How To Profit From Your Own Webinars

This is the last part of the 4-phase live webinars success formula.

But before I get into that let’s quickly recap the first 3 phases.

Phase 1 of a successful webinar is in the Preparation. In the preparation phase you make decisions about the best medium to use to present your content, and the webinar software you’ll implement to do so in the best way possible (and of course, I recommend the new software, WebinarJam).

Phase 2 is Promotion, and we discussed how the right registration process can mean more participation in the webinar by the people most interested in the topic.

Phase 3 was Presentation, where you learned that viewer engagement increases with activities such as polls and Q & A chats.

And of course I saved the best for last:

Phase 4 of a successful webinar – Profit.

There are three opportunities during a webinar to profit from all of the hard work you’re doing promoting and presenting the content.

Simply put- you can profit before, during, or after.

The most obvious way to turn a profit before your live webinar even begins is to charge for registration.

The other way to profit before the webinar is through “pre-event training”.

So, after your registration smack bang on the the confirmation page immediately offer a low-cost and related product with a headline along the lines of “want a head-start on the training? Get the quick start guide…”

Easy right?

Profiting during the webinar is the most commonly thought of place to profit. You can do a sales presentation and give a link to your product purchase right in the chat area of the webinar service. And if you’re using Webinar Jam (which you should be) you can embed a product picture and opportunity to buy right in the webinar window!

After your webinar, be sure to use the powers of the autoreponder system and replays to continue to monetize the event. The replay should be sent to everyone who registered for the seminar, whether they attended it live or not, because there’s always the possibility that a viewer will need to hear the sales message a second time before buying.

This is also the time to add promotions for different, but related products to your autoresponder series. If you’ve given a webinar on paper training your dog, for example, you can follow up with products on leash training, agility, or tricks. You can promote branded dog items, or your own dog food. And in this manner, your post-webinar profit points are so numerous, they are limited only by your imagination.

And that’s it.

You’re proven profit producing 4-phase webinar blueprint.

Now, I’ve mentioned briefly about a new webinar software, WebinarJam, which my good friends created out of frustration with the other solutions in the marketplace, as they were incredibly expensive, and really not marketer-friendly.

• https://cuttsgroup.com/webj

In addition to the ability to do everything we recommended in this training series, WebinarJam also:

• Allows you to schedule your webinar for now or in the future, notifies your registrants that the webinar is starting, opens the webinar room and takes care of the recording

• Gives access to an unlimited number of attendees, and you can create an unlimited number of webinars

• Lets you have as many presenters or administrators as you need to manage your event. So you can easily have several people on camera for interviews, while members of your staff monitor the chat room, or change the graphics, or set up a new poll.

• Integrates easily with your site using a simple embed code- so no need for complicated design or coding- and no need to bring your customers away from your website for the experience. You can brand yourself- not someone else!

• Gives you social plugins, attendee metrics, revenue figures and much much more!

Click here to see the complete discussion of all of the amazing features that Webinar Jam provides:

• https://cuttsgroup.com/webj

Trust me when I say this is very best software for your live webinars.

How To Perfect Your Webinar Presentation

Ok here it is.

Whether you’re doing a webinar to deliver good will content, to make a sales presentation, or just interviewing another expert, they all have one goal in common.

You want your attendees to pay attention and absorb your message.

And that’s called engagement.

Engagement increases when viewers are presented with compelling content and a dynamic delivery.

Compelling content is about identifying the problem or pain your viewer is experiencing, then offering solutions to that problem.

Simply put, if you viewer wants to know the answers to their questions or concerns that you promise, they will stick around until they hear the solutions… provided your delivery doesn’t suck.

You don’t have to be a professional presenter to have dynamic delivery of the content on your webinar. Engagement rates stay high when the viewer experience is constantly shifting modalities.

So, instead of just presenting a set of slides and a lecture-style presentation, liven up your webinars by switching between your presentation slides, sharing your screen, showing a video or talking into your webcam.

But if you want to truly create the most powerful dynamic delivery, nothing compares to audience participation for boosting engagement.

So don’t hesitate to ask questions or poll your audience. This both creates engagement, but also gives you the opportunity to create social proof and even do a little market research in the process of your webinar.

The more your audience feels like they are interacting with you, the more likely they are to absorb your message.

For a great webinar service that allows for polls, Q&A sessions, and a number of other engagement exploding features, check out the world’s most reliable webinar platform here:

• https://cuttsgroup.com/webj 

And stay tuned, I have one final tip in this 4-part series on webinars, for phase 4… Profit.

How to Promote Your Webinar: Make it Presidential

The other day I covered the importance of preparing for your webinar by choosing between a slide presentation or webcam view (or both), and selecting the platform you want to use.

Hopefully, you got a chance to check out what I consider to be the world’s most reliable webinar platform enhanced by the world’s most powerful marketing features, Webinar Jam?

If not, I highly suggest you do that right now and then come back and read the rest of this email.

Ok, good…

Let’s dive into Phase 2 of running a successful live webinar – Promotion.

Now you could send your entire list directly to your live webinar… But to maximize your profits you’ll want to have them register for your event first.

To register, attendees usually just enter their name and email address. You might wonder why this step is necessary, when you’re just sending people from your list where you already have this information.

Requiring registration for your webinar accomplishes three things.

First, it allows you send announcement and reminder emails to the attendees to let them know that the live webinar is starting. You might not want to bother everyone on your list with these types of reminders if they haven’t expressed interest in the webinar.

Second, when an attendee registers you can place them on an autoresponder series that’s designed to provide them with more information about the topic of the webinar. Some Webinar software even allows you to create different lists based on whether the person didn’t show up, attended the live event or listened to the replay.

Finally, requiring registration to a live webinar allows you to grow your list when people see your social media activities or who receive your email announcements forward them on to their friends who may also be interested. This happens more often than you’d think- that’s the power of word of mouth marketing!

For a webinar system that allows list segmentation, pre and post webinar autoresponders, and even allows your attendees to register just by clicking a link, check out Webinar Jam here:

o https://cuttsgroup.com/webj

Do you know what the most powerful component of a live webinar presentation is?

Take a guess… I’ll reveal the answer next.

How to Add Webinars to Your Business – The Easy Way

One of the best profit producing promotional strategies that you can use in your business is a live webinar.

But running a successful live webinar that puts money in your bank account requires following a proven 4-phase blueprint.

4 Simple Steps…

Today, I’m going to share with you the first of those phases…

#1: Preparation.

Now this isn’t how you prepare your content (you’re the expert on that one) or even your sales message (that’s a topic for another email training series)… but the mechanics and marketing of running the live webinar itself.

In the preparation phase you will decide how you want your content presented. Depending on the webinar service you use, you may be able to run pre-recorded videos, PowerPoint or Keynote presentations, share your computer screen or even show yourself on a webcam.

The best format you can do is to start with a webcam view so your audience gets to see you, then after your introduction switch to slides for your content presentation.

Consider which medium works best for your message though as some niches respond much different than others.

When it comes to the mechanics of presenting a live webinar to a mass audience, the clear winner is Google Hangout On Air.  It's so easy, and has huge potential for any business.

Unlike other unreliable webinar services, that cost upwards of $500 a month and are limited. Hangouts are backed by Google and Youtube, so you don’t need to worry about servers crashing and recordings failing. And best of all- they are free!

However, for marketers there are some serious problems with Hangouts. One of the biggest downsides is that you’re limited to just 10 participants. Of course can watch your stream but there’s no way of interacting with them making it difficult to run Q&A sessions, polls, or a any kind of group chat. And forget about sharing a link with them to purchase anything.

Of course this sort of interaction and active participation significantly boosts sales conversions and so is an absolute must. That’s why many reluctantly pay the ridiculous prices and suffer through the lousy technology of other webinar software.

Well that was until now.

Thanks to a couple of friends, Andy Jenkins & Mike Filsaime, who’ve created a software that takes the powerful marketing tools that you might see in other webinar software, and applied it to Google Hangouts On Air.

All of the marketing power, but at a much more affordable option than you might imagine, considering Google Hangouts does all the heavy lifting for you.

Once you’ve prepared your content and the platform you’re using for your webinar, the next phase (phase #2) is Promotion – and i’ll get to that in the next day or two.

When choosing a webinar software, yo need to consider the one created by the giants of the industry – the world’s most reliable webinar platform (Google Hangouts) with the most powerful marketing features… created by Andy & Mike (Get WebinarJam)

Your Adobe Password May Have Been Compromised…

I got this from Evernote this morning:

Your Adobe password may have been compromised, please don’t reuse it…

Why is this important?

Because if you own a computer (Mac or PC), you probably have an Adobe password.

I want to thank Evernote for letting me know… Adobe knew as well, but did not feel it was important to tell me.

Twitter Hashtags: How to Use Twitter Hashtags in Your Business

How to Use Twitter #Hashtags in Your Small Business

Know what a Hashtag is? If you're not a social media expert, and particularly Twitter, you might not have a clue what a #hashtag is. No need for that being the situation any longer. A hashtag is a # followed by a word or phrase to perform a number of functions. Twitter users attach hashtags to tweets as search conventions, a method of categorizing, and marketing tactics. Hashtags can also be used in other social media platforms.

Some Hashtags basic guidelines

Make sure the keyword you use is not in use elsewhere, or you may be in for a large surprise. This requires doing a little research (a search on Search.Twitter.com) to determine if that keyword is a wise decision. Also, don't use deceptive #hashtags, even with significantly trending keywords. This will not work in your favor. And above all, proofread before you create that #hashtag, lest you become a victim of your own hashtag.

4 Ways to win with #hashtags

1. Keep them short and simple – Making your #hashtag brief and to the point is your best option. Combine a couple if necessary, such as #apps and #smallbiz, but avoid stringing together a half dozen: it just appears you don't know what you want to say.
2. Make them memorable – A memorable #hashtag is one that will be shared widely. Give some thought and you just might have it go viral.
3. Use them on your other social channels – A #hashtag wants desperately to be shared, and you can now do so across multiple social media channels including Facebook, Google , LinkedIn and Pinterest. This can really help to help sear the #hashtag into the brains of your readers.
4. Use keywords – If you can. It's not always possible, but attempt to work in your brand or primary keywords.

Creating and making use of memorable hashtags can keep your brand and conversation before your social media audience, and help perpetuate your campaigns.You can also use it to find and buy twitter followers cheap. Give it a try today!

Facebook Graph Search – Use For Marketing

Facebook Graph Search – Using it for Marketing

The latest in a never-ending stream of Facebook rollouts is now with us, and it's called Facebook Graph Search. It is Facebook's newest entry into the search game, and it appears that they've really found a new and different vein. Still in Beta, Facebook Graph Search might not yet be available for you, (still limited to the US, and there's a waiting list) but it is scheduled to rollout this summer. So now is the time to begin to understand how this might help your small business.

So what is Facebook Graph search?

Facebook Graph Search is a search model where Facebook moves their search results from a model based on keywords, to one where it can use arguably its most valuable asset, the social data of all its users. You see results based upon what your social spheres like, and view. As an example, your search will bring back people who share your interests, websites, photos and videos they've liked or visited, as well as other connections you may share. These results are unique to you, as they are based solely off yours and your friend's interests.

How can you use Graph search in your marketing?

One of the key takeaways people appear to be gleaning from the launch of Graph Search is that it goes a long way towards weeding out pages that are trying to game the system. Fake Likes and fans coming from strange locations out of your common spheres, are often viewed with some skepticism. So say goodbye to the “I will get you 30,000 Facebook Likes” industry, where often people found all sorts of new friends and fans from Bangladesh!

Rather, this appears as if it's going to greatly benefit businesses making a genuine attempt at engaging with social media. Some ways you can be ready for Facebook Graph Search are to:

• Be sure your business page profile is completely filled out, so that users can locate you.
• Make sure to engage, not sell your visitors.
• Go sift through what you've posted online, especially on Facebook itself, as your info will now be more available than ever! Delete any humiliating items before they come back to bite your business you know where!

Top 10 Tips for Higher Email Open Rates

Top 10 Tips for Higher Email Open Rates

Are your email open rates a source of embarrassment? Acting to improve them is easier to do than you may think. According to Epsilon.com, email open rates sport an industry average of around 27.4 percent, with wide variations for markets. Understanding your email open rates and the way to improve them should be high on your to-do list!

Toward that end, listed below are 10 top tips for improving your email open rates.

1. Write something you would read – Creating terrific content is without a doubt the best way to get your email opened and read.
2. Length & timing – We're all busy, and lengthy emails that wander and fail to get to the point are hardly ever looked forward to. By the same token, not using optimum sending times doesn't help.
3. Use your subject line wisely – This is actually the single biggest element that effects whether or not your email gets opened. Take the time to craft great, non-spammy subject lines.
4. Make good use of your first line – Much like the preceding, the first line of your email, often populated with something like, “If you don't see any images in this message” is visible in their inbox. And this also is valuable space, and don't waste it!
5. Give them what they need! – Make sure you make an effort to provide solutions.
6. Offer great deals and savings – Everyone loves to save a little and your email is an excellent platform to pass on any deals or specials your company is offering.
7. Teach – Presumably they are browsing your email and or newsletter because they are interested in learning something from you. Don't disappoint!
8. Be entertaining – Don't be StatMan. Don't be afraid to inject humor, wit, and a little bit of controversy on occasion.
9. Is your “From” line recognizable? – Make sure this is the person or company you want to brand, as this builds trust over time.
10. Be sure and resend your unopened email – Super easy to do, resending your unopened email is a simple way to boost your open rates.

Corporate Reputation: Protect Your Online Reputation in 5 Simple Steps

Protect Your Online Reputation in 5 Simple Steps

We've all seen just how fast word travels nowadays, and nowhere is that more important to your business than in the world of your online reputation. What took you several years to build can be destroyed in seconds. If you're not up to speed on why exactly your online reputation matters so much, let's consider a few statistics before we will take as exmaple the pavers company that just went down. Cone Communications has found that a full 89 percent of consumers view online channels as trustworthy sources, and that 80 percent have actually changed their decision about purchasing after taking a look at a negative review. Not only that, but your own social media accounts is where the action is! The Society for Communications Research informs us that another 72 percent report researching companies through their social channels before making purchasing decisions, and 59% use these same social sites to let the world learn about their frustrations about you and your customer service.

5 Tips to help guard your online reputation

1. Monitor your online reputation – Keep track of what folks have to say about you and your company name by Googling them no less than once a month. Use Google alerts and become alerted when there are any postings about you or the brand.
2. Claim your online property – Someone that is intent on doing you or your business harm can do a whole lot with your name. Ensure that you buy your company's domain name, as well as your personal one, and prevent having them show up in Google by virtue of an exact match name.
3. Be proactive on your social sites – Like your domain name, claim any Facebook, Google or LinkedIn pages that bear your name. Not just that, make it a point to use them regularly.
4. Deal with negative content ASAP – Deal with negative postings and particularly complaints right away. Do your very best to contact the person directly, preferably offline. Attempt to handle their issues, and whatever you do, don't enter into a shouting match online.
5. Be very careful what you put online – Those lovely pictures of you and the staff partying hard are not exactly what you want to surface in a business context.

We live in a fast-paced, information driven world. Make sure you're on top of it to properly manage your online reputation!

Don’t Believe Everything You Read

Don’t Believe Everything You Read – Daily Deal Sites Can Work!

You’d think from all the hate that’s been reported about daily deal sites, and how they are all a thing of the past as a way to market your small business, we wouldn’t like them either. You’d be wrong. There’s quite a bit that goes into making daily deal sites enhance your local business, and a few well-publicized failures, shouldn’t be the reason to avoid using the daily deal model. As a matter of fact, when you take a close look, the lion’s share of them “failures” had quite a bit in common, particularly a glaring misunderstanding of the best way to run a daily deal promotion, poor negotiation of their deals, and not keeping track of their customers redemption and spending. Given that they had unbelievable fails in these areas, is it any wonder they failed?

So why the hate?

The well-publicized financial and structural changes thecorsetcenter.com and LivingSocial have been going through are often cited causes of dislike. The press is quick to point out the unfavorable aspects of some daily deal sites. They frequently point out things like spam complaints, a crowded marketplace of daily deals to choose from, “deal hoppers”, customers who hop from deal to deal and seldom become a regular customer.

3 Ways for you to help make Daily Deals work for your business

• Know how the money works! – Be sure that you know how the numbers work in your deal. Determine what your average sale is and don’t attempt to exceed it with a daily deal. Also, make sure you negotiate credit card processing fees, as many of the daily deal sites will pick these up.
• Have a strategy for following up – Up to 75 percent of these daily deal customers are new to you, so be sure that you have a plan in place to entice them to return, whether that be another coupon, or….?
• Don’t go too big, too quickly – Start conservatively, so that you can learn the ropes and not be overloaded by the deals, and leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.

The death of Daily deal sites is grossly overstated, and you can still use these to grow your small business, if you take the time to do it correctly!