So I got my new Macbook Pro a couple of weeks ago and I have yet to setup my add-on’s for Firefox. I’ve been using Safari because it’s so clean but it doesn’t have the awesome plugins that firefox does.
Anyhow, so I’m going through the firefox add-on’s section and noticing huge amounts of traffic and weekly downloads for these add-on’s.
For example…
So you come to a launch blog and there’s 200, 300, even 400 comments on each post. You get thinking, “hmmm something’s up.”
Yea. It’s called faking social proof. Maybe you’ve seen it before. And it’s the #1 Dumbest Strategy you can make when launching your product.
Here’s a little story…
Most of think, including me for a long time, that vacations cost “a lot” of money. In fact, if your traveling in the US, the hotels, food at expensive restaurants, and gifts for friends and folks back home can leave you empty handed and a big burnt hole in your pocket.
But not this time.
I just got back from a 35 day trip to Brazil with my “new” (yes new) fiance. We visited 8 different cities and took literally 7 “mini-vacations.”
We vacationed and took a…
The best part…
I made more money being on vacation than “actually” doing work back home.
Honestly, I “maybe” worked 5-8 hours throughout the entire 35 day trip and I still made a nice chunk of change *completely* on autopilot.
So what do I attribute it to?
A couple of things.
Creating Passive Websites
Ah… the beauty of affiliates and consistent, residual traffic. You can’t beat that.
This was a nice portion of the income I earned while I was away. When I create new products I first map out a plan for generating affiliates and creating that evergreen, residual traffic stream to consisntely drive new leads, prospects and sales to the new site.
When your creating your product, first off, it’s gotta be good. You can’t polish a piece of crap with pretty graphics.
Proof, proof, proof, case studies, case studies, case studies are everything.
One thing Yanik Silver mentioned before was, “do it, document it, and profit from it.”
I always kept that at the top of mind when creating new products. Because without the proof and some case studies of whether YOU have proved it first, it’s a tough sell… it’s then theory and theory doesn’t sell too well without some serious poop polishing.
Ok I’m getting off topic here, but ah yes. Passive income.
This comes from affiliates, ppc, and other jv partners. Creating this base of affiliates to drive traffic to your site is critical to creating a 5-figure passive income starting today.
Are you building a list of “just” affiliates?
Another thing and I learned this from Rich Schefren a ways ago, “Build a business, not an income.” So true. So start thinking long term, bigger larger themed businesses not one off websites that “make money.”
Keeping the Pipeline Full
I learned this when I worked for my friend Joseph Visconti’s company, Valuerich, when I was a executive salesman in which I had to sell magazine ad space to CFO, CEO’s, and Marketing Managers of small-cap public companies.
It was all about keeping the “pipeline” full.
What is that?
Simple. You stop getting prospects, marketing for potential clients, or driving traffic your pipeline becomes empty and you produce no sales. You then have to ramp back up build up your pipeline of potential clients or customers and like any numbers game, there is a conversion.
In my Product Launch Consulting company, Powerlaunch, from where I learned most all of my strategies from my indirect mentors Jeff Walker and Frank Kern, it’s always about creating a consistent flow of prospects coming into your pipeline.
Some clients can afford you but about 90% cannot. So keeping that new influx of potential prospects especially in a high ticket “hands-on” transaction like product launches is essential.
Ideally, knowing that 90% can’t take on me or you, you then create a range of products that they can purchase from you to get some of the knowledge that you provide with the consulting (duh I should do this)
Residual Results Based Marketing Campaigns
This is something I learned from Jay Abraham and one of my mentor’s Bob Serling…
“Create a marketing campaign inject it into a business. Take the same campaign and inject it into another, then another, then another. In the end you have case studies, proof, and something that is, and most importantly it’s PROVEN to work.”
It’s that simple.
You have a “proven” campaign that has worked with this Company A and produced $3,583 in 3 days, produced $14,738 in 5 days for Company B, and produced $7,873 in 7 days for Company C.
Companies today are looking for proven ways to make more money. Not a fancy ad they got from a ad agency which is new and unique and most likely will fail.
Give them stuff that works, that will make them money immediately, and you have a client and passive income for life.
Now that you have a proven campaign, results, proof, AND case studies you simply SCALE IT UP. But before you scale it up, you create your systems, your processes, find competent people to put into your system, and then promote the heck out of yourself and your company.
You can do this through direct mail, endorsed mailings (via email), space ads in newspapers, or through your warm network of friends, collegues, and joint venture partners.
The beauty about this is every time your clients run one of your proven campaign in their business… you get paid… and paid handsomely.
Just imagine having 3, 5, 15, or like a friend of mine, 250 businesses using your marketing.
Can you imagine the checks and money flowing into your bank account?
An ungodly amount.
Anyhow, I hope this helps some people to start thinking more RESIDUAL, more HAND’S OFF, more AUTOMATED, and more LONG TERM.
Cheers,
Chris Brisson
P.S. When I left Delray for Brazil I mentioned to Michael Masterson, “I bet being away for 35 days, I’ll make more money.” At around day 22 I sent him an email saying “it’s true.”
He said…
“Vacations are very good… but you won’t make any money on them unless you spend the time at the office sloggin away.”
So take his word for it. Vacations are great. Bust some arse, build your systems so you can then truly create a residual ever growing business to enjoy your vacations.
P.P.S. I must thank Brandon Fredrickson for inspiring me to write this. He gave me a case of “vacation’s over, get to work.” Thank Brandon.
P.P.P.S. Alessandra if you’re reading this… I love you baby. (Had to throw that in there guys)
Just saw this new video from Frank Kern in which he explains what the “Triangle of Trust” is all about. It’s pretty slick and something we use all the time especially in our launches.
It’s a simple “cash in the bank” marketing secret. Check it out here.
Have you read “Predictably Irrational” by Dan Areily?
It’s one of those “must read” marketing behavior books. I got a chance to whip through it over the weekend along with reading Michael Masterson’s “Ready, Fire, Aim” and came across the decoy effect.
Now, I first heard of this before from my friend Todd Brown and Rich Schefren a while back. This decoy effect is the true secret to behavior and buyer control. Something Frank Kern would call “crowd control.”
So here’s what it is…
Dan did a test with The Economist magazine on their subscriptions and here we the results…
Here’s a cool video that describes it quickly…
Today I got an email from Nate Bolt, the owner of Ethnio, the web 2.0 recruiting research app. I must say, Nate, great job! This is a great idea and I applaude you on going BIG with the clients you’re after. Ethnio’s clients include CNN, Sony, Adobe, and many more Fortune 500 companies.
Like many web 2.0 companies Ethnio started off FREE and built a nice base of users…
BUT…
No one took them seriously until they did something unthinkable. Something so wrong in the web 2.0 world.
THEY CHARGED PEOPLE MONEY FOR THEIR SERVICE!
Oh my god! What do you mean?!
I thought you’re supposed to give away your stuff for free?
Wrong.
What’s interesting is once Ethnio started charging people money for their service, their traffic actually went up.
Here’s what Nate sent me over…
In the past couple of weeks, I’ve created 2 new product in which I’m going to be releasing very soon. As I am creating the products I’m always considering how I can leverage my time and money but using other affiliates and partners to promote my product.
What I’ve come to find is that you need to provide your affiliates and joint venture partners all the tools necessary so they can immediately start promoting your product.
The last thing you want your affiliate to do is – to think…
As in, they have to think to write an article, or a squidoo lens, or design a banner ad, or write an email. You want to make it so easy for them to promote your stuff.
So here’s some of the tools and resources you should be providing your affiliates to start promoting your products…
AFFILIATE TOOLS:
TRAINING VIDEOS
Again, make it super simple for your affiliate to promote your stuff and you will see a MONDO boost in sales… especially if you are on clickbank. Keep in mind… your site has to convert for affiliates to keep promoting and making money.
Later,
Chris
I just got back from Tony Robbins Business Mastermind event in Palm Spring, Cali and good lord… It was one heck of a great event. It was 2 days long and if you’ve been to any of Tony’s events you know you don’t go to sleep before 2-3am. Unlike many of his events there was an elite group of 100 entrepreneurs, lawyers, and highly successful people. Many of which own $5, $10, $50, $100 million dollar companies.
There’s not many opportunities that you get to have a photo with Tony. I consider myself lucky.
I got a chance to speak with Tony and here’s how the conversation went…
Tony: “So what’s your primary question, Chris?”
Me: “My primary question is…..”
Tony: “So whats your new primary question?”
Me: “Umm, my new primary question is….”
… my mind went blank. I couldn’t think of my new primary question. (The primary question is something we learned at the Date with Destiny event in Orlando back in December)
Me: “Hmmm,…..”
Me: “Tony, my mind is going blank…”
At this point, Tony leaned over, put his hand behind my neck and on my chest and whispered in my ear…
“…it doesn’t have to be perfect, just something to get you moving with.”
He said much more, but the hypnosis trace I was in, I don’t recall everything.
Here’s some photos of tony and I, as you can see… “he was programming me.”
Actually, does anyone know exactly what he was doing and why he did that in this particular way?
I imagine he was anchoring something in my mind. To tell you the truth, it worked.
When you get a chance to go to any of Tony’s events… GO! Don’t wait, don’t hesitate, just go. You will not regret it.
- Chris
Here’s an interview I did with Rob Toth a while back for Dan Kennedy’s Info Riches Marketing Program.
I talk about some of the mistakes marketers make and the future of Internet Information Publishing. Take a listen and let me know your thoughts and what you think the future of information marketing looks like by leaving me a comment below. (Videos are always good too)
Chris
I got started back in 2002 with zero marketing skills or understanding about business. I accidently created an internet business form my college apartment in Tallahassee, FL. Built it up, sold it, but still had no knowledge of marketing. Went on a journey for discovering and learning "true" hardcore marketing principles. Over the years, built, developed, sold many internet businesses. Check out my bio for more info.
