Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Yahoo! Challenges Google AdSense

I've been a very happy Publisher with Google's AdSense program for a few years now. It's another very profitable income stream for me, with the context-relevant ads appearing on two of my main websites.

What has astonished me is that there's been no serious competitor to AdSense over the past few years.

Well, maybe that's going to change! Yahoo has now entered the field, very tentatively, and restricting itself to website publishers in the USA.

A recent article on my Marketing Magic website by Merle (she doesn't admit to a second name!) takes a look at what Yahoo!'s Publisher Network ("YPN") is offering to website owners. She goes into a lot of detail. So, if you're looking for an alternative to AdSense..

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

A Marketing Experiment

I don't know how regular this is going to be, but I've written a diary of three very hectic days I've had this week.

I set myself a challenge - build a 500-page content-rich AdSense website and launch a new niche product.. within a week. I managed it in three days. My diary is far too long to go in this newsletter, so I've put it online:

http://www.marketing-drive.com/the-experiment/

In it, I take you step-by-step through all the processes I went through, from first selecting the niche to finally launching both websites.

I give you links to the resources I used, own up to the errors I made, and put some useful tips throughout the diary.

Set aside a few minutes and see what you can learn from me:

http://www.marketing-drive.com/the-experiment/

Oh, and the niche topic I chose was completely unrelated to internet marketing. It was all about "Learning Yoga". Here's the content-rich site:

http://www.learning-yoga.com

.. and here's the new product's sales page:

http://www.learning-yoga.com/beginning/

My task for the coming days and weeks is to drive traffic to both sites!

Friday, January 06, 2006

What's Your Plan For 2006?

A few days ago, I listened to some very inspiring planning advice from a top marketer. And I followed his advice and made some notes whilst I was listening to his audio. I'm sure that he won't mind me sharing his thoughts with you.

It's all about what you are going to achieve in 2006. There's five steps you need to take to reach the goals you really want to achieve:

  • Decide the life you want to live - don't let other people interfere with your dreams. Plan it in detail; imagine it in detail - and visualise it in great detail.(Me? Some years ago, I visualised myself driving a top-range Volvo estate car - five months ago, I took delivery of a Saab Aero Turbo.. much better than a Volvo!)
  • Write down exactly what you want, and make it measurable - e.g. make a hundred thousand dollars by June 1st. Don't limit yourself. High expectations are the key to everything.(Me? My wife, Ruth, who's also my accountant, sets my targets. I ignore them, treble them and achieve them!)
  • Take ACTION. Everything starts with ACTION. The faster you move forward, the more you'll get. Focus on your goals, not on your mistakes.(Me? I have a little notebook with the label "Ideas Journal". Each time I get a new idea, I write it down - check it daily, and cross it off whenever I achieve or reject the idea)
  • Measure your results, and take corrective action. Do it weekly. Aim for your results.(Me? I have a series of spreadsheets which, on a daily basis, I record my financial results for the previous day. I always know when I'm hitting my targets)
  • Enjoy your life! Imagine the possibilities of your life, and decide to attain them. Have fun! You'll achieve more if you enjoy what you are doing.(Me? I really do enjoy everything I do at work and in my ample leisure time!)

    Don't just read these words - act on them. It's powerful advice. It's worked for me!