you can find other like-minded marketers to partner with in cross promotion efforts, co-op advertising, and other related joint ventures. This is especially true if your ebook is “related” to other ebooks without DIRECTLY competing with them. (I.E. Raising metabolism is “related” to cutting calories in that they are both agents of weight loss.)

* Educating.

Another reason why competition is good is simply because your target audience is educated, at least in part, on someone else’s dime. That is, the marketing materials of your competitors educates the market on why the products are necessary or beneficial. A good example is this:  many marketers “educated” consumers on the need for using audio and video on their web sites, opening the door to a variety of related products and services to be sold.

So, competition isn’t always a bad thing. It can be a good thing for these reasons and a handful of others.

But…

The challenge comes in when you want to stand out among the competition so YOU can get marketplace interest.There are many ways to stand out by creating your own “USP” (Unique sales proposition) that could be covered here, but I want to mention is this –

Create a demographical version of your ebook.

Let me give you an example –

Let’s suppose you are going to write an ebook entitled, “Weight Loss Secrets”. So, you write it and then you create a “demographical version” that is entitled, “Weight Loss For Christians”.

Other examples might include –

* Time Management For Homeschoolers
* The Internet Marketer’s Diet
* The Senior Citizen’s Guide To Investing
* How Ace Your First Teacher Interview
* How To Get A Hot Date:  College Student Edition
* Fundraising For Youth Groups

All you would need to do in order to create this “demographical version” of your ebook is take the same exact ebook you’ve written (your “regular” version) and add some specific references and ideas that relate to the particular demographic you’ve chosen.

* If you decide to create “How to Get A Hot Date:  College Student Edition”, then you’d add in a few references to specific places a college student can find a date that wouldn’t apply to your regular audience (I.E. Frat party), as well as pick-up lines, first-date ideas, practices and other content that apply only to college students.

In other words, you share the same content, but you speak THEIR specific language and provide ideas that THEY can put into practice in their setting.

The PRINCIPLES of finding dates may be the same across the board, but the PRACTICES of finding dates are completely different for college students and widowed senior citizens!

And if you can get creative in your content, you can make your demographical version even more appealing.

Your “regular” version may have 5 main practices for time management. But in your “demographic version” those practices become 5 “Homeschooling Habits”.

So, what’s in this for YOU as the author?

Let’s take a look at a couple of noteworthy advantages -

Firstly, you STAND OUT among your competition. As a Christian, I can tell you that if 20 ebooks were available on weight loss and one of them specifically mentioned being for believers, I’d immediately take a look at that one.

Secondly, you EXPAND OUT among your competition. Now you can market your ebook to TWO entirely different audiences. For example:  You can look for “weight loss” ezines and buy advertising in them. But, you can also look for “Christian” ezines (that have NOTHING to do with weight loss) and buy advertising in them. This allows you to reach audiences that you likely would have never been able to reach!

Then, it’s simple a matter of doing it again for other demographics.

Rinse.  Repeat.  Reprofit.

Start with ONE demographic and move on to many others …

* Christians
* Homemakers
* Senior citizens
* Students
* First-timers
* Newlyweds
* Office Workers
* Teachers
* WAHMs

The list could go on and on.

Most information products can be custom-tailored for different demographic groups to STAND OUT among the competitors… and open up the door to new contacts that might never be reached through other means.

If you want to STAND out and EXPAND out then create one or more “demographical versions” of your ebook.

Like a screaming child at the library, you’ll get attention!

When I first started publishing information products online, I thought that certain people had a crystal ball they gazed into. Or some top-secret contact who was providing them with inside information.

Over time, I realized that it wasn’t magic that allowed these people to come up with red-hot ideas on demand. It was simply that they knew where to look.

I soon discovered many places where ideas seemed to always be found. I call these places “idea hangouts”. Here are three of my favorites where you can find ideas for your next ebook anytime you want. Almost like a genie granting you three wishes…

1. GOOGLE.COM.

Google is the ultimate “idea hangout”. There are so many ways to mine the gold in Google’s amazing search database that it would take another article to graze the surface of this enormous iceberg.

What I want to mention are just two quick ways to find ideas by searching Google.

- Identify Listings.

Search for a broad topic related to your area of interest or expertise. (I.E. “Tennis”, “Weight loss”, “Homeschooling”.) Look at all of the web sites listed in the index of returned results. You’ll likely find some ideas for information products right there in the first couple of pages.

- Identify Advertisers.

You’ll probably notice small ads either at the top of the page or to the right of the page (or both!). These advertisers represent your competition. They also represent your thermometer for taking the temperature of your market and gauging interest in specific topics. Chances are, what they’re selling you should be selling.

In both of these examples, you can click through to the web pages of the sites listed and study their respective sales pages. Look specifically at the “bullet points”. Each of these represents a potential idea for your next ebook.

2. AMAZON.COM.

From the world’s largest search engine we move to the world’s largest bookstore. At Amazon.com you’ll really get your creative juices fired up.

Again, you’ll want to search the listings by entering a keyword or keyphrase into the search box on the main page at Amazon.com.

You’ll get a returned listing of numerous books, courses and other periodicals. Search these listed items for ideas for your own ebook.

— Example —

If you were to search for “Homeschooling”, you’d find a variety of ideas just waiting in the listing of books available, including:  homeschooling for special needs children, getting starting in homeschooling, choosing curriculum, homeschooling field trips, homeschooling support groups, homeschooling for various ages (I.E. Pre-K, Elementary, Junior High, High School, etc.), homeschooling for Christians, etc.)

Any of these listings (and the dozens of others listed) would be great ideas for the topic of your next ebook.

— Example —

Pay particular attention to the first page of the listing. Amazon ranks their listings based on popularity of actual sales volume. In other words, #1 is a better seller than #50. This is a ready-made indicator of demand!

3. MAGAZINES.COM.

After visiting the world’s largest search engine and the world’s largest bookstore, it’s time to take a quick stop at the world’s largest periodical store, Magazines.com.

You’ll find every imaginable magazine listed at this site. The interesting part (and useful to you as a research tool) is this:  you’ll also find the COVER of usually a recent copy of each magazine.

That is, you can search for “Parenting” and the engine will return a listing of magazines related to that topic. You can then click on the image of the magazine cover and you’ll be shown a larger copy of that cover where you can read the contents. (I.E. “How To Raise A Stubborn Child”, “27 Ways Discipline In Public” and “The Real Key To Your Child Getting Better Grades”.)

Each of these “cover stories” represents an idea for your next ebook.

The best part about it is this:  the publishers of these magazines have done the research for you! They’ve measured the level of interest for these ideas and found it high enough to warrant not only writing content about them, but referencing that content on the cover of the magazine!

That’s your hint. People want this information.

So, there you have it, 3 “idea hangouts” where you can find ready-made, in-demand, red-hot topics for your next ebook.

Happy hunting!

In other words, why do some authors make high six-figure incomes (even seven-figures!) and others barely make enough to cover their hosting fees?

There must be some reason for the difference in level of success, right?

There is.

In fact, there are three “reasons” why that I want to share with you now. I’ve used the word “K.E.Y.” as an acronym to reveal these three elements of successful ebook publishing.

1. K = KEEP it concise.

One of the biggest mistakes ebook writers make is starting their project with the idea in mind that their ebook must be a certain number of pages in length.

That is, they assume the ebook should be 50 pages or 100 pages or even 200 pages in order to be desirable to consumers.

Wrong.

Much more important than QUANTITY is QUALITY. Almost every potential customer in your target market is considerably more interested in learning something useful than they are reading a bunch of commentary that has little or no real value to them.

The ability to concisely (yet comprehensively) share content that is practical is a must if you want to be successful in the information business. No fluff. No filler. No fat. Just the meat.

That’s what consumers want. Especially today in our fast-paced, instant, I-want-it-now society.

And chances are you are much more likely to write a 30 page manual and get it done than you are to slave over trying to measure up to a 200 page masterpiece.

Your first key to success is “keep it concise”. Share what you need to share in the least amount of pages as possible.  It doesn’t have to be the great American novel. This isn’t Hemingway.

2. E = ENJOY yourself.

I simply must mention that if you enjoy your “work” then you are exponentially more likely to complete your ebooks than those who reluctantly or grudgingly write.

Seriously, don’t underestimate what I’m saying here. You’ll get much more done as a writer by having fun with your subject matter.

That’s the beauty of information publishing. YOU get to pick the topic. A topic of interest – of passion – to you as the author. Something you find enjoyable, even exhilarating.

To be sure, you want to choose topics that are in demand and have a ready-made audience awaiting who are willing to purchase them. But, at the same time, you can look for those marketable topics that appeal to your interests and expertise.

I don’t care how “profitable” a subject may be, I’d never take it on as a project of mine unless I got some sense of satisfaction or enjoyment in writing about it.

Instead, look for those things that you are already talking about anyway. And then write what you’ve been talking about.

3. Y = YIELD results.

Finally, I must exhort you to “yield results”. That is, you simply must stick to it and finish the job.

I cannot tell you how many people that I’ve met online who struggle with the affliction “short-of-the-finish-line-it-is”.

They begin running the race with gusto. They pick their topic like it was a Nike outfit. They outline their ebook like they just heard the starting gun fire. They come up with ideas to include in their work like they were sprinting down the track.

And when they round the first corner, they start slowing down. Before they know it, they’re up in the stands watching others cross the finish line.

That’s why I am adamant about telling you the golden rule of ebook content: Never start something you can’t finish in 30 days.

With any new ebook you are planning on writing, choose the topic and outline it in such a way that you can complete the content within one calendar month. Anything that goes beyond that period of time is likely going to be discarded somewhere past the starting gate and before the finish line.

It’s important that you set for your goal a reasonable, reachable amount of pages for your ebook… such as 30 pages. Then, divide that goal number of pages into your 30 days. In this example, it would mean writing just ONE page per day (very realistic!) for 30 days and your ebook will be completed.

Hurray!  The finish line!

Certainly there are a wide variety of other “keys” to being successful as an ebook writer (choosing the right topics, learning to outline well, brainstorming ideas, marketing, etc.) but these three form a solid foundation for you to build upon as you continue to learn more about information publishing.

K = KEEP it concise.
E = ENJOY yourself.
Y = YIELD results.

See you on your victory lap!

Goal setting, can be a part of an overall business plan, but you have to start somewhere. Without it, you will keep flailing around and never get anywhere.

Setting daily goals will help keep you focused and is a simple way to get started. In doing so, it will help keep you from being overwhelmed and in turn, giving up.

So let’s get started.

Before you start to implement the plan for your business, the question you need to ask yourself is “What are my goals for this project?”

In other words, your goals are the end result that you’re looking to achieve with whatever project you are undertaking. It becomes a plan, of sort, that you need to implement to be able to arrive at the results you’re looking for. It’s like the old saying, “those who fail to plan, plan to fail”.

While setting goals is an important part of any business plan, it’s only part of the picture. Achieving them is even more important. Learn how to identify which goals are important enough to commit to, and systematically work towards them by breaking them down into steps, establishing timelines, identifying the resources you need, and benchmarks for success.

I know this can sound a little overwhelming, but let me see if I can break it down for you to better understand. Let’s start with…

“What is a Business Goal?”

In the business world, a goal is a statement that clearly describes actions to be taken or tasks to be accomplished by a company, a department or an individual. A business will have a number of goals, each describing a desired future result and how efforts towards that result are directed. If the goals are accomplished, then the business should be a success.

The statement in itself is an action plan. It becomes a ‘to do’ list that individuals can take and run with a little bit of the time. This makes it more manageable for all concerned to be able to get things accomplished. And the end result is, if things are accomplished, then the project will be completed.

Now, the thing to understand is that goal setting has 2 basic purposes…

The first purpose is to establish a measure or away to evaluate the success of your business. Whatever you do you must be able to track it and make sure that it is on track to your success.

The second purpose of your business goal is set different priorities for all involved. You need to decide who will be accountable for the accomplishments of each goal you set.

Let’s say for example, you are putting together a report that you want to sell online. To do this, you have to consider all the aspects of putting it together. Not only do you have to write a report, but you have to put it together in a downloadable form.

You’ll need a webpage with sales copy, possibly graphics for the webpage and e-book cover, a payment processor in place to handle sales, a way to deliver the report, etc.

You will need to decide who will be responsible for each aspect of the project. Who will write the e-book, will it be you or will you have it ghostwritten? Who’s going to create the sales page and graphics? Who’s going to do the sales copy?

Maybe instead of an e-book, you want to do a video series. Who will do the videos? And the list goes on. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to do it all and will need to outsource a good portion of it.

If this is the case, then you will need to set goals for the individuals that you are outsourcing to. You will need to define a timeline in which you expect the goal to be met.

It definitely takes some thought and planning, but in the end will find that by setting goals, you will be focused and stay on track to completing your project.

Once you learn to set goals for individual projects, you will be well on your way to establishing long-term business goals for the future of your business. Your long-term goals need to be challenging, even to setting goals that will require some effort to reach. Un-obtainable goals will lead to failure, so be realistic and challenge yourself and everyone that is involved.

So to sum it up, your business goals, whether for a project or long-term, need to state…

1. What is going to be done and who is going to do it.

2. It needs to be task-oriented and clearly state what is to be accomplished.

3. A time line, or date, that the task needs to be completed.

I know it sounds like a lot to take in, but here’s a simple way to get started. Each and every day, take a pen or pencil and a notepad and write down what your goals for the day are. Even to do it the night before, so you have it already in place when you get up and get started the following day. You would be surprised how effective this can be and as you complete a goal, or task, check it off the list. At the end of the day, you will be able to see what you’ve accomplished and what you haven’t.

A little tip that I find really helps me, is that if I get stuck on a task that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, I will move on to the next thing on the list and then come back to it. At least this way, I am continually moving forward and sometimes if I’m stuck, it gives me an opportunity to mentally regroup.

Well, I really hope this helps you out. Get started today developing goals for your success.

Until next time, enjoy.

Let me ask you something. Are you a Marketing Frog?

With the economy being the way it is, it’s no wonder that more and more people are turning to the Internet to try and make money. One of the big questions that always comes up is “how do I make money online?”.

It’s a fair question to ask, and yet there is no pat answer. It takes a little bit of time to get settled into the best way for you to make money. The problem is that I see so many answers given, like do article marketing, pay per click, adsense, affiliate marketing and so on. I mean, there’s a lot to choose from and a lot of different ways to go…

But it takes a little time to get settled into something and it needs to be something that you can be successful at. This in itself takes some trial and error testing. It’s not something that happens overnight.

The problem is that most people won’t take the time, or don’t have the patience, to follow through. They soon become, what I call, marketing frogs.

They may find something that has some minimal success, but because the money is not coming fast enough they soon start hopping around looking for the next best thing. What most don’t realize, is that if something seems to be working, then there needs to be a little bit of time to let it grow and develop.

Sadly, too many people give up too soon and jump to the next thing that they heard of, or maybe someone recommended.

Before too long, they are just hopping from one idea to another and never getting any kind of results.

Are you one of those people? If you are then don’t feel bad. With all the opportunities online it’s really easy to do, but you have to stay focused and on track. Find something that you feel will work, take action with it, stay focused on what you’re doing and see where it goes. If after a while, it doesn’t seem to work, then move on but please realize it’s not going to happen overnight.

Now, this brings me to the next problem that I see. Every week, even every day, there is a new product that comes out telling you that it’s the secret to your success. The problem is it maybe a product that’s totally unrelated to what you’re doing. Trust me, I see these products and sometimes I would like to buy them, but the problem is they don’t fit into what my current business model is.

Over time, one cure I have found for this is to keep my credit card in my pocket. Sure, they’re probably great products, but they don’t fit what I’m doing and I don’t buy. It’s as simple as that.

Now the next step is once you find something that you feel would be a good way to go to making money online, is to start by setting some goals for what you are doing. It’s not enough to get excited about what you’re doing, and even start seeing some success, unless you have a goal in mind in a way to fulfill it.

This becomes crucial to the success of your online business. Otherwise, you are going to be distracted and it will cause you in most cases to give up and quit.

Set some small actionable daily goals that will help you get to your big picture goal and every time you achieve one of your small goals make sure you do something to celebrate your accomplishments.

Next time, I’m going to give you some insight into setting goals to help you out.

Until then, enjoy.

Well, the good news is that there is hope for you to make money online. Believe me, you can do it, if you really put your mind to it.

There are four necessary keys that I have found over time that I believe are crucial for your online success.

1. Step-By-Step Coaching

This one is really important because in order to succeed online you need step-by-step coaching from people who have been there, done that. Someone with a proven track record. Face it, it can be so difficult to understand how to succeed online without step-by-step teachings.

If there is no proven step-by-step formula to follow than you are basically out on your own trying to figure things out.

This kind of teaching is extremely valuable and you can’t underestimate the power of it. Let’s face it that nearly all people that are successful today online started in a similar spot you did not knowing which steps to take for success. Everyone has to learn somehow so you may as well learn with a step-by-step system.

2. Website Traffic

Every website online needs traffic or website visitors in order to succeed. It is safe to say that without traffic Google, eBay, Amazon, and other major websites are nothing. The same thing holds true for your business. You can’t get people to sign up for your list, buy your product, or click on your affiliate link without traffic to your site.

Traffic is literally the lifeblood of your online business, is a core component that separates those that have succeeded well online and those that have not. You need to study and learn proven traffic systems to succeed online.

3. Technical Knowledge

In order to have some semblance of success you need to know some basic technical things like how to upload files to your web hosting company, how to use your hosting Cpanel, how to setup WordPress on your own, etc.  Armed with these basic skill sets you can really start seeing some success.

If you do a search on Google, and especially on You Tube, you can find all kinds of teaching tutorials and videos that will show you just what to do.

4. Support

Live support is probably one of the best solutions you can find to really succeeding online.  Finding a program that lets you ask questions when you have them will really help propel you to succeed.  Sometimes e-mail interaction is just not enough so being able to talk to an expert and turn to them for support will be huge for you.

While this is not all inclusive, I think it gives you a great start on the road to success.

If you really want to jump start things, take time to check out one of my mentors extremely valuable coaching offer. Tell Rob that John sent you.

That’s all for now. Enjoy.

I have been using Skype for about 2 years now and I just love it. It’s an important part of my business for keeping up with clients and business contacts. It’s quicker than email and if need be, I can talk to whoever and get what I need right away.

But this caught me totally off guard.

I have been online for about 10 years learned the basics of PC security first things. Keep the anti-virus up to date, firewall on, never open attachments from emails without scanning, etc. I use Windows, so I keep the patches up to date, even do regular back ups of my files.

Never been caught, especially by all the bogus emails I get every day ‘phishing’ for info. I make it a point to stay on top of things.

Hey, I got it going on… or so I thought.

Anyway, I was working along when I got a message in Skype from a business contact. It asked to log into my Skype account to check something. There was a link included.

Here’s where it gets interesting.

I go to the page to log in, thinking something wasn’t right, but wasn’t paying attention, so I entered my user name and password and hit submit.

Next thing I know, I am locked out. What an idiot, I was logged in already, or else how would I have gotten the message.

Well, the damage was done, I no longer had access and after a few minutes, I get an email verifying my change of email address.

A sinking feeling came over me. All my business contacts lost.

I immediately filed a support request with Skype, which was an experience in itself, and after 2 days of going back and forth with them, I was able to get control of things again.

I don’t think it would have taken that long, but they aren’t the sharpest group of people to deal with.

Once I got back in and online, the damage was minimal, but annoying to say the least. Two people I know got ‘my message’ and lost their accounts and quite a few got the message, but managed to get past things unscathed.

What’s strange is that after having a chance to talk to different people that stay up on scams like this, they were totally unaware. I couldn’t find anything anywhere on it.

Fortunately it’s a free acount. I can only wonder what the damage would have been if I had paid subscriptions attached to this account.

So, I wanted to give you a head’s up on this, so maybe you won’t get caught.

And the moral of the story is always pay attention. It’s not a matter of if it can happen, but when.

Unfortunately, most people can’t, even though there’s a good chance that they already are active in some form of social networking, especially online.

Social networking is loosely defined as the grouping of individuals together into to specific groups, or categories, often like a small community or a neighborhood.  Although for a long time, social networking has mostly taken place in schools, the workplace or communtiy organizations, in the last couple of years it has become increasingly popular online.

This is because unlike most schools, workplaces or community group, the Internet offers a broader reach with millions of individuals who are looking to meet other internet users and develop friendships.

When it comes to social networking online, websites are used. These websites are known as social networking websites. Social networking websites are an online community of internet users. These online community members share a common bond, whether it’s hobbies, religion, politics or just social interaction.

Once you join a social networking website, you can begin to interact with other members. This may include contacting them direct.

The many new friends that you can make are just one of the many benefits to social networking online. Another one of those benefits includes diversity. Unlike in most schools or workplaces, the internet gives individuals, from all around the world.

This means that if you live in the United States, you could develop an online friendship with someone in Japan. Not only will you make a new friend, you but may also learn a thing or two about a new culture.

For the most part, social networking often involves grouping specific individuals or organizations together. While there are a number of social networking websites that focus on particular internets, there are others that do not. These websites are often deemed traditional social networking websites.

These types of websites typically have an open membership. This means that anyone can become a member, no matter what their hobbies, beliefs, or views are. However, once you are inside this online community, you can begin to create your own network of friends; thus eliminating others that do not meet your criteria.

If networking on the internet sounds like something you would be interested in, you are encouraged to jump right in and learn more about it. Bit, you also need to be aware of some of the potential dangers of social networking. These dangers often involve online predators or individuals who claim to be someone that they are not.

Although danger does exist with networking online, it also exists with networking out in the real world. As when you are meeting friends at a bar, school, or work, you are advised to proceed with caution online.

By being aware of your surroundings and who you are talking to, you should be able safely enjoying social networking online.

Once you feel you are ready to dive right in, you can begin to search for networking communities to join. This can easily be done by performing a standard internet search, or going directly to some of the popular sites like MySpace, FriendWise, FriendFinder, Yahoo! 360, Facebook, Orkut, and Classmates.

So, get out there and start networking today.

Now that you have your new blog installed, tweaked, have added all the really cool plug-ins and have found the perfect theme that really makes it shine, what do you do when the server goes down and your blog is nowhere to be seen?

This presents a problem.

The thing you have to remember is there is going to be times when the server that you host your blog on is going to go down. It’s just a fact of the Internet. Sometimes it can be hardware failure, or the hard drive can fail, or the network can go down. It happens, but hopefully not very often. A good web hosting service will have the ability to get your site back on as quick as possible when something happens.

But what do you do when it gets to be a regular occurrence?

It may be time to find a new host and move on, but what about all the hard work that you put into your blog?

This video will show you step-by-step the process to transferring your blog from one web host to another.

See, it’s not that hard especially if you know how. The great thing is you can say a pile of money by doing this yourself and not having to pay some techie to do it for you. Your site may be down for a short time, but at least all the time and effort you put into creating that perfect blog won’t be wasted.

I hope you enjoyed this video series and I plan on adding more as time goes on. So go forth, create that perfect blog and start making money today.

Since your blog will be the entry into your world on the Internet, the theme you use will speak volumes about who you are and what you do. That’s why it’s important to find one that will make a godd first impression. Kind of like the front walkway to your home.

Hopefully it will make your visitor feel welcomed and want to stay and look around a while.

This video will show you how to upload and install a new theme for your blog. It will also show you how you can search the WordPress theme repository from within your admin area.

With the popularity of use with the WordPress blog, the options where themes are concerned are limitless. Deciding on the right theme for your blog is an important step that really needs to have a lot of thought put into.

While a lot of themes you find our free, many out there without the bells and whistles will normally be something you pay for. But look at it this way, it’s a good investment in your online business and finding the right theme will be money well spent.

Here are some options to consider.

WP Flex Theme – this is more than just a theme, it’s a total package that allows you to customize every aspect of your theme with many mix-and-match options. It’s highly recommended.

Multiple Streams Theme – this theme is perfect for Internet marketing. It has 10 different options that allow you to generate multiple streams of income.

Flexibility Themes – the site here has some great options for both free and paid themes. Definitely worth checking out.

Last, if you’re wanting to learn some tips and tricks on how to tweak the appearance of blog theme, then you need to check this out.

WP Pretty – 2 hours of videos with some easy beginner tricks to add a bit of uniqueness to your site to more advanced styling and changes.  It will also show you how to use some plug ins to make the process of adding some style to your free WordPress theme a lot easier.

That’s all for now, next time we’ll look at how to transfer a blog from one place to another.