Sean Mize - Underground Article Marketing ExcellenceWell, after a 3-month hiatus, I'm back - eager to report on the best Internet Marketing teleseminars available today.
Individual calls undoubtedly add to our knowledge base. They both reinforce best practices and give us a "heads-up" on future trends. However, I've always enjoyed integrated teleseminar series that focus on specific skills. Not only do you become familiar with the host's interview style, technique and demeanor. You really begin to absorb ideas that can move your business forward.
Such is the case with Gajapati Subudhi's List Building Superstars (LBS) course. Hot on the heels of Brian Edmondson's List Profit Academy and the Internet Master Series (Lynn Carnes, Natalie Judd), Mr. Subudhi has assembled an impressive roster of guest speakers, all possessing impeccable list-building credentials. This multi-part teleseminar series began in April; I regret missing the earlier live calls, but will make amends in the coming weeks.
What More is there to Learn about List-Building?
Before saying to yourself:
Oh no, not another list building series!
keep in mind that the only way to build a sustainable online business is to master at least one "leverageable" skill. Tellman Knudson (a previous LBS guest) has stated on numerous occasions that there are three leverageable Internet Marketing skills (in no particular order):
1. Copywriting
2. Traffic Generation
3. List Building
In fact, list-building's greatest advantage lies in its ability to provide consistent "bread and butter" income for faithful practitioners. So, it stands to reason that it's a skill worth learning, right? Especially when a guest expert explains an often overlooked way of generating "buzz" that may play to your strengths and interests.
Meet "Mr S." Courtesy of Mr. S.
Mr. Subhudhi presented Sean Mize as a budding Internet superstar. Starting in August 2006, Mize has parlayed his drive and commitment to building a better life into a consistent 4-5 figure monthly income. He has done so with an unrelenting "ground attack" of articles that have made him #4 on EzineArticles.com's list of Expert Authors. As a result, Sean enjoys several Top-10 Google rankings with "list" related keywords and phrases.
During his interview with "mindset shifter" Kit Furey (http://www.instantbreakthroughsuccess.com), Mize revealed how he has grown his list from zero to 7,000 in 10 months, and earns $2.00 per subscriber per month - double the acknowledged Internet Marketing benchmark. Sean attributes his success to:
1. Tracking and Testing of results:
Strict analysis of basic article marketing metrics (e.g. Open rate, click-through rate). Tweaking of autoresponder sequence for each campaign based on previous results.
2. Article Marketing-driven List Building:
According to Mize, the best way to build trust and credibility amongst your subscribers.
Set Your Personal Goals.
Regardless of whether you are a budding article marketer, Mize successfully brings forth the importance of an integrated mechanics-mindset approach to the Internet Marketing game. List-builders of all shapes and sizes should start by asking themselves three questions:
A. What do you want out of the Internet in the next 12 months?
B. How much money will it take to achieve those goals?
C. How many subscribers do you need to reach your goals?
Then, go for it by making the necessary sacrifices to get the job done.
Forming a Positive Mindset Right from the Start.
Most people venture into Internet Marketing because of the inadequacies of their "9 to 5" existence. Sean was motivated by lifestyle choices - namely, a desire to spend more time at the beach as well as for skiing. To accomplish his goal, he set out to find the perfect "laptop" business and chose to focus on list-building. After reading and testing various list-building books, Mize formed the basis of his article marketing game plan, and set out to:
1. Earn consistent, and predictable income through the laptop.
2. Have the freedom to reap the benefits from his new income source (i.e. Internet Marketing) without being enslaved by it.
Test, test, test! Then test some more...
Whether it is article marketing or another Internet Marketing niche, success is often measured by a willingness to try different things, then make sound decisions based on the results. Sean Mize tried 3-4 different list-building methods before committing to articles. It goes without saying that your mindset must match the individual skill set you bring to the table. What works for Sean may not work for you, and vice versa...
Sean's Three Strategies for Generating Article Marketing Content.
1. Volume, Volume, VOLUME!!!
Mize is unwavering in his call for a large quantity of quality articles that merit placement in the best e-zines. Therefore, be prepared for 2-3 hours of uninterrupted writing every day, plus another 2-3 hours for article submissions to the directories.
2. Adding Back Links through Article Submissions.
By tracking purchases of his information products, Sean discovered that traffic generated through articles converted best. So, the message is clear - give motivated readers the information they seek, and they are more likely to become buyers and repeat customers. Like many marketers, Mize uses free giveaway reports to attract list subscribers.
3. Stick to the Basics.
Sean Mize's formula for article marketing success is simple: Produce 20 original articles weekly, and have the patience to let them percolate up the directory and search engine rankings. Mize is definitely anti-Private Label Rights (PLR). He opposes reused and slightly altered content on the grounds that they do not work. Search engines flag duplicate articles, and consequently do not rank them.
Even if they did work, it would be an unfair manipulation of search engine rankings. The articles most likely would be poorly written, aimed at robots instead of human beings....
Words of Caution...
Sean noted that expanding broadband technology is making it harder for Internet Marketers to capture, hold, and retain a prospect's attention. There is a lot of readily-accessible stimuli (i.e. audio, video, graphics, podcasts, etc.) and users no longer have to wait for one download before moving on to the next thing. So, offer incentives for users to opt-in, even at the risk of attracting too many "tire-clickers".
Article marketing is definitely not for everyone. Experience shows that only a small percentage of people have the discipline to carry out such a "ruthless" writing campaign and make it succeed. Furthermore, marketers who crave speed probably have a skill set oriented towards other areas (e.g. Pay-per-Click (PPC)).
Mize suggests that we get to know potential joint venture (JV) partners as people first before making a committment, article marketing-related or otherwise. Also, be selective about what affiliate products and programs to promote. Affiliate marketing, by definition, removes a lot of personal risk. However, your reputation will be determined by the recommendations you make to subscribers.
What it Really Takes...
As a writing-oriented marketer myself, I welcome the idea that you can succeed online without state-of-the-art graphics, a killer app, or a significant advertising budget. However, the amount of articles demanded by Mize's formula for success raises some questions:
1. What role does "ghostwriting", i.e. paying someone to write original articles for you, play for a serious article marketer?
2. Does Sean personally use services like www.elance.com and www.getafreelancer.com? If so, what percentage of his articles are "ghost-written"?
3. Can you really control the originality and quality of outsourced writing? Is it any better than PLR articles?
This is the age of globalization, and outsourcing is a fact of life in all fields including Internet Marketing. At the very least, even prolific authors need to consider the ghostwriting option and its implications.
Conclusion.
Sean Mize is an articulate speaker who is quite direct about why he is successful. His online business tactics are transparent, and neatly tie together all three core Internet skills:
Traffic generation through article marketing to build a monetizable opt-in list that is ready, willing, and able to purchase information products...
Provided your copy works, of course!
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Sean Mize's main website is http://secrets-of-internet-success.com.
Gajapati Subudhi's List Building Superstars is where you want to be to capture the latest list building advice. Access the superstars here.
Rahul Majumdar is a full-time Information Marketer specializing in teleseminar reporting and list-building techniques. Sign up for more of his insights at:
==> http://www.info-entrepreneur-rm.net
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