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<title>Latest Articles by profitprogramreviews</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/</link>
<description>Articles at Populate.NET</description>
<language>en-us</language>
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<title>Choosing The Right Affiliate Program</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/Affiliate_Programs/choosing-the-right-affiliate-program.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/Affiliate_Programs/choosing-the-right-affiliate-program.html</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Choosing the right affiliate products to promote has become a much more difficult task than in the past. Before retailers fully recognized the benefits of using affiliates to market their products, the choices for products to promote were not that extensive. If a marketer ran a website devoted to outdoor activities, there were probably only a handful of affiliate programs that fit that niche.

Today, the situation is much different. There are hundreds (probably thousands) of affiliate programs being marketed today in just about every imaginable product category. The incredible amount of choices has lead to the rise of affiliate program directories to help marketers find these products. The large affiliate networks such as Clickbank, Linkshare, and Commission Junction are as popular as ever and are offering more products to promote. Not everyone with a product to sell can afford to use these affiliate services, however, and many have opted to run their own private affiliate programs.

These private programs make up the majority of the listings in affiliate program directories and can represent excellent opportunities for affiliate marketers. Choosing the right programs and products can be a very tricky process, especially for those that are new to the business. If you are planning on joining a new affiliate program, there are several factors that should be taken into consideration before putting in the effort to promote their products.

One of the first considerations that comes to mind is the amount and type of commission that is paid for referrals. Most programs pay a percentage based on the referred sale price, but there are others that pay a set price per sale and some even pay for signups or other referral types. When selecting any affiliate product, make sure that the offered commission is high enough to justify using your valuable time and marketing capabilities to promote.

Another consideration is the payout threshold and timing. These are different for all affiliate programs and are very important to pay attention to. Each affiliate program will pay commissions on a payout schedule like the 1st and 15th of each month. Generally speaking, the more often the program pays commissions, the better. You should be very careful of programs that go two or three months between payouts. The payout threshold is often overlooked, but can be very important. The truth is that something like 85% of affiliate sales are referred by around 5% of affiliate marketers. That means that the other 95% are not cranking out sale after sale for any product. If a program has a high payment threshold, it could take a while to reach the required amount to be paid, if you ever do. I would try to target programs that have a threshold that can be met with only 2-3 referrals. 

Each affiliate program will also have its own "cookie length". This is the amount of time that your tracking cookie will stay on the computer of those you refer through your affiliate link. These cookie lengths can range from a single session cookie, all the way up to lifetime cookies. I would recommend against joining any program offering a cookie length of less than a few days. Preferably, you want this setting to be at least a month or longer. If the cookie length is too short, you can lose sales if the person goes through your link, but then goes back to buy directly from the vendor website a few days later. 

The final and most important consideration when choosing an affiliate program is the quality of the product or products that you would promote. If the product has very little value for the price, it doesn't matter what the commission is because you won't sell any. This is all too often overlooked by marketers. Be sure to focus your efforts on products that you think you will be able to sell easily and stay away from products that are out of your general scope. 

Marketing new affiliate products is fun and exciting, but it is important to make sure you are focusing your efforts on the right affiliate programs. By taking all of these factors into consideration before choosing a product to promote, you will be able to make a better choice of affiliate program which will hopefully result in more affiliate revenue for your business. ]]></description>
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<title>Is That Marketing Product Really Worth It?</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Small_Business/is-that-marketing-product-really-worth-it.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Small_Business/is-that-marketing-product-really-worth-it.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ In the world of online marketing today, there are thousands of products and services available to help you improve your business, get more web traffic, and simply earn more money. One problem that I have found is that not only does the quality of products vary wildly, the cost does also. When people buy products online, there is one question that should always be asked, but often isn't. Is this product really worth it?

The answer to this question is sometimes very hard to discern. Personally, I prefer to look at business purchases on a purely economic basis. Put simply, will buying this product or service result in earning more money than it costs. If you don't believe that it will, then the choice is an easy one... don't buy it. It just doesn't make sense to do so. At this point some of you are probably saying, "if I knew how much money it would make me, it would always be an easy choice." I would certainly agree with that statement. The cost of the product is usually very easy to calculate, but the earnings can be far more complicated.

When considering the earning potential of a marketing product, there are several things that should be considered. First, look at the expected short-term results. Will the product start driving traffic and sales immediately or will it take several months for the results to start to show up? Also, are the benefits from the marketing product long-lasting such as optimizing your website for SEO or are they short term like a newsletter advertisment? With products that will likely take months to pay off, make sure that you can afford to spend the money now even though you won't see any earnings from it for quite some time.

Things can be even more complicated with products that don't have easily trackable results like PR services. An improved company reputation is certainly good for business, but it is very difficult to point to specific sales that resulted from the expense. There is not any easy calculation or estimate that can be done to figure out the earning potential of a product, but be sure that you consider all of the benefits, beyond direct sales and revenues.

There are really two broad types of marketing products and services- Those that you could do yourself and those that you couldn't. This is an important distinction to make because many products fall into the first category. A good example of this would be paying for an article submission service. You could certainly manually submit your articles to each directory, but it would take a considerable amount of your time. It is important for you to value your time in order to decide if the product or service makes sense for you. Those with more free time to spare, would likely receive a lower value from such a service than the business owner who has absolutely no time to manually submit articles. The value will be different for everyone, so consider your situation and see if it makes sense for you.

Finally, when considering a product or service, step back and consider your motive for purchasing the product. Are you looking to save time with a certain task or for expert advice? If so, you probably have a valid motive to purchase the product. Unfortunately, many business owners purchase these products out of fear or a false feeling of necessity. If business has slowed down or money is tight, it is very common to look for a product that will act as a cure. If you don't believe me, take a look at all the millions of dollars that have been spent on products that offer instant riches with little to no effort. Keep this in mind... there is no marketing product out there that will bring you lots of money in a very short period of time. Even if there was, the cost of the product would be high enough that it would take time to earn it back. If you find yourself buying a product as a way to "turn things around", make sure you are very careful. Too many times, people make poor or unnecessary purchases because the were just hoping for change. More often than not, they end up disappointed and with even less money in their wallets. ]]></description>
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<title>The Secret Marketing Weapon</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/the-secret-marketing-weapon.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/the-secret-marketing-weapon.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ It's no secret that the world of online marketing is constantly evolving - but if you are looking to become one of the most successful affiliate marketers out there, you need to know how to separate brief internet marketing trends from those powerful methods that will help to generate a huge amount of income.  After all, the time and resources that you spend on your business is absolutely indispensible, so don't chase after marketing trends that will just leave you high and dry!

So what's one affiliate marketing trend that you should pay close attention to?

Sounds a bit strange, but chances are you already use this online tool on a daily basis for your own personal use.  That's right, I'm talking about social networking sites.

Some of the more popular social sites, like MySpace or Facebook, got their start in the earlier part of the decade, and were mainly used by high school and college students.  Yet once the networking power of these websites skyrocketed, business-savvy internet entrepreneurs began to see the potential green in discreetly advertising their products and services through these sites - and they haven't looked back since!  Just think about it this way: millions of people from all over the world log into their favorite networking site each day.  As a smart marketer, you know that each person is a potential untapped client who could purchase your product, which means that you'll be a richer marketer while protecting your valuable time and resources!

How's that for an incentive to get started?

So if you want to make the jump towards marketing on social networking sites, just be sure to keep these expert tips and techniques in mind - you'll be rolling in the dough soon enough!

Subtle is the name of the game. Remember, social networking sites weren't created with advertisers and marketers in mind.  This is why you should never blatantly promote your product on your profile page, as you'll merely drive away your targeted audience.  While social networking sites may be a reservoir of untapped potential, these people are not actively searching for your particular product or service - therefore, they won't be as receptive to obvious advertisements.  

Yet don't be discouraged by this roadblock, as it's quite easy to overcome: just remember to keep your page personal and engaging. That way, you'll see far more success in keeping traffic on your page and directing it straight to your affiliate website!

Stay professional. Sure, there are tons of great games and applications that can be used on your social networking profile, but whatever you do, stay clear of them!  It's incredibly vital to maintain as professional of an appearance as possible, and nothing will undermine your credibility as a successful marketer faster than a profile full of bumper stickers or online quiz results.  Think of your profile as a billboard for your affiliate products or services.  Unsuccessful billboards are usually those that distract from the advertised product or service, thanks to a poor appearance or graffiti - so be sure to avoid this marketing trap and don't "graffiti" your profile with these applications!

On the other hand... One of the applications that can lend a helping hand in generating tons of traffic to your website is a blog.  If you don't use blogs as part of your arsenal of online marketing tools, then listen up, because this is going to make you a ton of money!  Savvy online entrepreneurs know that the key to a great marketing campaign is to establish engaging relationships with potential clients; after all, if you're looking to establish longevity in the online marketing world, you need to make sure that your clients will want to come back and purchase your affiliate products again and again.  

Blogs are a great tool to use in establishing important connections with clients because they allow you to interact with your audience in an engaging and personal way.  Make sure that your posts are interesting and fresh (great blogs post at least two or three times a week), and are chock-full of relevant information that will intrigue your customers.  Always be sure to end a post with a link back to your affiliate site, and try to answer as many comments as you can without spending too much additional time on your blog.  Remember, your blog should not be taking up the majority of your workday, so if you find yourself devoting too much energy to it, scale back or hire someone else to manage it for you.

It's easy to see that social networking sites aren't just for students anymore.  While some marketers may still shy away from the many business opportunities that these sites offer, don't make this big mistake!  Just remember to keep your profile as professional as possible and to interact and engage with your potential clients - and watch how fast your wallet will fatten from the profits! ]]></description>
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<title>The Case for Credit Cards</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Finance/Credit/the-case-for-credit-cards.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Finance/Credit/the-case-for-credit-cards.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Most people advocate the case of credit cards, quoting the benefits and convenience that arises from them. However, there is another line-of-thought that strongly opposes credit cards all together. The primary reason given for this opposition is the resulting excessive credit card debt facing America. It is one of the most serious problems faced by the credit card holders and credit card industry as a whole. 

However, you can't pull the shutters on the credit card industry just because of a few irresponsible people (ok...so maybe it's more than a few). That is not a solution for beating excessive credit card debt. Moreover, you can't discount the many benefits associated with the credit cards.

The issue of excessive credit card debt can be looked at from two angles. First is addressing of the excessive credit card debt problem at the industry level and second is the addressing of the excessive credit card debt problem at the level of the individual. The first method involves increasing awareness of America's debt problem to the masses. This is more or less being done currently too. However, there should also be an effort to tackle this problem of excessive credit card debt at an even deeper level. This means trying to devise a mechanism to nip the problem in the bud. This mechanism should actually be a part of the overall system. A lot of thought needs to go into devising such a mechanism. 

Case studies should be taken up, statistics gathered and a proper forum formed (with representatives from the lenders and from consumer advocates). As of now, the credit card suppliers just seem to be engaged in coming out with new products and getting customers enrolled to those products. There is little attention paid towards addressing the problem of excessive credit card debt in the real sense. Something like attending mandatory seminars on the root causes of excessive credit card debt could be made part of the credit card application process. There could also be mechanisms for proactively warning the users about excessive credit card debt (based on their credit card usage) or even imposition of early restrictions on noticing the first signs that lead to excessive credit card debt At the individual level.

The reality is, a large-scale change is unlikely anytime soon. There is too much money to be made by the credit card companies and Americans are all to happy to live above their means. The only way we will see change is through financial education, however it may be brought to consumers. ]]></description>
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<title>The Affiliate Marketer's Guide To Networking</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Business_Opportunities/the-affiliate-marketer-s-guide-to-networking.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Business_Opportunities/the-affiliate-marketer-s-guide-to-networking.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Let's face it - one of the greatest advantages to affiliate marketing is that you get to break away from the daily grind of the typical 9-5 job and work from home.  No more cubicles, no more insane traffic jams and best of all, no more unfulfilling jobs that suck away at your valuable time!  Instead, the only major choice you'll have to face is whether you want to work for only a couple of hours or a normal workday. What pressure!  Yes, being an affiliate marketer definitely has its rewarding perks.

Yet to become a really successful affiliate marketer- and we're talking the kind who sees a six figure income year after year- there are some important rules to take away from your previous office job.  Sure, you may have pursued affiliate marketing in order to have some freedom in your workday, but it's absolutely vital to note that there is one particular lesson that you should take away from the 9-5 world: the importance of networking.

You may be surprised at how essential networking is to the success of an affiliate marketer, as it can be all too easy to remain anonymous thanks to the internet.  That's exactly why you need to reach out to your fellow marketers- some key contacts that you make today could really escalate your business in the future.  Think of each fellow affiliate marketer as a means of reaching out to more clients, or learning of different tools and methods that can help you market your affiliate products or services more effectively.  
Read on for more tips and tricks on how to network like the business pros in the 9-5 world!

Be aggressive. Don't wait for other affiliate marketers to find you; rather, get out there in the online world and join some groups or forums with like-minded people.  There are a ton of blogs out there for affiliate marketers, and each member is like an untapped source full of affiliate marketing secrets that you might not have even heard of or thought of before.  If you really want to network like the pros, consider attending a national conference for affiliate marketers, where you can easily meet the best in the business.  There was a recent summit in Boston for affiliate marketers with some big name speakers, so it's definitely worth the time and extra money to get yourself to a local convention; after all, just think of all the great connections you'll make just by speaking to some of the bigwigs of the affiliate marketing world!

Be professional. Except for the summit or convention here and there, most of your exposure to other affiliate marketers will be done online.  Therefore, it's absolutely essential to conduct yourself in the most professional manner possible.  What does this include?  First of all, avoid online and text speak at all costs! Although it may save you a few extra seconds, text speak is extremely unprofessional, and will make you look as though you're still in high school.  Most importantly, do not type in all caps!  Typing in all caps is the online equivalent to yelling- and business bigwigs do not conduct their meetings through shouts and screeches. Just hold yourself to this rule: if you can't see a Fortune 500 CEO doing it (for instance, would Bill Gates insert smiley faces all over his emails?) then you shouldn't do it.

Follow up.  Networking with other affiliate marketers is a lot like how your affiliate establishes important relationships with other clients: through relentless follow-up.  That explains why email campaigns are such a vital part of the overall internet marketing process.  So be sure to treat your fellow affiliate marketer like a client.  Send emails with marketing tips, ask questions or just simply share an anecdote that is relevant to the affiliate marketing business.  If you put in the time and effort to solidify the connections you've made through networking, then you're setting your business up for great success- and lots of profit!  

Don't be afraid.  If you're on the shy side, then networking probably seems like a terrifying idea to you.  Yet you have a distinct advantage over those in the 9-5 world because you don't have to network face-to-face.  Summon up the courage to ask a marketer a particular question, or don't be afraid to be the first post on an affiliate marketing blog.  You'll be regarded as a leader, and will hopefully learn a few new things in the process!

Just because you're working from home doesn't mean that you should readily let go of the experiences and lessons that you've learned through working in the 9-5 world.  After all, networking is an essential part of the growth of any business, whether it's conducted in the "real world" or not- so take advantage of your valuable connections and apply your new knowledge to your affiliate marketing business.  It could just be the catalyst you need to turn your business into a profit-generating machine! ]]></description>
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<title>The Will Power To Eliminate Credit Card Debt</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Finance/Credit/the-will-power-to-eliminate-credit-card-debt.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Finance/Credit/the-will-power-to-eliminate-credit-card-debt.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ "It is easy to eliminate credit card debt." Well, anyone who makes this comment is sure to be labelled as a moron. However, let me remind you of a famous quote "Where there is will, there is way". So that is how easy it is to find a way to eliminate credit card debt. What you really need in order to eliminate credit card debt is "Will Power". No matter what method you adopt to eliminate credit card debt, no matter what debt assistance company you approach (for advice on how to eliminate credit card debt), no matter what your friends tell you, "Will Power" is essential if you want to eliminate credit card debt. In fact, this starts from the word go. Just examine the last part of my previous statement. It is essential IF YOU WANT TO eliminate credit card debt, this statement itself implies that "IF YOU WANT TO" or we can rephrase that as "if you have the will power to" eliminate credit card debt. 

Will power is what you need to control your urge to buy everything from the market. Will power is needed to persevere. Will power is needed to analyze your current financial situation. Will power is needed to sit and plan the ways and means that you can adopt to eliminate credit card debt. Will power is needed to approach a credit card debt assistance company. You also need will power and patience for researching the market for the best balance transfer plans. 

So really, will power is needed for every aspect of credit card debt elimination. Since "Will Power" is the only thing you need to eliminate credit card debt, we can say that it is easy to eliminate credit card debt. However, this is easier said than done for will power for anything (be it will power to eliminate credit card debt or something else) is hard to come by. 

One way of strengthening your will power, that is required to eliminate credit card debt, is to portray the life after you successfully eliminate credit card debt. Portray the peace of mind that you will get after you eliminate credit card debt. How much fun it would be!!  Moreover, the sense of achievement would be no lesser either (after all not everyone is able to eliminate credit card debt). Just think about all these good things and build your confidence and your will power to eliminate credit card debt. There is really nothing as powerful as will power. And remember "Where there is will, there is way". ]]></description>
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<title>Find The Right Affiliate Marketing Niche That Rakes In The Green!</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/Affiliate_Programs/find-the-right-affiliate-marketing-niche-that-rakes-in-the-green.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/Affiliate_Programs/find-the-right-affiliate-marketing-niche-that-rakes-in-the-green.html</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ So you're ready to become an affiliate marketer, but you have absolutely no idea where to start.  You've tried doing your own research, but you've only stumbled across entrepreneurs who try to push their products onto you with promises of untold riches.  You've even bought a few e-books on affiliate marketing, but they seem to be more about promoting a certain internet marketer's products rather than real valuable tips on affiliate marketing.  If you're just about ready to throw up your hands in frustration, there's still hope!  Affiliate marketing is definitely a field where there's tons of money to be made, but only if you take the time to choose the right products and company to promote.  After all, the success of your own business depends upon the reputation and integrity of the products you're promoting; so don't sacrifice quality in search of unrealistic profits!

Want some more expert tips that will help you in your search for the right profitable marketing niche that will fit all of your needs?  Read on!

1. Examine your own interests and expectations.  

If you want to find the right market, be sure to know what subjects or products peak your interest.  For example, what kind of hobbies do you have? Are you interested in specific electronic products?  Do you like anything that has to do with business?  By taking the time to spell out your own interests, you'll be able to avoid promoting a company whose service or products bore you; after all, as an affiliate marketer, if you're not passionate about what you're promoting, your business will likely suffer!

Additionally, be sure to take the time to set realistic expectations for your business.  Are you looking to become an affiliate marketer full-time, or do you just want another kind of revenue that can supplement your main income?  Do you want to promote several products at once, or would you rather work with just one company or marketer?  If you know what you want for your business, you'll be able to determine which companies can work best with your schedule and financial needs and which marketers will just be a waste of your valuable time!

2. Infiltrate blogs and forums.  

Still not sure which market you'd like to become a part of?  Try checking out popular blogs and forums that are based around your interests.  If you're considering become an affiliate marketer for the personal development field, go to blogs and forums that are centered on the subject.  Take the time to pay attention to what people say, is there a certain life coach or personal development product that's created a hot buzz?  Are there lots of links to a particular website more than another other?  Chances are if there are a ton of people talking about a person or product, then there's a good chance that you could make a ton of money by becoming an affiliate of that company.  Check out these blogs and forums for a few weeks before you decide on which marketer you'd like to align yourself with; remember, research is absolutely vital to an affiliate marketer's success. 
 
3. Use the internet the right way. 

If search engines were a source of frustration for you in your quest to find a profitable market, take a deep breath and head back to your computer.  Search engines are a great way to determine the potential profit that you can make in a particular market if you know how to use it correctly!  Let's continue with our personal development theme.  As a future successful affiliate marketer, you know that in order to make any kind of money, you need to see what's being sold and how much it's being sold for.  Are there a bunch of entrepreneurs that are offering dirt-cheap e-books, or worse, free personal development products?  If that's the case, it's probably in your best interest to ditch that niche in favor of one that can make you more money!

4. Longevity counts.  

The most common mistake that newbie affiliate marketers make is ignoring the longevity of their potential niche.  If you want to become a successful affiliate marketer, then you need to find a market with a long life-span and plenty of money to be made!

Are you unsure as to how to find these markets?  Go back to the search engines again and type in your desired market.  Ignore any results that pop up and instead focus on the ads off to the side.  Write down the ads that appear and monitor them for the next couple of weeks, making sure to mark how many times they appear, or any changes that are made.  Do the ads keep appearing without changing?  Or did the ads disappear after only a few days?  If your market has ads that are posted for a significant length of time, congratulations!  You've stumbled onto a hungry market where internet marketers are still making tons of profit so jump on the bandwagon!

As you can see, it's not that difficult to find a marketing niche that not only fits your interests and expectations, it also pumps out significant profit!  All it really takes is some luck, a whole lot of patience and persistence, and the desire to succeed as an affiliate marketer.  Once you've found the niche that's right for you, be sure to sit back and relax as the profits come rolling in! ]]></description>
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<title>Keys To A Successful Email Campaign That Will Get Conversions</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/Email/keys-to-a-successful-email-campaign-that-will-get-conversions.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/Email/keys-to-a-successful-email-campaign-that-will-get-conversions.html</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Savvy affiliate marketers know that a major key to success is to establish relationships with clients who've purchased a product or service from them.  After all, the number one rule of business is to relentlessly follow up with clients!  If you've got a list of clients who've purchased from your site, then you're holding a great tool towards generating the kind of profits that most marketers only dream of and it will only take seconds a day!

That's right:  I'm talking about an email marketing campaign.  It's no longer enough to have website that generates loads of one-time sales.  After all, if you focus solely on one-time sales, you're not effectively using your clients and your affiliate marketing business is losing serious profit. Remember, if your site or product was compelling enough to turn an online reader into a happy customer, then chances are they are even more likely to become a loyal client, who will regard you as an expert in your marketing field.  An email campaign is a great way to keep in touch with customers in your effort to provide them continual service; it can also be a major key towards promoting more products without breaking a sweat!
  
When starting an email marketing campaign, be sure that your clients are happy with their purchase.  If you've got a high rate of returns, or the company or entrepreneur that you're promoting does, it's probably not in your best interest to launch an email campaign, as your clients will more than likely delete any emails you send.  This shouldn't present a problem, however, because you took the time to align yourself with a quality product or company, right?

The most important thing about your email campaign is to make sure that you're providing the best content possible to your customers. Make it worth your client's time to open that email stuff the body chock-full of tips and advice that are pertinent to your subject, or have your emails dedicated to expanding how your product or service can be used.  For example, if you sell an e-book on launching a successful internet marketing business, have your emails full of relevant tips on how to overcome any obstacles that a newbie might encounter.  Not sure that you have the talent or skills needed to write the kind of emails that will have your customers begging for more?  Don't waste anymore of your time; hire an experienced freelance writer that can create an email campaign worthy of your business.  Soon your clients will be looking forward to seeing your emails in their inbox!

On a side note - are you worried that spammers might prevent your email from reaching any inboxes? You're right to be anxious: due to the rapid rise of spam that pummels the average consumer's inbox, more and more authentic marketing emails are getting lost amid all the junk.  Be proactive and get your customers to sign up for a subscription list.  Additionally, beware of danger words that spammers use in their subject lines, including bonus, free, special and discount, among others.  If these tips don't seem to work, try adding Re: to your subject line.  It's a sneaky little trick that some of your clients might not appreciate that much, but it's an effective way to separate your email from the junk.

Another important thing to remember in an email campaign is to be polite!  While the boom of the internet has offered a plethora of money-making opportunities, it's also caused a rapid decline in the presence of online manners. To ensure that your emails don't annoy your customers, avoid writing in all caps (IT GIVES OFF THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU'RE SHOUTING!), don't use emoticons or slang and make sure to thank your clients for their valued business.  Remember, your emails need to reflect your professionalism if the emails read like a blog post written by an eighth-grader, you're not going to have a great client retention rate.

What's one of the greatest ways to use your emails to get more profit?  Offer your clientele special discounts and promotions on new products that only they have access to.  Remember, you want to make your loyal customers feel special and they'll definitely appreciate any discounts that you offer on your products or services!

If you keep all of these tips in mind when creating your email campaign, your time will be well-spent, as your emails will not only establish you as an expert in your particular field they'll make money for you with only a simple click of your mouse! ]]></description>
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<title>The Importance of the Robots.txt file</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Internet/Web_Development/the-importance-of-the-robots.txt-file.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Internet/Web_Development/the-importance-of-the-robots.txt-file.html</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Despite the importance of the Robots.txt file in getting your website indexed with the major search engines, many webmasters don't offer one on their site. What is the robots.txt file you ask? If you don't know, you are far from alone. The robots.txt file is a simple text file (no html) that is placed in your website's root directory in order to tell the search engines which pages to index and which to skip.

When a search engine sends its webcrawler to your site, one of the first things the webcrawler will do is search the root directory for the robots.txt file. A correctly formated robots.txt file will consist of several records, each providing instructions for a particular search-bot. A record will generally consist of two components, the first is called the user-agent and is where the name of the search-bot is listed. The second line consits of one or more "disallow" lines. These lines tell the webcrawler which files or folders should not be indexed (ie a cgi-bin folder).

If you currently have a website and do not have a robots.txt file, you can create one easily. As mentioned earlier, the files are plain text, so just open up notepad and save the file at robots.txt. Most webmasters can use one record that will apply to all of the search engine crawlers. Once you have opened notepad enter the following:

User-agent: *
Disallow:

The "*" applies this rule to all bots. In this example, there is nothing listed in the disallow line. This tells the robot to index the entire site. You can also enter a folder path here such as "/private" if there is a folder that shouldn't be indexed. This can be very useful if you are still testing a portion of your website or is a section is still under construction.

Now that you know what should go into your robots.txt file, there are several common mistakes people make when creating these files. Never enter notes or comments into the file as these items can cause confusion for the webcrawler. Also, the format should always be the user-agent on the first line, followed by the disallow(s). Do not reverse the order. Another common mistake made involves using the incorrect case. If the disallowed folder is /private, make sure your robots.txt file does not list the folder as /Private. It seems like a very minor issue, but it will cause problems if done incorrectly. Finally, there is no Allow command. You cannot tell the webcrawler what to look at, only what not to look at.

If you are still curious about the robots.txt file you can find many more complex examples online. Just try one of your favorite websites and look for their robots.txt file. For example you can go to http://www.cnn.com/robots.txt. If you need help creating a robots.txt file for your site, there are plenty of places online that will create the file for you for free. One example is http://www.seochat.com/seo-tools/robots-generator/. Despite its apparently simplicity, this file can make or break your site's chances with the search engines. Make sure you have your robots.txt file in place and correctly formatted today. ]]></description>
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<title>What is Can-SPAM Anyway?</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Advertising/what-is-can-spam-anyway.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Advertising/what-is-can-spam-anyway.html</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Although the CAN-SPAM act was signed into law back in 2003, I still get email after email that does not comply with the regulations. As the Internet and email became a larger part of everyday American life, spam became a new favorite way for unethical marketers to make quick money. The CAN-SPAM act criminalized SPAM for the first time and finally provided consumers a way to help stop the flood of useless messages in their inbox. 

In talking about the CAN-SPAM Act, it is important to first mention what is, and is not, covered under the law. The law covers email whose primary purpose is advertising or promoting a commercial product or service. Therefore, the funny email that you sent to your friend or coworker is not a violation. Also, a transactional or relationship message email that relates to an agreed-upon transaction or updates a customer in an existing business relationship is exempt from most provisions of the CAN-SPAM Act. That said, it is still illegal for such an email to contain false or misleading routing information. The final act was well over 80 pages long, so here is the quick rundown of some of the key provisions. 

1. The Act bans any false or misleading header information. This refers to the "From" and "To" header of the email that identifies the originating domain name and the person that sent the email. Deceptive subject lines are prohibited. It is against the law to title an email about a book review with "Lindsay Lohan Nude Pics". 

2. One more noticable requirement of the law is that recipients must have an opt-out method in the email. This can be a return email address or an opt-out link. When someone opts to no longer receive your emails,  you have 10 business days to stop sending email to that address. Once someone opts-out, you also cannot sell or transfer the address to someone else for email purposes. 

3. Probably the most violated requirement is that all commercial email must be identified as an advertisement and must include the sender's valid physical postal address. The email has to be clear that it is a commercial email and the recipient has the option to no longer receive messages from you. If you are sending out to a mailing list, make sure you include your postal address to be in compliance. 

The law allows the Department of Justice to seek criminal penalties, including imprisonment, who commit certain violations of the CAN-SPAM Act. There can also be fines of up to $11,000 PER EMAIL!!! While this act has mainly been enforced against a few mega-spammers, it applies to all commercial emails, including affiliate marketing. The FTC maintains a consumer complain database of violations. Consumers can submit their complaints online at the FTC website. It is a shame that spammers have made life more difficult for all the honest marketers out there, but it is very important to keep the CAN-SPAM act in mind as you build your mailing list. While the requirements for compliance are small, the potential penalties are not. ]]></description>
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