All posts by

I Wet My Pants Coming Up With This Idea!

That’s what I proudly told my soon-to-be new client as I presented the winning concept.

The client was a regional car dealer who was looking for a fresh new angle to sell more cars. It would be a prestigious and highly profitable account to land, so the competition was fierce to win this business.

As our creative team entered the third day of brainstorming what had become a dismal list of sub-par auto sales concepts, I remembered an old technique I’d learned in my theatre imrov class back in college: Become the Object. So, I decided to be the car.

My co-workers laughed when I told them my idea.

They then proceeded to follow me outside where they utterly roared with delight as I got down on my hands and knees beside the curb and began making engine revs and horn sounds. As I attempted to totally immerse myself into the mindset of an automobile, I decided to lie down in the street and get the full “automobile experience.” That’s when I realized there was water in the gutter from an earlier rainstorm and my pants were now soaking wet!

As I got up to brush the gutter goo off my once-clean khakis, a thought occurred to me…

“Now that I’ve embarrassed myself trying to be the car, why don’t I just get out of the way and let the car tell its own story?” There was something to this germ of an idea, so I decided to run with it and work it out with the team.

Later that same afternoon, we developed an ad campaign under the theme “Auto Biographies” — where each car model told its own story as the commercial’s narrator. Needless to say, the idea was a hit with the client and we landed the business. And it was all because I decided to get out of my comfort zone, try a different approach and, yes, wet my pants!

Most every type of business requires fresh ideas from time to time.

And most anyone who’s been challenged to come up with those ideas probably has a similar story as the one above. But the reality is great ideas don’t always just automatically pop into you head, sometimes you need a little nudge to unclog a creative mental block. In my case I decided to ignore being laughed at and take an unconventional approach to jar my thinking. And it worked!

Here’s A FREE Reference Guide To Help You Next Time You’re Having A Mental Block

Realizing how helpful it would be to have a reference to go to whenever your brain seems to be stuck, I sat down and cataloged my most successful mental block-busting techniques into a comprehensive ebook entitled 21 Sure-Fire Idea Spark Plugs (#19 helped me land the car business). Each Idea Spark-Plug is written to take your thinking in a completely different direction, and help you open up your mind to fresh ideas and new approaches. If you’d like a FREE copy of this valuable reference guide, just click on the cover.

In the meantime, here are three of my favorite Idea Spark Plugs taken straight from the ebook.

Idea Spark Plug #14:

Look For An Alias

Ever wonder what the difference is between a Sun Roof and a Moon Roof? How about a Domestic Engineer vs. a House Cleaner? Or maybe a Couch vs. a Sofa? Answer: Not a darn thing!

Sometimes all it takes is a brand new shiny name to make an item appear to be better than it originally was. Marketers do it all the time when they want to freshen up or add new life to a sluggish brand, or de-emphasize product attributes that could be considered unappealing to the target. Remember when Honey Crisp cereal was called Sugar Crisp? Or when KFC was known as Kentucky Fried Chicken? Name changing is a common way to make your brain re-evaluate an item’s meaning or importance. Different words evoke different interpretations or emotions.

The next time you’re brainstorming ideas, pick out some of the key words then make a separate list. Try coming up with substitute words for each word on the list. This new list of words should jog your brain into re-evaluating your original thinking. It should also give you a different perspective and help you decide whether or not your first idea was your best idea.

Idea Spark Plug #15:

Color Outside The Lines

When you’re working on a rational project, using rational methods to try to rationally come up with a clever idea, this is the best time to start thinking irrationally! Some call it “Thinking outside the box”. Others call it “Coloring outside the lines.” I call it absolutely essential if you ever hope to create an original idea that has yet to see the light of day.

Getting successful results from using this technique is sometimes easier said than done. It’s hard to get out of the routine of looking at the world as rational and orderly. The sun always rises at dawn and sets at dusk. Two plus two always equals four. And if you drop a 10-pound dumbbell on your pinky toe it will ALWAYS hurt (trust me on this one!)

But when you take an irrational approach to concepting, you sometimes discover a better way of solving your problem. For instance, during World War I, the US military took an irrational approach and used Picasso’s Cubist style art to create more efficient camouflage patterns for tanks. It actually made the tanks blend in with the surrounding environment, making them much harder to spot by the enemy. Try using a similar irrational approach next time you need a rational solution.

Idea Spark Plug #21:

Don’t Overlook The Obvious

So this SCUBA diver is swimming along at 20 feet when he notices a guy at the same depth, but wearing no gear. The diver swims on down to 50 feet when he comes across the same guy. Amazed and confused, the diver pulls out his waterproof chalkboard and writes down “How are you able to stay down this deep without any diving equipment?” The guy quickly grabs the board and writes “Because I’m drowning you idiot!”

Sometimes we get so caught up in the details we often overlook the obvious. Like squinting and straining your eyes to read in a dim room when you could simply turn on a light. Or, after your kids have gotten out of their nightly bubble bath, blindly feeling around for toys in the bottom of the tub, instead of just opening up the drain. Often times going the obvious route can be much harder than you’d think. Ever overlooked an idea because it seemed so simple, surely it couldn’t work? Usually, you’re kicking yourself later when someone else has the same idea, then gets successful results.

Many times a big idea can seem so obvious, we’re afraid to consider it as an option. Don’t fall into this trap! Never underestimate the simplicity of a good, solid idea and NEVER be afraid to at least investigate an obvious solution.

In Conclusion:

It’s often said “The obvious answer has been right in front of your nose all along.” But sometimes it takes a little spark to help you cut through the clutter and focus in on the solution. I hope the examples above will help you find your focus. And if you’d like have all 21 Idea Spark Plugs at your fingertips, please feel free to click on the link below to download the complete ebook with my compliments.

21 Sure-Fire Idea Spark Plugs FREE eBook

Here’s to you never losing your creative spark!

Ben Crain as spent more than 20 years running an award-winning marketing firm, handling a wide range of national clients including: Corona Extra, Anheuser-Busch, Campbell’s Soups and Hardee’s Restaurants. Recently Ben launched Hunu Marketing — a Digital Marketing and Consulting Service specializing in Video Production, Whiteboard Animation, Strategic Copywriting, State-of-the-Art Graphics, as well as Software Product Development and Sales.

For more information, or to contact Ben, please visit:
 https://hunumarketing.com/

To see samples of Ben’s work, please visit:
 https://www.bencrain.me

This is a guest post from Ben Crain, if you would like to be considered for a guest post please contact me.

You Can’t Whistle With a Mouth Full of Custard!

When I was a young lad and found myself getting flustered over some trivial challenge that came my way, my Grandad always used to say, ‘Gary, you can’t whistle with a mouth full of custard’

I used to look at him as if he was a fool but he would just chuckle to himself and that would be the end of it. I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about and at the time, I never asked him.

Fast forward a few years and I started to look for ways to make money online which would enable me to get out of the factory I was working in, a factory which had become my prison because with a young family and with a mortgage and endless bills to pay every month so I had no other option to stay in a job that I hated.

If you have ever investigated the ‘make money online’ market you will know only too well that after only a few hours of research, the only result is that you will be completely overwhelmed by what is on offer.

Affiliate marketing, blogging, Subscription websites, freelancing, the list goes on and on.

To make matters worse, some of the people who are offering advice on how to make money from any of the methods described above are at best somewhat ‘shady’ and at worst, nothing more than common criminals who prey on ordinary people who are desperate to make money. I soon fell into the ‘shiny object’ trap and started buying course after course which promised so much but delivered so little. That warm exciting feeling from reading a carefully crafted sales page was soon replaced with that sinking feeling that I had been duped yet again.

The agonising problem was though, I knew only too well that this process would keep on happening until I had the courage to ‘man up’ and do something about it instead of blaming everyone else but myself for the mess that I was in.

Enter my Grandad, Harry Cash (yes, that is his real name!)

I was telling him about how I was looking for ways to make money online and that I was thinking of starting a subscription website with a bit of blogging and freelance work on the side, as well as starting a business selling products on Amazon.

He just looked at me, and I could tell from his face that he was going to utter those immortal words.

‘Gary, you can’t whistle with a mouth full of custard!’

‘Bloody hell Grandad, don’t start that again, and what are you talking about anyway, and I don’t even like custard!’ was my reply. He burst out laughing yet again and said he was wondering how long it would take me to ask him what he was talking about. He then went on to explain to me the meaning of ‘You can’t whistle with a mouth full of custard!’ and it basically changed my life.

It really did!

He basically said that if you want to whistle, whistle! If you want to eat custard, eat custard! But don’t try to do them both at the same time.

At this point you are probably thinking, what a load of rubbish, especially when it comes to starting an online business. After all, look at successful marketers such as John Thornhill, they have many different streams of income which all bring in a healthy amount of money each month. The thing is though, the vast majority of these successful people started off with one business. They didn’t try to half-heartedly start several different businesses at the same time but instead, they concentrated on one until it became profitable and then, and only then, did they start look at other opportunities.

If you would like to learn more about the extraordinary results which can be achieved by working in this way, have a read of the ‘The One Thing’ by Gary Keller because he describes the process far better than me or my Grandad ever could.

Be careful who you take advice from.

When it comes to deciding which kind of business to start, you probably realise that you should only listen to people who actually know what they are talking about, not in theory, but who have actually successfully achieved the methods which they are teaching. It is not an exaggeration to say that there are people out there offering courses on how to make £10,000 per month who are not even making £100 per month themselves. You should also only listen to people who have actually been doing as they preach for the long term instead of just striking it lucky.

One of these people is John Thornhill.

It would be fair to say that he has forgotten more than most people know about starting an online business and if you would like to know more about what he considers to be one of the best business models out there, take a look at www.automatedsalesformula.info

Don’t get me wrong, in the business model which John teaches, you have to put the work in. Anyone who tries to tell you different is someone that you shouldn’t listen to, but if you do put the work in and follow the steps that John lays out for you, he will actually guarantee that this is a business that will work for you. It doesn’t really get much better than that, does it?

Here the link again, www.automatedsalesformula.info

Listen to what he tells you because it could literally change your life.

And don’t forget, you can’t whistle with a mouth full of custard!

This is a guest post from Gary Tomlinson, if you would like to be considered for a guest post please contact me.

How to Gain Huge Profit From PLR Material

Are you tired of giving all your efforts to online work but still failed to make a successful side hustle? Many people on the internet are going through the same devastating situation. You might have heard “Content is King” and although you created quality website content but the traffic is still not driving. Instead of wasting time on these time taking ways of making passive income, try something that guarantees a profit by following a simple procedure. PLR is the best way in this regard with minimum effort and strategies. Are you familiar with PLR? If not, be there and first see what this PLR is. And how it can generate enormous organic profit for you.

What is PLR?

Private Label Right or PLR products are the products someone already created for you and you resell, modify and use these products as per your desire. You are not the original manufacturer of the product instead products are already designed by someone else. The manufacturer gives you reselling rights with raw data that you use in any manner. The buyers get the rights of the products, and after changing the facts presented by the authorized users, you can add your name to all the products as creator or author.

What PLR needs to make a Profit?

PLR needs some lead magnet to drive business for you. In simple words, the lead magnet can be a piece of content or anything that you give away to the customers so that they contact you and become part of your email list. The building of a giant list is essential for getting Profit From PLR.

Forgetting Profit From PLR, you need content first and drive it in your way so that more people get to engage with you. Most marketers do this in two ways. Either spend hours sitting in front of the screen to create a flawless piece of content or hire someone else from the market to develop the best material for your PLR products. In both cases, you have to invest something time or money.

What if you get the best content without investing money and time? Probably it’s the best idea, and for this you have to take some PLR training to get each and everything related to easy Profit From PLR.

Ways of Getting Profit From PLR

These are the most popular ways of making money from PLR.
-Resell the PLR products directly on website/blog
If you own a website or blog which is followed by a vast audience that this is the best thing for making money with the PLR. A site having enough readers can make money or sale within hours. Instead of designing your product for selling, use PLR products because it is more practical.
-Resell the PLR products to your Email list
If you are having some subscribers or email list is the simplest method of getting Profit From PLR. Resell the PLR products by sending emails to all contacts. But before promoting any product, make sure that you resell quality products every time.

PLR is Time Saving with Proper Training

Undoubtedly, PLR is all about ease which saves efforts, money and time. But you have to get hands on it is first by working on the lead magnet. You have you create content constantly for increasing the number of customers which automatically gear up sales. Keep working on it, and within no time you will get all the tricks of the puzzle.

Many successful businesses are running around you based on PLR, but you are not acknowledging. Marketers are using this highly useful marketing plan to level up their graph of profit. If you also want to implement this incredible strategy than get knowledge first.

Train Yourself For PLR

As there are many benefits and profit in using the PLR. But you don’t have enough knowledge about creating content, editing products content and which material you should use. Customization, monetizing of content, publishing your PLR quickly and easily, building a mailing list, promotion with traffic building and learning marketing strategies become easy for you with proper training. For taking your PLR business to a new venture and success, proper training is essential. PLR training will save you from all those mistakes that new babies usually encounter.

The Internet is full of training stuff on PLR, but it may not cover everything. So, take PLR training from a trusted group of people ready to help you in all aspects. You can get on this training right here.

Profit From PLR Material">

Grab a Piece of The Growing Musical Instrument Industry

Do you or somebody you know play an instrument? Learning to play music is almost a human need. We all love to bang on pots and pans as we grow up, right? But soon we move on to more official instruments, hopefully

Did you know that the music instrument industry is really growing?
Link to statistics: https://www.musictrades.com/census.html

And did you know that a lot of the instrument sales are done online? And the good news is that a huge part of the online sales are actually done from the Amazon platform. You know Amazon, right?

Why is this good news?

Well, it is good news because anybody, including you, can get a piece of the action with an Amazon musical instrument store of their own.

How is that possible you ask?

It is actually quite easy to set up, by creating a web store filled with your affiliate links to musical instruments on the Amazon platform.

Now, if you don’t know what an affiliate link is, and you don’t know how to create an online web store with links to the correct products on Amazon – don’t worry – I have the perfect solution for you.

But, first a small introduction to affiliate marketing…

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is you earning a commission when you are promoting other company’s (like Amazon) products. Every sell is tracked in a special product affiliate link you get from the vendor. And when somebody clicks on your link and buys, the vendor pays you a commission.

How to get your very own Amazon Musical instrument Affiliate Store with your affiliate links on every product?

There are two ways (or actually there are three ways) for you to do this:

One is the you-do-it-yourself solution
The other is the done-for-you (business in a box) solution
And the third is a combination of the two, where you do some of the work yourself and outsource the rest to a web designer or a virtual assistant etc.

If you are a web designer, it should be fairly easy for you to design and program an online web store, go and find musical instruments on Amazon that is selling, get an Amazon affiliate links and populate the online store with those products – and making the store looking really nice

But, if you are really busy (like me) and don’t want to deal with all that hassle, you should check out a done-for-you solution right here: http://bit.ly/YourMusicStore

Now, don’t get me wrong. Even if you are not currently a web programmer, you could go and learn how to set this kind of store up for yourself – just google “How to create an Amazon affiliate store”.

If you are anything like me I think you will agree that it would be very time consuming and a maybe a very steep learning curve. Luckily there is an easier way…

How to get an Amazon Store setup within an hour

If you would like to have your very own Amazon musical instrument web shop up and running within the next hour or so AND get it done for less than $10, you should go and check out the done-for-you, business-in-a-box solution right here: http://bit.ly/YourMusicStore

I wish you the best of luck and hopefully you get hooked on the Amazon affiliate life waiting ahead.

This is a guest post written by Marlene Kristensen. If you would like to be considered for a guest post please contact me.

Instagram – The Rising Star Of The Social Media World

When thinking about social media, what is the first place that comes to mind? Facebook? Maybe Twitter? What about Instagram? Instagram is one of the world’s most popular social media networks at present.
Instagram is primarily a social network for photos and videos that users post, share and interact with on a daily basis.

Here are some stats:

– Instagram has 1 billion monthly active users
– Instagram has the highest user engagement rate over other social networks
– 75% of Instagram users take action after visiting a post
– 60% of users find new products on Instagram
– Instagram users “like” over 4.2 billion posts per day
– Instagrammers share 95 million posts per day

With these kind of stats, I’m sure you can see how appealing this can be for businesses and advertisers to promote their wares on Instagram.

So if I want to promote my products can I just place my links everywhere for people to click on and make mad money?

Unfortunately, not directly. Instagram does not allow you to have multiple links in your Instagram bio. As such, you can only have one that is clickable. I guess in Instagram’s eyes, this is a smart business move, as it makes the whole ecosystem a lot cleaner and nicer, and disallows people spamming their links everywhere, as is what can happen on some Facebook groups and such.

So how, then, can I promote my products?

This is where the single link comes in. The link they allow you to have is in your bio underneath your Instagram name. You could direct your followers to a single location, be it your LinkedIn profile, your ecommerce store, or your business website.

What about if I do affiliate marketing?

If you do affiliate marketing, via any one of the many awesome affiliate programs out there, such as JVZOO, Clickbank, WarriorPlus, or Amazon, you could set up a review website, or blog where you could place all the links you wanted across your pages and drive the traffic to that

But how do I get all those eyeballs to my page, to click on my link?

Simple answer, but not so simple in concept: Account growth. The easiest way to grow your account is to post engaging content on a regular basis related to your niche. Most Instagram accounts post content directly relating to the niche they are targeting. This could be anything from health and beauty, gaming, animals, or whatever other category of products you are interested in promoting. Then start engaging with other people in your niche. The easiest way is to search for keywords relating to your niche, and start liking other people’s photos and following their accounts. You can also comment on other pictures that you like as well. If you interact with other people in this manner, then a portion of the people who you liked/followed, are sure to also like your images on your wall, and follow you in return. If you start doing this each day, then your account will grow gradually, and people who will be engaged will start clicking your selected link, and go to your website.

Of course, there is also another way, for those who had done a bit of this and wanted a bit of a boost, there is a such a thing known as Instagram shoutouts, where you can pay someone who has a large following a small amount [$10-$40 usually] to promote a post of yours for a set time period to their followers, getting more eyeballs on the link you desire.

Ah, so post good content, interact with people, promote link, ???, Profit. I think I have got it. Wait you mentioned Amazon? I thought they were just an online marketplace?

Amazon also has an affiliate program where any people you link through to their website who purchase anything, you get a cut of the profits. If you had a website full of amazon links that you could direct people to, you could harness the power of a built-up Instagram profile to direct people to your site, and get handsome profits in return if these people clicked through, and then went on a spending spree.

But how do I set that up? You mentioned a way to get people to promote my profile, is there a way I could get someone to create one of those websites you mentioned for me?

Click here to read more

Indeed there is. There is a company who has made an art form out of creating finely tuned and researched niche sites, that are all ready for you to make your own, brand however you want, and promote to your leagues of eager followers. You could even promote additional offers and build a mailing list at the same time. And with all that automated goodness, you could spend the time you have saved on things you really enjoy, like spending time with family, or earning more and more money.

Click here to read more about this amazing opportunity

To your Best Success,

Chris Arnold

This is a guest post written by Chris Arnold. If you would like to be considered for a guest post contact me.