This page was updated on January 29, 2001
The Downline Online 21-day
SFI Promotion Course
DAY 16
We're getting close to the end of the course, but in many ways this is only just
beginning!
One of the things that happens a lot by now is people asking me what they should do to
either help their Affiliates upgrate to Members or help their Members really participate
with Life-Force International.
Here's the short answer -- DO AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE!
The whole SFI system is designed to do the work for you. Between the newsletters, the
Member Upgrade notifications and the other email that SFI send to people to show them the
benefits of upgrading, we've got it mostly covered.
If you add too much it does two bad things: 1) makes people think that *they* have to
send out the same kind of email to people below them, and; 2) OVERWHELMS THEM.
You don't want people to have either of those experiences.
So, for the most part, leave them alone.
Here is the SMALL thing that I've sent out to people:
1) A SHORT welcome letter to new Members telling them that I'm excited about SFI and
what's been working for me, and letting them know they can call me for help (and I include
my phone number).
That's about it. The thing about these letters are that they're personal. Even on the
Internet, it's nice to have a personal touch. It helps people feel less lost (for those
who may feel lost).
So, let the system do the work and simply add a person, YOU, to the equation.
##### Today's Lesson - Banners, banners, everywhere #####
Today, you're going to find out about another way to get people to your website
effortlessly -- Banner Exchange Programs.
There are two ways to use banner exchanges.
One requires you to have your own website. We'll talk about that one first.
The way a banner exchange works is simple:
- People who have websites register with the exchange.
- They give the exchange a banner ad, pointing people to their site.
- The exchange gives the registered websites some code to put on their site that, when
someone visits the site, displays one of the banners that the exchange has collected.
So, if you register with a banner exchange program, when someone goes to one of the
other registered sites, that person may see your banner, click on it, and end up at your
site... which points them to your SFI website.
If you're wondering why the exchange would go to all this trouble, it's because of
this:
- For every TWO times (usually) someone comes to your site, the exchange will display
your banner ONCE.
To make your participation useful, you need to have a good number of people visiting
your website. I'll give you some suggestions for that in a moment.
But there's another way to use banner exchanges that doesn't require you to have a
website!
Think about it. If every member of the banner exchange has to get two hits for the
exchange to display their banner once, that means that only 50% of the banners that get
seen come from exchange members!
What does the exchange do with the other 50% of the impressions?
They use some of them to advertise their own service.
The rest of the impressions... they SELL!
So the second way to use a banner exchange program is to buy banner ad viewings from
them.
There are two ways banner exchanges typically charge you. One is charging a certain
amount of money for a certain number of times that they show your banner.
The other is charging you for every time that someone clicks on your banner.
I can't tell you which is better, sadly. I've seen both work. Like the rest of
advertising, the only way you'll know is by testing, that is, tracking your results in the
way you've already read about.
##### Today's ACTION Plan - GENERAL #####
*** STEP 1 - Get a Website ***
If you set up an account with virtualave.net (for an FFA page, etc.) then you already
have one, for FREE.
*** STEP 2 - Put up a page to host the banners ***
You want a page that will direct people to your SFI website.
I put up a sample at http://downlineonline.com/members/gateway.htm
You can "steal this page". Here's how.
When you're viewing the page, go to the File menu in your browser and select SAVE AS,
or SAVE PAGE, or something that indicates SAVING!
Save the page with whatever name you want.
Then, using the directions given by your web hosting service, upload that page to your
website.
*** STEP 3 - Find a banner to fly ***
Check out the ones on the DO site (in the sample ad section) and the ones at
http://sixfigureincome.com/affiliate .
Pick one you want to use.
Save it to your hard drive - right click (or click and hold, depending on your system)
on the banner and select "Save Image As" (or something a lot like that).
*** STEP 4 - Go exchange hunting ***
I'm going to give you a mission. Go to a search engine and search for "banner
exchange" or "mlm banner" or "web ring" (another kind of banner
exchange.
Or look at MLM sites and see which banner exchanges they're participating in.
Okay, okay. Here are a couple for you:
http://www.linkexchange.com
http://www.freeaffiliate.com/members/sashen/banners.shtml
http://www.tssolutions.com/usrpages/sashen.html
http://www.worldbannerexchange.com
*** STEP 5 - Sign up ***
Go to the banner exchange's site and sign up.
Follow their directions to submit your banner and to put their code on your website.
*** STEP 6 - Drive traffic to your site ***
Go to the search engines and follow the links to submit your site to them. Often your
web hosting service will have a way to submit to the search engines.
Consider Option 2 in the section below, as well -- buying a copy of Traffic Builder.
##### Today's ACTION Plan - FEE #####
*** OPTION 1 - Pay to play ***
While you're at the banner exchange site, look for a link that points you to being able
to pay to advertise with them.
Follow that link!
If you don't find one, email the contact person for the site and tell them you want to
advertise with them.
*** OPTION 2 - Drive traffic! ***
I'm a big fan of the Traffic Builder.
It lets you submit to HUNDREDS of search engines, directories, and much more.
Check it out at www.trafficbuilder.com
##### What's up for tomorrow #####
1) Another web-based way to drive traffic to your SFI site.
See you then. Be well,
Steven Sashen
|
