Most people have the sense to find a leader to guide their steps fairly soon after they decide upon a direction they wish to take. Unfortunately, I have never been one of them. It has taken me ten years of wandering largely in the deserted wastelands of the Internet to come to the conclusion that I ought to get myself a mentor. The advantage of this time lag is that I have been able to choose a mentor whose progress I have had the opportunity to observe over the course of a decade or so and, indeed, I have been fortunate enough to be able to persuade one of the very first Internet ‘gurus’ whose newsletters I ever subscribed to that I might make a reasonable candidate for mentoring.

These guys are a little fussy, you know. It’s no longer just about the money they can command from wannabes when they reach the dizzy heights. It’s about ensuring that their pupils go out into the virtual world and become a credit to their teachings. A guru is only as good as his last disciple, so to speak. Well, I hit the jackpot, as it turned out. My new mentor suggested that, rather than take instruction from him alone; I join one of the longest-standing groups online, run by a team of firmly-established Internet and Social Media marketing experts and consultants. Agreeing to do so was, without a doubt, one of the better decisions I have made in my life.

Apart from the incredible talent and experience that has been made available to help me on my way, the software that is provided for members to use is astonishingly cutting-edge and probably worth many times the subscription fees. In fact, just recently, I was sent a link to the latest software developed especially for the group which, apart from being incredibly helpful in the business environment, has enhanced my enjoyment of using the Internet as a whole and made some of my erstwhile tedious chores turn into pleasurable tasks that are quickly completed.

Amongst the materials available to members are a wealth of training videos and also a series of thoroughly readable documents of various kinds, each designed to give clear indications of what is still working, what no longer works, why and why not. Some of the documents are also made freely available to the public outside the group and I have taken pleasure in sharing them with anyone who wanted some straightforward guidance without having to buy it.

There is something very reassuring about being in the company of those who lead the markets that everyone else runs to try and keep up with, after so many years of being amongst the stragglers who turn up at the table when all that is left is the scraps from what clearly must have been a wonderful banquet!

One of the highlights of my week is Jack Humphrey’s Friday Traffic Report blog. Every week there is something interesting, pertinent and of practical use to all Internet marketers, whether newcomers to the scene or veterans of long standing. It is to be hoped that you will take advantage of the fact that one need not even be a member to enjoy the mine of useful information in Jack’s blog at jackhumphrey.com/fridaytrafficreport/ every week.

You may like to start with: Track Your Social Marketing Enjoy!

This affiliate marketing guide will help you understand exactly what your affiliate company should be giving you in order to grow your business. I have been online for 3 years and I have made so many mistakes when it comes to affiliate marketing.

Like so many people I thought it was great that this company would give me free websites, banners, sales letters and all the tools I thought I would need to make money. I thought they had given me all the affiliate training I would need to be successful.

Boy was I wrong!

By the end of this affiliate marketing guide you will have an understanding of what you need in order to succeed with affiliate marketing. I also want to make sure that you avoid the many affiliate marketing scams that are ever present online today.

The tips in the list below should be used in order, and if one is missing then your chances of success are greatly reduced.

• This is the most important thing and that is to build your list. The company must allow you to build your own list and not theirs. Your financial security is in that list so you better make sure you are the owner.
• They must offer you all the tools you need in order for you to succeed. Might sound a bit obvious but many offer lots of bells and whistles that don’t actually do anything. The tools you need will be the affiliate marketing tutorial videos they will provide you with.
• You need to work with somebody on a proven daily strategy that will get you the results you need. A daily plan is essential to your online success and any reputable company will have one in place.
• They must offer a proven marketing funnel that will have all of the capture pages, different videos, articles and images that you can use in you marketing. This is very useful when you are starting out as you will be able to start adding content and value to your blog while you are still learning.
• And finally they must offer you a support network that answers your questions in seconds and not days. You are working on the internet so you need to move as fast as the internet moves; you don’t want to be waiting a couple of days to get a problem solved.

Let’s just go into a bit more detail about these import points in this affiliate marketing guide. If you do not build your own list and the company goes bust, they you will have to start again. Your list is vitally important and you must own it.

All the tools and training should been provided, and it must include how to set up a blog, how to market on social media, how to do keyword research and advance SEO tactics as well as syndicating all your work.

Once you learn how to generate traffic your affiliate company must put in place a marketing funnel that gives your prospects valuable information they can use with a product at the end so you can earn your commission.

If you follow the steps in this affiliate marketing guide you will have all the success you desire. But please remember that if one is missing they walk away and find an affiliate program that offers you everything in the list above.

When using social media marketing for your business, the first and most important element is your website.

Your website or landing page is the first contact your potential customer has with you after finding you through your social marketing campaign. To reduce your visitors clicking off the page, use these three guidelines:

First- Think simple and free of clutter

Just like your desk, if your website is packed pull of unorganized and random elements… clean it up quickly.

Most of the time visitors to your site will judge your page within 3 seconds and either decide to stay or leave. Having a cluttered site makes it hard for your visitor to find out if you have what they are looking for. Always make it easier for your web visitor to find exactly the information you are providing without having to click all over the place.

Also, make sure to guide your web visitor in the direction they need to be going. For instance if there is information about different types of information, give them a choice like “If you are looking for dental insurance, click here… for motorcycle insurance, click here.” Making it simple helps them find what they need quickly and reduces the chance of them leaving early.

Second – Avoid big filed graphics and animations

Your web visitors will be coming to your site from various different platforms, computers, and internet speeds. If you load up your site with large graphic files or processor heavy animations, you limit the amount of people that can view your site.

These days, many people use their phone and other mobile devices to quickly find information or a merchant and you don’t want to restrict their access. Flashy sites are for winning agency awards, not for doing business. Keep it simple and light.

If you need help building a site, don’t worry about having to learn HTML, CSS or Java. Use simple but powerful web building software like Weebly or WordPress and you’ll have a very a nice looking site that will do more than you need for running a business.

Third – Tell your visitor what to do

The call to action is the most important step you need to have in your website or any other marketing piece you have. It tells your reader, “Look, to get your cavity fixed, pick up your phone, call 555-1234 right now and end the pain immediately!” While that might sound simple or obvious, you would be surprised the difference having a line like that makes.

Be sure to have clear, simple directions on what to do to contact you or how to request more information at the end of every page you have online or in print. You will quickly see a jump in your response.

Having a website for your social media marketing is vital. But don’t let it overwhelm you, it can be as simple as clicking a few buttons and writing some basic descriptions if you use the resources mentioned above. If you already have a website for your small business, go through it and make sure you’re keeping it simple and clean as discussed in the first steps.