WEB BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Received some great comments and questions recently from Scott Sheperd who had found me via my profile on BlogCatalog. Scott says:

“I started blogging a couple of years ago and then dropped it basically because I just don’t understand the RSS and the networking system and the affiliate stuff. I started up the blogging again and am determined to figure this out.”

I can understand your frustration Scott. Getting a handle on the technical side of things can be a challenge and there is so much mis-information about social marketing floating around that it’s scary. There is definately a right way and a wrong to do this, and many web marketers/SEOs are not only doing it the wrong way, but teaching people how to do it the wrong way.

How do I know there is a wrong way? Because I’ve been there. I’ve made stupid mistakes, followed some bad advice and had my butt kicked as a result. But, I’ve learnt from those mistakes and I’m now getting some good instruction and guidance from people who really know this stuff, and it’s paying dividends.

Social media sites do not exist for marketers and SEOs to game them for their own advantage. Yes, they are a great way to build links and thus improve your rankings in the search engines. But, as long as you approach social marketing with the right mindset you can use it to raise your profile -  to be seen as the “go-to” guy in your niche. Rather than “marketing” to your audience, who aren’t there to be marketed to, you’ll find potential clients will come to you simply because they trust you. It’s called relationship marketing and it’s been around for years. Simply put, people do business with people they know and trust.

Scott’s enquiry to me is the perfect case in point.

Scott asks:

“Where do I go to get a grip on the technical part of blogging like the RSS stuff and placing ads on my blogs and websites. Is it you? Or is this too basic for you. Do you charge? How do I get a little more personalized service at first to get me going?

Scott approached me because he saw me as an expert in blogging, RSS, affiliate marketing etc. Scott’s an expert in stress management and motivational speaking so his objective is to build his online profile and be seen as the go-to guy in his area of expertise.

OK, where to start? There are two people from whom I’ve learnt a lot about social marketing - Rich Schefren and Jack Humpfrey. So, to get started on the right track:

Download Rich’s Attention Age Doctrine Pt 2. This is one of the best free (unbelievably) books you’ll find anywhere on Web 2.0 marketing. It doesn’t get into nitty-gritty, fine-detail tactics and resources but it’s an excellent overview of where Web 2.0 marketing is heading. It will put you in the right mindset for your social marketing endeavours. Rich has recently followed this up with the Maven Matrix Manifesto, also free. Download them both, print them out, pour your beverage of choice, arm yourself with a pen and paper for notetaking and read these books.

Next, download Jack’s Authority Black Book. This is an excellent resourse on social marketing and covers the basic tactics and strategies. It includes a huge list of Web 2.0 resources. Also free. Keep a copy on your desktop for easy access.

Jack has also created Social Marketing Central where you can network with other social marketers and get advice. You’ll feel at home here. Also free.

OK, that takes care of the best free resources. The next ones aren’t free but will move your social marketing efforts to the next level.

Jack’s Social Power Linking is a membership site which gives you access to training books, videos, webinars, podcasts etc which will teach you everything about social marketing. I’ve written a full review here. Every month new resources are added. The latest is a 107 page report aimed at newcommers to social marketing. It includes:

• The Social Marketing Gold Rush - is it a Flash in the Pan?
• What is Social Marketing?
• The Two-Part Social Marketing Power Strategy
• Your Blog as a Social Marketing Tool

I’m a member of SPL and I intend to stay a member. The quality of the books released each month alone you would easily pay $50 to $100 for. SPL is currently around $30 per month.

The last non-free resource I’m going to mention is another creation of Jack’s called Authority Site Center. It’s basically a Content Management System which uses WordPress as it’s core but adds proprietary software and site building technology to take WP to another level. If the technical aspects of blogging, RSS feeds, site building and marketing with Web 2.0 leave you totally confused then this is the right resource for you, because all that is taken care of while you simply build a great “authority” site.

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