So let’s say you are sending out an email to your list in which you would like to introduce your subscribers to the new product line your company just released. And let’s say you want to send them to one of your company’s videos.

The easiest way to do this would be to add a hyperlink in the body of your email and hope that people will click on it and go through to the video. Right?

Well yes, that might work. But often subscribers don’t click on our links because they don’t like to be taken to another website. They think something like, “Oh, I don’t have time for this right now. I’ll just come back to it later.” And we all know how that goes. They’ll click away never to return again.

So how about a little teaser?

You know how the saying goes about how curiosity killed the cat?  Not only cats, but people as well are curious by nature. Some more than others, but if we are tempted enough most of the time our curiosity gets the better of us. Wouldn’t you agree?

So, here’s a sneaky little email trick
to make your subscribers want to
take a look at your video and click through.

How about taking a screenshot of the video and add a little play button to the image to make it look like your video is actually embedded in your email. Then insert the image into your email and hyperlink it to your video, so when people click on the image they are directly taken to your video? (I use Aweber as my autoresponder, but you can use this little trick in any email client.)

In the example above I used SnagIt to take the screenshot and then using the arrow tool added a “Play Button” to the image.

You think someone would click on that?

I would, and I bet you a soda pop so would most people. There’s just something about that little “Play” button that makes us want to click on it. We just can’t help it. Especially if the image of the video itself is enticing.

Now, some people have their email client set so it doesn’t show images. So to make sure that these people still get a chance to click through to your video, include the hyperlink underneath your picture or somewhere in your text as well.

Go ahead try out this “sneaky little email trick” in your next campaign and check your stats to see if your click through rate doesn’t go up. I betcha it does.

To Your Massive Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Network

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There are 36 million kids ages 5-13 in the United States, and more than 93 percent of them report going trick-or-treating, according to the Washington Post.

Do you realize that all of those little ghosts and goblins who will be coming knocking at your door for some tricks or treats can help you spread the word about your business?

Absolutely! Halloween presents a great opportunity to get really creative and think outside the box as far as your marketing is concerned.

Here are 5 creative marketing ideas that will
make this Halloween both fun and profitable for you….

1. If you are planning on giving out Halloween themed suckers, (or any other kind), they work really well with your business card tied on to them.
2. The pumpkins on your front door make for ideal advertising spaces.  Just carve your company logo into them. Or if you are really talented with the carving tools then carve in a QR code leading to your website.
3. Hand out little bags of candy with your company logo printed on it or use Halloween themed baggies and include your business card.
4. Send Halloween cards to your customers and clients to keep on top of their mind. Maybe attach a coupon for special Halloween savings on your favorite products.
5. For those of you who love marketing with videos, why not make a special Halloween marketing video. You could dress up as your favorite scary character and present your marketing message in a frightful way they’ll be sure to remember.

One of my favorite Halloween marketing ideas I shared earlier on this blog, but I’ll repeat it here again.

Trick or Treat…

Why not make your own Halloween Mix? Here’s my favorite recipe…

2 cups of candy corn
1 cup of nuts
some M&Ms
some salted peanuts
& some Apple Jacks cereal

Each of these stand for something. Mix them all up and put them into a fun plastic back or other fun container. Tie your business card to it and a note that reads:

“Are you mixed up thinking about how you pay for Christmas gifts this year? Consider a mix that’s the answer. If you like to have fun and you are a little nutty consider joining XYZ company. You decide how many zeros you want on your paycheck. If you’re curious about mixing it up and making a little more money, let’s get together so I can tell you about our treats.”

I hope these ideas gave you some inspiration. For more creative marketing ideas for the holidays and beyond check out my post … “Thinking Outside the Box in Your Marketing? | Creative Marketing Ideas for the Holidays and Beyond.

Do you have any other  ideas  for creative marketing you would like to share? If so, feel free to leave your feedback in the comments below. (PLEASE READ the Commenting Rules here!)

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

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Tribe marketing is when a group of people collectively share each other’s content on social media and bookmarking sites. There are many free tribes that you can join on Facebook for example. I have been and still am a member of such tribes and they work very well. However, I have recently joined TribePro to speed up the process of creating backlinks and increasing traffic to my blog.

What is the purpose of TribePro?

With the recent changes at Google now more than ever before it is important to collect as many backlinks to your website as possible. Each backlink is basically a vote of approval for your content saying the article, blog post or youtube video for example is cool and very well worth bookmarking and sharing.

You may have been submitting your own content to Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites yourself before or have been a member of a tribe sharing each other’s content.  Wouldn’t you agree that the more people are sharing your content the more backlinks you will receive? The more backlinks pointing back to your website or blog the higher your rank in the search engines which in turn translates to more traffic for you.  More traffic, more profit!

Pretty simple, isn’t it?

TribePro speeds up this process and automates it with some of its cool features.

What are some of the features of TribePro?

There are a few cool features and I’m sure in time there will be a lot more added but right now I would like to point out two in particular that I like.

1) The “Auto-Submit” feature lets you auto-submit your RSS feed directly in to any tribes you are a member of. So for example, if you publish a new blog post it will automatically be submitted to any tribe of your choosing. No reason to log in and do this manually.

2) “Auto-Syndicate” is not only a powerful time-saver but gives your content a boost right out of the gate. Imagine 10, 20 or more people automatically sharing your content the minute you submit it. Do you think that would help you with exposure?

Basically you can choose which member’s contents you would like to automatically share and to which social media or bookmarking sites. This feature needs an Onlywire account which you can get free at OnlyWire.com.

Who can benefit from Tribe Marketing with TribePro?

Everyone who wants to get more backlinks, increase traffic to their website, get more exposure, improve their search engine rankings, get more leads and ultimately make more profits. So if that is you, what are you waiting for?

Can I join TribePro for free?

Absolutely! You can start with a free membership, join a few tribes, share other people’s content and earn points which in turn let you submit your own content to be shared. Upgrade when you are ready. I bet it won’t take you long because the more you share other people’s content the more yours will be shared as well.

Right now you can upgrade for only $10 for your first month. So what’s holding you back?

Take advantage of Tribe Marketing and join TribePro today!

To Your Success…

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. I always love your feedback so don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments below. Are you a member at TribePro yet? What is your experience?

P.P.S. As always, if you liked this post and found value in it, please make sure you share it with your friends and followers. Thank You! Your support is very much appreciated.

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They say… “A picture is worth a thousand words,” so blow your audience away by creating eye-catching PowerPoints, kick-butt Webinars and/or dazzle them with videos that are out of this world.

You can do all that with this value-packed Webmaster Graphics Package.

When I saw this I was blown away by the value. I am always looking for great graphics or pictures for my blog posts. Sometimes when I can’t find what I am looking for I create it myself, which is fun, but time consuming.  With this great value-packed package I don’t have to create anything for a very long time.

Here’s what’s included in the Web Graphics Package…

(with more being added all the time)…

• 70 Stunning PowerPoint Templates
• 200+ Power Point Graphics and Backgrounds
• 100s of Additional Bonus Graphics
• 44 Video Broadcast Frames
• Fun Warning and Spoof Slides
• 1600 Roalty Free Web Graphics
• 25 Roalty Free Music Clips

and much, much more.

Click image below for the video and additional information! (Or just click HERE if you can’t see the picture.) Wait till you see this. Your jaw will drop!

If you need graphics to put your webcasts or PowerPoint presentations on High Octane this fully-loaded Webmaster Graphics package may be for you.  It comes with tons of Bonus Graphics too. Maybe you are looking for some cool Twitter backgrounds? Or social media buttons for your blog? No problem, they are included.

It’s a Honey of a Deal!

There are no monthly fees just a one-time membership fee that locks you in for life and every time new graphics are added you can just download them from your back office …at no extra charge. Isn’t that cool?

Avoid disappointment by acting fast! This low introductory price will not last for long. The price has already gone up once but this “web graphics” package is still a tremendous bargain for the exceptional value you get in return.

Enjoy!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. Yes, if you pay this package from me I will be earning a commission. So thank you very much in advance! I appreciate your business!
P.P.S. If you found value in this post please share it with your friends on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!

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Marketing Outside the Box

Being creative and thinking outside the box in your marketing might make your offer more appealing.

Just think, a nicely wrapped gift makes much more of a statement than if you hand the gift over unwrapped.

Maybe you have a tough time getting some of your prospects to make a commitment and join you in your business.

I learned about these innovative marketing ideas below which may just create that little push they need to get them off the fence.

Since Halloween is just around the corner lets start off with that…

Trick or Treat…

If you’re really into candy … make a Halloween Mix

2 cups of candy corn
1 cup of nuts
some M&Ms
some salted peanuts
& some Apple Jacks cereal

Each of these stand for something. Mix them all up and put them in a fun cellophane bag (or some other fun container.) Tie your business card to it and a note that reads:

“Are you mixed up thinking about how you pay for Christmas gifts this year? Consider a mix that’s the answer. If you like to have fun and you are a little nutty consider joining XYZ. You decide how many zeros you want on your paycheck. If you’re curious about mixing it up and making a little more money, let’s get together so I can tell you about our treats.”

Christmas Idea…

Purchase some candy canes and put this note on them…

“Are you a bit wobbly about your financial future? Lean on me to support you in your new business.” (And attach your business card)

Valentine’s Day…

Buy some conversation hearts. Put some in a little plastic bag (you can buy some really tiny ones not much larger than a business card.) Stable to a saying and just hand it out.

“I’d like to have a heart to heart conversation with you about what XYZ business can do.” (Don’t forget to attach your business card too).

During Spring and Summertime…

Pick up different seeds…(at your local nursery)

“Seeds are the beginning of a bountiful business. Plant the seeds and watch your XYZ business grow. Do you feel SQUAHSED in your current job? Does your boss SNAP like a dragon? Then let us talk for a minute because I BEAN where you are and I know you MUSTARD things around. I know it’s a bit KORNY but PEAS listen up and don’t TURNIP your nose to what I can share with you. After all you might find yourself lucky and GREEN.”My husband (or wife) is a real gem but I didn’t MARYGOLD. With my own business I’m able to CARROT about those who matter most. I flower my family with time and attention. Not only am I growing a happy family but a profitable business.”

Send them a shoe or a sandal and say…

“I’ve been in your shoes. I know you have reservations but I’m here to teach you and walk beside you to build your business.”

Send them a swim ring and say…

“Feeling deflated about your finances? I have a life-saving idea that will inflate your monthly income.”

S’mores…..

“Do you need s’more of ….. (fill in the blank)?

Here’s a cute one for moms…

Diaper Idea….

Take a diaper put some Milk Duds in it and attach this saying….

“Is your financial outlook crappy? Then take a load off and learn how XYZ business can wipe away your financial worries.”

I think this will get your creative juices flowing and start thinking outside the box. If you can think of any other creative marketing ideas feel free to share them with us in the comment box below.

To Your Success…

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

Related posts:

1. 5 Creative Marketing Ideas for Halloween

Online Marketing Forum

Is it worth spending time in online marketing forums? Does forum marketing really work?

I would definitely say “YES!” Considering you are following the forum marketing tips below.

You can make some great connections there. Find answers to your questions by posting threads. Well, even find prospects for your business opportunity.

However there are some rules you need to follow.

Some are common sense but still I see people violate them all the time.

Just like blogs, or social networks, online marketing forums are very public. People can follow and observe you without you even knowing it. So it is of utmost importance that you are at your best behavior at all times.

I think it goes without saying that you should be treating people with courtesy and respect.

Here are some forum marketing tips that will make your experience in online marketing forums more fun:

1. Read the rules. That should be a no brainer, as not following the rules can get you banned from online marketing forums altogether.
2. Be transparent. Don’t hide behind an avatar, company logo, picture of your dog or any other such nonsense. People want to know who you are. They are much more likely to connect with you when they can see your face.
3. Be kind and polite to fellow members. Think twice before cutting someone down, leaving a rude comment, or being darn right nasty. Remember, these are real people you are interacting with. Just like you, they do have feelings. Offensive language doesn’t get you anywhere. It can actually get you banned from the forum as well.
4. Never sell or promote anything. People don’t like to be spammed. An online marketing forum is not an ad board, but a place to communicate, share experiences and help and support other members.
5. Always give value. If you have helpful information that you can add to forums, or the solution to someone’s problem ,  by all means share it. Share freely without expecting anything in return. The more you contribute the better people will get to know you.
6. Be appreciative. If someone helped you out, please let them know that you appreciate their help and support. A little “thank you” can go a long way.
7. Create an attractive signature file. This is the place where you can link to your opportunity, your website or your blog. The only place where you can toot your own horn. So make it interesting for people to want to find out more about you or your business.

There you have it. It’s not rocket science. Most of it is common sense.

Remember, whatever you say in online marketing forums is public and out there for everyone to see.

I hope these forum marketing tips have been helpful.

Oh, by the way, you can find some great online marketing forums by doing a search on Google.

However, the best online marketing forum I have found is BetterNetworker.

If you are already at Better Networker, make sure to connect with me. I’d love to meet you.

To your success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. If you found value in this article please share it with your friends on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you!

Related posts:

1. 5 Creative Marketing Ideas for Halloween

Twitter List Builder

Every once in awhile I come across a great tool that I just have to share with everyone. TwitterListBuilder is such a tool. It’s pretty cool too!

If you watch the video it will show you how you can easily and automatically build a list of thousands of followers with just a click of a button and 100% FREE. You activate the software by posting one simple tweet and you will automatically follow the seven people below you. And when you send people to your unique referral link they will follow you automatically too. After that, it’s just duplication, duplication, duplication.

But in my opinion that’s not even the best part about Twitter List Builder. To me the best part are the videos. I have seen Twitter tutorial videos before but these are by far the best I have ever seen. You’ll learn step-by-step how to generate traffic, leads and sales from Twitter.

You’ll also learn…

• How to Set Up My Twitter Account
• How to Create a Twitter Background Image
• How to  Add a Custom Twitter Background
• How to Get Tweeps (Followers)
• Learn about Twitter Tools like Twellow, TwitrPwr, Twitter Fox, Tweet Later, Twitter Toolbar, etc.
• How to Combine Emailing & Twitter
• How to Combine Blogging & Twitter (with Twitter Tools for Blogs…cool stuff!!)
• Twitter Traffic Tips
• …and lots more.

I highly recommend Twitter List Builder to anyone who is using Twitter, whether they are just starting out or even if they have been tweeting for a while. The information on these videos is priceless. Twitter List Builder gets a “two thumbs up!” from me.

Have fun!

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