by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.

As a marketer, considering the creation of the best marketing strategy, you need to have a clear understanding of your business, product, and demographics before choosing one that will be effective for your needs.

To grow your online visibility, you need a plan for using different channels to do so. In this plan, you should consider factors such as your target audience, strengths and weaknesses, and your competitors.

To help you decide which marketing channels to use or test, check data from across your business, your target audience, and how you want to communicate your… Read Article


Try this viral mailer that pays

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

You like most people, can spend months or years creating a blog that has no chance of succeeding, then you start another one that fails or a third and fourth.

You’re not dumb or lazy. You’re just choosing the wrong topic.

1. Choose the Right Topic

First, make a list of topics that interest you. They can be your hobbies, topics you think are highly profitable, or something random you saw in a magazine.

Now ask yourself these five questions:

1. Do any current blogs on this topic have a Facebook page with more than 10k fans?

2. Are there any blogs on this topic that have more than 50k followers on Twitter?

3. Are there any books on Amazon with more than 30 reviews on this topic?

4. When you look for words and phrases connected to this topic, are there any Google ads?

5. Do any words or phrases related to this topic have more than 100k searches in Google’s Keyword Planner tool?


By answering these questions, you’ll know if there’s an existing audience for your topic.

Don’t try to be too unique or clever by hunting for an audience that no one else is serving.

It’s counterintuitive, but the more competition you have in a blogging space, the easier it is for a new blogger to find success there.


2. Choose the Right Platform

Choose the right blogging platform

There are several free blogging platforms like Tumblr, Blogspot, Wix, or Squarespace. These are fine to test your ideas and content to be sure they’re workable before creating a full-fledged blog.

But when you’re ready to build an audience and make money online, a self-hosted WordPress blog is the way to go.

WordPress is open source and technically free, but you have to buy a hosting plan to install WordPress on your own web host and purchase a domain name.

If you’re serious about blogging, you need to set up your blog on a firm foundation.

3. Choose a Domain Name

When choosing a custom domain name for your blog, consider using these three strategies:

Name the audience. The simplest way is tocall out the audience in the domain name. (Examples: SmartShopper.com, FashionDesign.com, AFineParent.com)

Name the topic. (MakingJewelry.com, EasyCasseroles.com, PaleoHacks.com)

Name the benefit. (BeABetterWriter.com, BeABetterPainter.com, Woodworking.com)


Use these strategies to make a list of 10-20 domain names. Use a blog name generator tool like NameStation to get many ideas at once.

Once you’ve decided on a name, use Namecheap’s Beast Mode to check availability.

Give yourself a few days to a week to make a decision.

4. Get Web Hosting

You pay a small fee to keep your website online, handle all your visitors, provide customer support, back up your website, manage the security of your website, etc.

Although website hosting costs money, a good bit comes along with it.

It’s possible to get blog hosting and a registered domain from the same place, but it’s not recommended because if you ever decide to switch to a different web hosting company, the process can be complicated. You can save yourself future headaches by keeping your domain registrar and blog host separate.

You can do a Google search to compare and determine the best web hosting for your needs.

Once you have your web hosting set up, you need to use a registrar like NameCheap to register your domain.

5. Install WordPress

Now that your domain and web host are connected, it’s time to install WordPress. It’s not complicated.

These days most hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installation.

To log into your WordPress dashboard use your favorite browser and go to WordPress login URL by appending /wp-admin (or /admin or /login or /wp-login) to the end of your domain name.

Examples:

yourdomain.com/wp-admin

www.yourdomain.com/admin

yourdomain.com/login

www.yourdomain.com/wp-login

You’ll be taken to your WordPress login page.

Enter the username and password you created earlier.

Click Log In.

6. Choose a WordPress Theme to Design Your Blog

Don’t get bogged in details. Focus on making your site functional. You can always make changes later.

Content is the important thing to focus on.

Enter the username and password you created earlier.

Click Log In.

Your theme is the design of your website and dictates how your blog looks to the world.

If you want a free WordPress theme, choose Astra (https://wpastra.com/?bsf=2922&campaign=how-to-start-a-blog).

If you want a premium blog theme, choose Astra Pro which has an advanced page builder that lets you customize your design.

Choose the theme that best fits your needs and situation and download and install it.

First way: To install a free theme from WordPress.org:

Enter a theme name or a chosen feature (Example: “minimalist”) in the Search themes… field
Click the Install button


Second way: If you want to install a WordPress theme you downloaded from a third party, click the Upload Theme button and:

Click the Choose File button
Find the third-party theme you downloaded to your computer (Example: premium-theme.zip) and select it
Click the Install Now button


To activate a WordPress Theme

Immediately after installing your WordPress theme, you’ll be given the option to “Activate” or “Preview” it.

If you want to publish the theme immediately to your website, click the Activate button. If not

1. In the left-hand navigation pane, go to Appearance
2. Choose Themes


Then you’ll see every theme you’ve installed and the default “themes” that are automatically installed by WordPress. Find the theme you want to use and click the Activate button.

You’re done.

Now your new blog design is visible to the world but not yet ready.

You need to adjust its functionality by installing a few WordPress plugins.

7. Install WordPress Plugins

WordPress is filled with features, and plugins offer even more.

There are thousands of free and third-party plugins—virtually a plugin for everything. There are specific types or categories you need, but there’s no such thing as an essential plugin.

There are six types of plugins you need to install.

1. Performance Plugins
2. Security Plugins
3. Backup Plugins
4. SEO Plugins
5. Social Sharing Plugins
6. Email List Building Plugins


You need a good performance optimization plugin to “cache” your content so it loads faster. If your blog is slow, your readers will bounce and Google will rank you lower in search engine results.

For a performance plugin, WP Super Cache is simple, maintained by the company behind WordPress, Automattic, and it’s free.

You can easily protect your site with the security plugin iThemes Security which has a one-click setup wizard. The cost is free, and there’s also a pro version with extra features.

UpdraftPlus strikes a good balance between features, flexibility, and ease of use. It has a 4.8 out of 5.0 rating on the WordPress plugin repository, and it’s actively updated by its developers.

There’s a free and a $70 pro version.

For SEO Yoast SEO is the gold standard of WordPress SEO plugins. It has both free and premium versions. The free version offers everything you need.

Social Warfare doesn’t slow down your website and offers unique features like “Click to Tweet” boxes and Pinterest-specific images and infographics.

The free version has all the basics you’ll need, and the pro version is only $29 annually.

Use Convert Pro to turn blog traffic into leads so you can continue to engage with them.

You can get it for free or pay $99 annually or $399 for a lifetime license.

To activate a WordPress plugin you can click the Activate button that appears immediately after you install it or:

1. In the left-hand navigation pane, go to Plugins
2. Choose Installed Plugins
3. Find your plugin and click Activate

8. Blog Set up and SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

If you want to start a blog that brings in traffic or if you want to drive your content to page one of Google, you have to learn SEO.

To guarantee search engines like Google and Bing can find your blog, make sure the following are unchecked:

1. In the left-hand navigation pane of your WordPress dashboard, hover over Settings
2. Click Reading
3. Confirm “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is unchecked

Create an XML Sitemap (and Submit Your Sitemap to Search Engines)

“A sitemap is a file where you provide information about the pages, videos, and other files on your site, and the relationships between them. Search engines like Google read this file to crawl your site more efficiently. A sitemap tells search engines which pages and files you think are important in your site, and also provides valuable information about these files. For example, when the page was last updated and any alternate language versions of the page.”

A sitemap helps confirm Google can discover the new content you create, when your blog is new and has few external links pointing to it.

To create an XML Sitemap using the Yoast SEO plugin recommended earlier:

1. In the left-hand navigation pane of your WordPress dashboard, hover over SEO
2. Click General
3. Click the Features tab
4. Scroll down to the XML sitemaps option and make sure the switch is toggled to On

Now you have an XML sitemap for your blog. Next give it to Google, Bing, and other search engines.

Before leaving the Yoast SEO plugin, copy the URL of your sitemap:

1. Click the question mark icon next to XML sitemaps
2. Click the See the XML sitemap link

Your sitemap will open in a new tab in your browser.

Copy the URL in the address bar and save it.

The steps for submitting your sitemap are different from search engine to search engine.

Here are the most popular ones:

To submit your sitemap to Google Search Console

1. Go to Google Search Console and sign in using your Google account
2. In the left-hand pane, select your website

If you haven’t added your website to Google Search Console, you’ll need to click “Add property” and follow the steps provided before continuing below.

3. Under Index, click the Sitemaps option
4. In the Add a new sitemap section, enter the URL you saved earlier and click Submit


Bing Webmaster Tools

1. Log into Bing Webmaster Tools. Create an account if you haven’t done so.
2. Under the My Sites section, click your website

If you haven’t added your website to Bing Webmaster Tools, enter your blog’s URL in the Add a Site section and click the ADD button.

That’s it.

You’ve submitted your sitemap successfully to Google and Bing.

Permalinks structure


WordPress sets the links on your blog to the following format by default:

yourdomain.com/?p=123

No one knows why, but you need to update this link structure before you publish ANY content.

Here’s how:

1. In the left-hand navigation pane, hover over Settings
2. Click Permalinks
3. Under Common Settings, set the option to Post name


Install an SSL Certificate so Your URL Begins with https Instead of http. Here’s why:

Readers will know your website is safe
Your website will be safe thanks to the encryption of readers’ sensitive data and personal info
Google sees it as a ranking signal, which means not having an SSL certificate will hurt your content’s rankings in search results.

How to Install an SSL Certificate

Log into your account
Click the Go to cPanel button
In the Security section, click Let’s Encrypt
Select your domain name, choose the Let’s Encrypt SSL option, and click the Install button

A few moments later, your SSL certificate will be up and running!

9. Your First Blog Post

To start your blog post in WordPress

1. In the left-hand pane of your WordPress dashboard, hover over Posts
2. Click Add New


You’ll be able to add a post title— aka headline, write your post, choose your category, tweak HTML and CSS, add free stock photos, etc.

The steps are alike for adding a new blog page in WordPress, an About page, a Contact page, etc.:

1. In the left-hand pane of your dashboard, go to Pages
2. Click Add New

For detailed instructions on how to navigate the classic content editor, WordPress offers a detailed support article.


10. Boost Traffic, Promote Blog, and Master Social Media

You should spend as much time promoting your posts as you do writing them. Preferably, you’ll spend more time promoting than writing them.

Here are 4 Tips for promoting your posts

1. Focus on one Social Platform, as There are too Many out There.
For now, pick only one. As there are only so many hours in a day.

2. Avoid These Traffic Mistakes That are a Waste for Beginners.

a. Commenting on Popular Blogs
b. Submitting Your Site to Directories
c. Trying to go Viral on Redditt, Hacker News, etc.
d. Paying for a Unique Design

3. Reach out to Influencers to Make Powerful Friends.

4. Pay for Facebook Ads

Wait until you have a solid foundation in place like reaching 1,000 email subscribers and you have traffic rolling in. Then consider supercharging your efforts by learning the ins and outs of Facebook’s ad network.

11. Build Your List

Get started now with building your email list. Start building it on day one!

Whether you’re just starting out or you’re an email marketing pro, there are numerous email marketing services available to meet your needs. You can go to Google and check and compare services and pricing.

12. Make Money

When you’re just starting out, whatever you do, DO NOT cover your blog in Google Adsense, because:

1. Blog ads pay peanuts
2. They distract your readers
3. They make your blog look sleazy and cheap

The best monetization method for bloggers is to build an audience that trusts them and then offer high-quality products or services that will genuinely help that audience.

Affiliate Marketing helps with this process by:

letting you introduce your readers to a product or service from a trusted source
Your readers looking at the product/or service, deciding if it will help them, and purchasing it
You earning a commission on the sales

With affiliate marketing you win in multiple ways. You help your audience, you earn money, and — most importantly — you learn what types of products and services your audience buys.


This article covers a lot but it’s only a beginning. Besides these twelve steps to starting a successful blog, there’s so much more you’ll learn as you go along.

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

In the pre-Google days of the internet, search engines like Yahoo and Alta Vista were dominant players and their search results were 100% based on the content on a webpage.

Then came Google.

Google’s now-famous algorithm changed the game. Google looked at how many people linked to that page instead of simply analyzing the content of the page.

Almost 20 years later, links remain the best way to establish the quality of a webpage. Therefore, backlinks remain Google’s go-to ranking indicator.

Because of updates like Google Penguin, Google now focuses on link quality (not just link quantity).

If the page linking to you is a PageRank powerhouse, that link will have a BIG effect on your rankings.

That’s because links from authoritative pages pass more authority (also known as PageRank) to your site.

Now, let’s continue with the reasons why link building is important for SEO.


What is the importance of backlinks?


 Link building is the system of building one-way hyperlinks (also called backlinks) to a website with the purpose of improving search engine visibility. Some common link-building strategies include content marketing, email outreach, building useful tools, broken link building, and public relations.

Content marketing played a substantial role in the development of backlink building. Webmasters started creating high-quality content that naturally drew links from other websites, instead of only focusing on acquiring backlinks.

Website owners could increase their chances of earning organic backlinks by producing informative, valuable, and shareable content.

This shift in strategy supported Google’s emphasis on user experience and the importance of providing important content to online audiences.



FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)


1. What is backlink building; Why it’s important for building authority

The process of getting links from other websites to your own is backlink building.

These links act as a vote of confidence, demonstrating to search engines that your website is authoritative and trustworthy.

Backlink building is essential for building authority. It drives organic traffic and helps improve your website’s visibility in search engine results.

2. How has backlink building evolved?

Backlink building is now more focused on quality rather than quantity. As search engines have become smarter at detecting spammy and low-quality links, it’s essential to focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites. And, the importance of relevance and context has increased, with search engines giving more weight to backlinks that come from websites in the same industry or niche.

3. What are some effective strategies for backlink building?

Important strategies for backlink building include influencer outreach, guest blogging, and creating valuable content that naturally invites backlinks. Guest blogging involves writing high-quality articles for other websites in exchange for a backlink to your site. Influencer outreach involves building relationships with influential people or brands in your industry and getting them to mention your website or link to it. Creating valuable content that naturally attracts backlinks involves producing engaging, informative, and shareable content that other websites will desire to link to.

4. Are there risks or pitfalls to avoid?

When building backlinks, there are risks and pitfalls to avoid. One common one to avoid is engaging in black hat SEO techniques, like buying or exchanging links. This can lead to penalties from search engines. It’s very important to avoid spammy link building practices, such as bulk directory submissions or comment spamming. You should focus on building natural and high-quality backlinks that add value to both your website and those websites linking to you.

5. How can I assess the quality of a potential backlink?

You can consider several factors to assess the quality of a backlink. You can first check the website’s domain authority and page authority using tools like Moz’s Domain Authority or Ahrefs’ Domain Rating. Look for websites with a higher domain authority as they are more likely to pass on effective link juice. And, consider the relevance of the website to your niche and the setting in which the link will be placed. A backlink from a highly reputable and relevant website will have a greater effect on your authority.

6. Is it better to have a few quality backlinks or lots of low-quality backlinks?

Now, it’s better to have a few high-quality backlinks than many low-quality backlinks. Search engines have become more high-tech in evaluating the quality of backlinks, and they prioritize authority and relevance. A few high-quality backlinks from reputable websites in your industry will have a more significant impact on your authority and search engine rankings than many low-quality backlinks.

7. Does it take long to see the results of backlink building?

The time can vary for seeing the results of backlink building. It depends on factors like the competitiveness of your industry, the quality of the backlinks you acquire, and the frequency of search engine crawls. Generally, it can take several weeks to months before you start seeing the impact of your backlink-building efforts. Patience and consistency are key when it comes to building authority through backlinks.

8. Can I remove or disavow bad backlinks?

You can remove or disavow bad backlinks. If you have acquired low-quality or spammy backlinks that could harm your website’s authority, it’s recommended to try removing them by contacting the website owners and requesting removal. If that fails, you can use the Google Disavow Tool to tell search engines to ignore those backlinks when evaluating your website’s authority. However, it’s important to exercise caution and only disavow links that are actually harmful.

9. Are there alternatives to backlink building for authority?

Although backlink building is a highly effective strategy for building authority, there are other methods you can consider. You can focus on creating high-quality content that attracts organic traffic and engagement. If you consistently produce valuable content and optimize it for search engines, you can build authority over time. Another way is to leverage social media platforms and engage with your audience to establish yourself as an authority in your industry.

10. Should you hire a professional for backlink building?

It can be beneficial to hire a professional for backlink building, especially if you are short on time, expertise, or resources to execute an effective backlink-building strategy. Professionals can help you identify high-quality backlink opportunities, navigate the complexities, and develop outreach strategies. However, you must choose a reputable and experienced professional or agency to ensure ethical and effective practices are followed.


Building backlinks is an ongoing process that requires a well-thought-out strategy, time, and effort.

Some important effective strategies for link building are:

1. Creating High-Quality Content


Creating high-quality content is the foundation of a successful backlink building strategy. You should focus on creating well-researched unique and valuable content that provides value to your target audience. When you do this, other websites are more likely to link to it.

2. Reaching out to influencers and industry experts

Ask influencers and industry experts in your niche to share your content or to collaborate on a project. When they link to your website, it can substantially boost your credibility and authority.

Building relationships and using personalized outreach emails with influencers can go a long way in acquiring valuable backlinks.

3. Guest Posting

Guest posting entails writing articles for other websites in your industry or niche. This lets you showcase your expertise and offer value to a new audience. Then, you can include a link back to your website within the guest post. Focus on high domain authority and relevance to your industry when choosing websites for guest posting.

Always remember that building backlinks takes patience and time. Focus on quality as opposed to quantity and always prioritize creating valuable content that people want to link to. Here, we’ve covered some of the reasons why link building is important for SEO.

Try this viral mailer that pays

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

Monotonous marketing work can be made easier with software that automates monotonous marketing tasks. You can automate repetitive undertakings such as social media postings, email marketing, and ad campaigns, as well as for personalization which offers a better customer experience.


What is marketing automation?



Marketing automation is not about selling, but nurturing.  Automation software is designed to help you order and carry out your marketing tasks in a more efficient and streamlined manner.

For a marketer that means carrying out a marketing automation system will just make you more effective. Your job won’t become irrelevant as, with manufacturing processes. It will free up some of your time, will not compromise the authenticity of content you’re producing, and help you reach your goals faster.

The ultimate goal of your marketing is to generate more income. To do this, you need to drive traffic to your website, convert that traffic into leads, and turn those leads into customers.


How do you use marketing automation?


Today, thousands of marketers send blast emails, over and over, to their entire list of customers and prospects, hoping the message resonates with some of them at least and gets them to make a purchase. There’s no way to tell if this works.

The reality of the situation is this:

1. You’re wasting your time and money marketing to someone who may not be interested in what you have to offer.

2. You could be annoying your contacts and causing them to bow out leaving you with no way to market to them in the future.


That doesn’t seem to be an effective marketing program, to me. With marketing automation, you can nurture your leads through the entire buying process and deliver highly targeted, personalized messages that speak to their specific barriers to purchasing.


Here’s an example of what a basic automated email workflow could look like:

Step 1. Send an email invitation for a download of your latest ebook to a targeted list of contacts

Step 2. Send a thank you note to all the people who downloaded the offer

Step 3. A few days later, send a follow-up email to the list of people who downloaded your ebook and offer them a case study relating to that topic

Step 4. After someone downloads that case study, you or your sales team will get a notification so you can follow up with that person. This person is now much more qualified and is likely farther down the buying process.


Now, putting yourself in your prospect’s shoes, receiving information from a company about their products/services, wouldn’t you rather get emails like the ones above over blasts you can tell they’re sending to thousands of other people? This feels personalized and tailored to you and how you’re interacting with that person or company. You’d be more likely to trust them and ultimately, more likely to buy.

There you are! You’re driving revenue for your company with an automated system.


The foundation of marketing automation is to provide you, as a marketer, the ability to target your contacts and send them content that is based on their behavior. They’re getting the information they need when they want it and you’re making their buyer decision easier. As a result, your conversion rates (and revenue) will increase.

Now that you know what marketing automation is, don’t just automate your current process without revisiting your goals.

Don’t let marketing automation lead you to execute strategies that you know don’t make sense for your customers or prospects. Don’t stop listening to what your customers need or are asking us for.


Here are some do’s and don’ts


Now that you know what marketing automation is, here are a few tips as you think about implementing a new platform into your process.

DO integrate marketing automation with your inbound marketing strategy (inbound is about delivering valuable content that aligns with your customer’s needs and interests.) This shouldn’t change when you start using marketing automation. It should enhance communication, as you can provide the content they need at the exact time that they need it.

DON’T blast or broadcast general messages that will just be deleted or end up marked as spam because they’re irrelevant.

DO send highly-targeted and specific content to a narrower audience.


Provide content that people are looking for. If someone has downloaded a piece of content and really loved what they read, the next email should be related and delve deeper into that topic,  as opposed to something completely different.

DON’T forget about your customers

Don’t become so focused on generating income that you forget your current customers; the people who already have an affinity for what you are offering and most likely want to buy more.

DO set up customer engagement campaigns to please your current customers and keep them coming back for more.


Nurture your current relationships by sending segmented, customer-only content, that will educate and encourage them to continue to come back to you for thought leadership and expertise.

Now, let’s wrap it all up.

Marketing automation is all about nurturing not selling. Avoid the hard-sell approach in favor of content that is personalized, relevant, and that aligns with what our customers and prospects are looking for. The process is made easier by implementing marketing automation software. We can quickly map the entire process back to our marketing goals.

Marketing automation helps streamline your process and gives you greater insights into what your visitors and leads are doing. You can quickly find what content they’re downloading, how they are responding to your emails, and how they’re moving through the sales funnel. You can monitor each step of the way, monitor and measure how the marketing automation system you have in place is performing, and find where you might need to make tweaks to get better results.

So, explore your options and find a platform that gives you flexibility, and a proven track record to help you reach your marketing goals, and discover why you should use marketing automation for your business.


Get Your Business System With Autoresponder Here

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

The last post was a review of Beginner Blogger Mistakes (Part 1). This covers the remaining mistakes to avoid which include tying specific posts to the larger picture, writing style, relying on the conceptual, plagiarism, etc.



You can read it here:

Get Your Business System With Autoresponder Here

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

When people actually try to blog, they find out that it’s not so easy. There are those who think bloggers just sit at home all day on the internet writing.

There are some common mistakes most beginners make that can be avoided.


Read More Here



Get Your Business System With Autoresponder Here

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

This is a great time for you as an entrepreneur to consider starting your own home business.

Due to the rise of digital technology, there are many more opportunities than ever before to launch a successful business from your home. There are plenty of home businesses to choose from, whether you want to build a full-time career or are just looking for some extra income. Your choice ranges from online tutoring and freelance writing to selling products on Etsy and drop shipping. So, should you run a business from home? In this article, you’ll find answers to some questions you may have and information you need to get started.


CONSIDER THESE FACTORS BEFORE STARTING A HOME BUSINESS

1. Is there enough space?


Before launching your business, you have to know how much space you need to operate and flourish. You absolutely must maintain a separation between your business and your personal living space.

You can make your choice in one of two ways. First, check out your living space and see if there’s a place for boundaries to create a work area that is free of distractions.

Do you have a spare bedroom, study, or a quiet corner off your living room that you can use?

The second choice is to make a list of the materials and equipment you’ll need. If you can imagine putting new printers, monitors, cables, wires, mic stands, and boxes in this workspace, then go for it.

If not, you might want to consider renting a small workspace. That would be an added cost, however, a separation between business and personal living space is of utmost importance.

To avoid frustration, keep a buffer between your work area and where you rest. You don’t want your business activities to disrupt the flow of how you live and relax.


2. Is a special license required?

Before starting a home business, you should check with your attorney who can ask you important questions regarding how you’ll operate and the types of services or products you’ll offer.

If you need inventory or machinery, you might need special licenses or certificates.

Before you purchase any materials, inventory, or equipment, talk with your attorney and local government officials.

Although there will be a fee, it will be much less than the frustration and headaches of fixing mistakes after your business is moving along. It’s best to ask for advice first rather than start your business and have to shut it down later.


3. Is permission required?

You may need to get permission to operate your home business if you live in an apartment building or your home is part of a homeowner association. Read your lease or check with your landlord before altering your apartment to suit your business.

Check with your board president or the association’s attorney.

If you’ll have clients or customers visiting your business, there could be parking challenges, or if your business creates any excess noise or disturbance it will probably upset your neighbors.


4. Is there a need for special equipment?

If you start a home business in the pet care, catering, or retail area you may need special equipment.

You’ll need a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection. If you need machines, bulky items, or containers, be sure they’ll fit in your living space, your furniture is protected, and your family is safe.

Otherwise, consider renting an office or commercial space.


5. Do you have the right business strategy?

Create your business strategy before deciding to buy equipment, build a website, and market your brand.

Consider the following:

In which area will you participate?

What distinctive skills or abilities do you have to compete?

Which customers will need your solutions?

How will you set apart your business from your competition?


It’s vital you craft your strategy FIRST and your plan SECOND.

Your business strategy needs to find and fix 1 BIG problem.

Once you have your strategy, you can then develop a plan to carry it out.

You can begin to work on your website, marketing message, pricing strategy and the tech part.

Decide on your social media strategy and decide which platforms will work best for your ideal customer profile; TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, or Instagram.


What are the benefits of starting a home business?

Starting a home business can be a very rewarding experience. If you have the right planning and dedication, you can have a steady source of income and a lot of flexibility.


The following are some benefits of starting a home business:

1. Low Start-Up Costs

Compared to traditional businesses, the start-up costs are minimal. Therefore, as an entrepreneur, it’s easier to get your business off the ground without having to invest a lot of money upfront.

2. Flexibility

When you work from home, you can set your own hours and work when it’s convenient. This can be especially beneficial if you have family commitments or other responsibilities that make it difficult to commit to a regular 9-5 job.

3. Tax Benefits

Your home business is eligible for certain tax deductions which can help reduce your overall tax burden.

4. Increased Productivity

When you work from home, there are fewer distractions and interruptions which can increase productivity. You can focus on the tasks at hand and get more done in less time.

5. Personal Satisfaction

Starting a business from home can give you a sense of personal satisfaction, a sense of pride, and accomplishment as you’ve created something from nothing.


What are the pros and cons of starting a home business?


Pros:

1. Low Overhead Costs

It’s easier for entrepreneurs to get their businesses started, as most of the equipment and supplies needed can be purchased or rented at low cost which saves you from having to invest large sums of money.

2. Flexible Hours

Working from home allows you to set your own hours and work at your convenience. This is especially beneficial if you have a family or other commitments that prevent you from working a traditional 9-5 job.

3. Tax Benefits

Your home business is eligible for certain tax benefits that can reduce your overall taxes.



Cons:

1. Limited Resources

Unlike larger companies, home businesses often lack marketing budgets, experienced employees, and access to capital.

2. Isolation

In a traditional office setting, there is lots of interaction with colleagues. As an entrepreneur working from home, you may not have this level of interaction.

3. Distractions

There are often more distractions than in a traditional office setting. It can be difficult to focus on tasks and complete projects on time.



How to Balance Work and Family Life While Running a Home Business

1. Set Boundaries

Set clear boundaries between work life and family life. Set specific hours for work and family time. Also, designate certain areas of your home for each activity.

2. Prioritize

Be sure to prioritize your family over the business. You need to take time off to spend with your family and be sure you are present during important events.

3. Schedule Breaks

To be sure you’re not overworking, schedule regular breaks throughout the day. This ensures you stay focused and productive and will also allow you to spend quality time with your family.

4. Utilize Technology

To make your life easier, take advantage of technology. You can use tools like online calendars, video conferencing, and task management software to simplify your workflow and increase efficiency.

5. Outsource

To free up more time for you to focus on your family and other parts of your life, consider outsourcing non-essential business tasks.


So, should you run a business from home?

Running a business from your home can be a great way to become your own boss and attain financial freedom. Nevertheless, it’s most important to carefully weigh the pros and cons before making the decision to start a business from your home.

With the right strategy and a plan in place, you can successfully balance your work and family life and achieve success.


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by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

You may have dreams of becoming an entrepreneur and owning your own business, which is great. Just remember that it takes time, patience, and persistence. The process may seem bewildering. The first thing you need to do is brainstorm some ideas.

Do some thorough market research in areas that interest you. Explore whether or not there’s a need for the product or service you choose. Will it solve a problem better than the current available options? Is there a potential to fill gaps in the marketplace? Once you’ve made your choice, write out a business plan.

You should start small and expand later. There will be some startup costs, so be sure you have income and or savings set aside to get you through to the-making-profits phase. Do this by overestimating needed startup capital, carefully watching your expenses, and considering your funding options.

If you’re not planning to run a one-person business, you’ll want a solid, top-notch principled team. Look for the best people for your team.

Once you’re all set up, you need to aggressively advertise your product/service. Get an attractive logo that helps people identify your label and place it on all platforms across the internet including social media. Interact with your potential customers through follow-ups with promotions and discounts or just with free quality information related to the goal or purpose of your website. These are some things to be concerned about when starting a home business.


What should you consider before starting a business?

You should focus on your business journey and not compare your success to anyone else. You need to get into the right mindset. It takes consistency, follow-up routines, and laying out steps to achieve your goals.

Consider the following:

Determining your business concept

Scaling your business

Financing

Where do you prefer to work; a workshop or an office

Time to devote to your business

Your passions and interests

Your expertise or skills

The kind of support needed to start a business

Partnering with someone

Whether a franchise model makes more sense to you

Selling information rather than a product



Once you’ve decided what your business will be, you’ll need to get it up and running. You can do this by setting up a blog as your place of operation online.

You’ll need to choose a domain name and a blogging platform for your blog as well as a hosting company.

Now you’re ready to go.

Here are some ideas for a start.



What are some pitfalls of working from home?

Here are some things to be concerned about when starting a home business:

Remaining Focused

Some people are expert multi-taskers. If you’re not one of them, you need to devise a more formally structured day like in a traditional office setting.

You should have a dedicated office area, if possible, one with a door or a corner just for work or use a café for an hour a day so that when you go there your brain signals it’s time to work.

Keeping Boundaries

Although working from home has its flexibility, remember how easily time can be snatched away from your workday. Remember your work is as real as any traditional office job. Set up a schedule for hours and breaks.

Working Too Much

With any job, there is always more to do. If you’re serious about working from home for the long term, you’ll need time away from the computer and the stress of work for this lifestyle to be sustainable.

Feeling Isolated

You’ll need to create social interactions. You can:

Schedule lunch or breakfast get-togethers.

Use online social networks such as Facebook or Twitter as your virtual “water cooler” during the day.

Use Skype, phone calls, or chat instead of email.

Get involved with networking groups or local meetups.

Spend some time working in shared office spaces.


In conclusion, launching a home business can be exciting, although the real challenge is to keep it going. Work with established brands, come up with ideas, experiment, don’t be afraid to fail, be open to feedback, and network with others. All of these are things to be concerned about when starting a home business.


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by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

Although you may not know the term “affiliate marketing,” it’s probably something you’ve seen in your online browsing. It’s a method of marketing involving a website (or several sites) promoting products and services for other companies and earning a commission through a referral system.

In the digital world, affiliate marketing has gained significant attention as a profitable business model for both companies and individuals. You have the opportunity to earn passive income for every successful sale, in the form of commissions, by promoting products and services.

Check out this site for statistics for affiliate marketing in 2023 and beyond.

Affiliate marketing is one of the most powerful digital channels for those looking to reach their target audiences and drive growth. You need to stay ahead of the game and prepare for the future, as technology evolves.

As more businesses embrace it as an essential part of their digital strategies, affiliate marketing will dynamically shift over the next few years.

Expect to see consumer behavior rapidly change in the future, due to increasing demand for personalization which could have major implications for affiliate marketing strategies. Brands will have to design their campaigns and offers according to this new reality.

New technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and predictive analytics (PA) will play a more significant role in assisting businesses with the optimization of their affiliate campaigns for the greatest effectiveness.


Is affiliate marketing still profitable?

Affiliate marketing is very profitable. With the rise of e-commerce and online platforms, numerous opportunities have opened up for affiliates to make income by promoting products and receiving commissions.

If affiliates focus on effective marketing strategies, good quality content, and target relevant audiences, they can continue to produce sizeable profits with affiliate marketing.

Following are six factors that make affiliate marketing profitable:

1. Niche Selection

To be successful you must choose the right niche; one that has a high demand for products/services and a large target audience. You can do thorough market research to identify untapped niche potential using tools like Google Trends, Amazon Best Sellers, and niche-specific forums.

2. Building Trust

Your audience must know, like, and trust you and perceive you as an authority in your niche, and trust your recommendations. Create high-quality content, with value, that establishes your expertise. You can engage with your audience through social media, blog comments, and email newsletters. To build trust with your audience, be transparent and authentic.

3. Strategic Promotion

The key to maximizing your affiliate marketing profits is effective promotion. Tailor your promotional strategies to your audience’s preferences and behaviors. To reach your audience effectively, leverage diverse channels such as content marketing, SEO, social media, and email marketing. To optimize your efforts, test different promotional methods and track the results.

4. Diversifying Income Streams

Although affiliate programs can be a profitable source of income, diversification of income streams can improve your profitability. Think about other monetization methods such as display advertising, sponsored content, digital products, and creating products or services of your own. Diversification can help protect your income and lessen any possible risk.

5. Adapting to Market Trends

Your affiliate marketing strategies should evolve just as the digital landscape is constantly evolving. Stay up to date with industry developments, consumer preferences, and the latest market trends. You can position yourself for long-term profitability, in the affiliate marketing world, by adapting to change and staying ahead of the game.

6. Consistency and Persistence

Success with affiliate marketing doesn’t happen overnight. You must be persistent and put in effort. Keep focused on your goals at all times. Over time, your efforts will pay off if you keep learning, experimenting, and perfecting your strategies.



What are the potential earning opportunities in affiliate marketing?

If you’re committed and put in the effort, affiliate marketing offers an abundance of opportunities. If you want a side hustle to make money or build a full-time online business, then affiliate marketing can be a good career option.


Here are some potential earning opportunities.

Commission-Based Earnings

As an affiliate, you earn money (a commission) for each successful referral or sale you make through your unique affiliate link. Commission rates vary from a small percentage of the product’s price to a fixed amount per sale, depending on the affiliate program and the niche you’re in.

High-commission Products

Some niches offer high-commission products or services. These usually have a higher price tag which results in greater commission payouts. They can include high-end technology, luxury goods, or premium services and lead to higher earnings per sale. Recognizing these types of products in your niche can substantially impact your overall earnings.

Recurring Commissions

There are affiliate programs that offer recurring commissions and are known as passive income streams. They provide affiliates with commissions on the initial sale and on subsequent recurring payments made by the referred customer. These programs provide affiliates with a commission not just on the initial sale but also on subsequent recurring payments made by the referred customer. These include membership sites, software-as-a-service (SaaS) products, and subscription-based services, to name a few. These are big moneymakers. Developing a customer base that keeps up their subscriptions can result in a steady flow of recurring commissions.

Affiliate Networks and Aggregators

Affiliate networks and aggregators act as intermediaries between affiliates and advertisers. These platforms bring together a wide range of affiliate programs from different brands and companies. Joining such networks allows you to access multiple affiliate programs, expand your product offerings, and potentially increase your earnings. Popular affiliate networks include Amazon Associates, ShareASale

, and CJ Affiliate.

Multi-Tier Affiliate Programs

An additional earning opportunity is multi-tier affiliate programs. With these, you can earn commissions on your own sales and on the sales from others (sub-affiliates) that you refer to the program.

Sponsored Content Collaborations

As your business grows, you may be presented with the opportunity to collaborate with companies and brands on sponsored content. Sponsored content is about getting paid to display products or services through various channels like media posts, blog posts, social media, videos, and more.

Display Advertising

When you’ve gained significant traffic on your blog or website, you can use display advertising to monetize it. Google AdSense is a great platform for this. You can place their ads on your site, and earn money every time someone clicks on them. Although display advertising will not be your primary focus for your affiliate marketing business, it can complement your affiliate earnings and generate passive income.

Digital Products and Courses

When you become an authority in your niche, you can design your own digital products and sell them. These can include online courses, e-books, video tutorials, or other educational content. When you sell your own products, the full profit is yours without sharing commissions with affiliate programs, potentially increasing your income.

Influencer Marketing and Brand Partnerships

As your online presence grows, you could draw the attention of brands looking for influencers to promote their products and services. These partnerships can lead to product reviews, sponsored posts, or brand ambassadorship. Collaborating in this way can open up more earning prospects because you can negotiate compensation based on your influence and reach.

Scaling and Expansion

Scaling and expanding your business is one of the exciting phases of your affiliate marketing business.

While you’re gaining experience, optimize your strategies, and develop a loyal audience. Then you can duplicate your success in different niches or target different geographical markets.

Scaling your affiliate marketing business allows you to increase your earnings and reach a broader audience.

Affiliate marketing is very profitable and becoming more so all the time. I hope this article gives you a glimpse of what’s in the future for affiliate marketing.


Get Your Business System With Autoresponder Here

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

If you’re marketing online, you see daily advertising for MLMs. You may be thinking about signing up for one of the programs.

So, what are the recent shifts in MLM?

There are low-cost products, a simple recruiting system, and a high percentage of affiliate products.

Although pyramid schemes resemble MLMs, MLM is a legitimate money-making business model. So, what are the differences?


Pyramid Schemes vs. MLM

Both operate with the same structure, although it comes down to sales versus recruitment in the compensation plan.

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) states that MLM will pay you based on your sales to retail customers, without having to recruit new distributors. A pyramid scheme relies on the continuous recruitment of dues-paying members to keep afloat, even if members are required to continue buying the products they may not be able to sell.

After doing your due diligence, you might want to consider other ways to bring in income instead.



What is MLM?


MLM (Multi-level marketing), also known as direct selling and network marketing, is a business model for selling products directly to purchasers using independent sales representatives.

Usually, MLMs have a detailed compensation plan that outlines exactly how these upline and downline relationships work and how distributors get compensated. These plans explain recruiting and sales commissions, and they define requirements members must meet to be eligible for compensation. These are usually expressed in minimum sales targets and numbers of new recruits.

There are hundreds of the old MLM companies still around and many people are still making money from them. That’s because they signed up when those were startups, within the first two or three years after they launched.


So, again, what are the recent shifts in MLM? Check out the current best MLMs.



What are the current best MLMs?


If you want to go ahead with MLM, the following are touted as the best five new companies for 2023-2024.


1. LIVEGOOD

LiveGood is one of the fastest growing. Their products include CBD supplements, dietary supplements, and beauty products.


2. APL GO

They carry lozenges and drops with propriety health benefits. It is a Acumullit SA technology that is revolutionizing the wellness industry.

For motivation, they have travels, promotions and motivating events, technology that is one of a kind and exclusive for their products, six options for starting your business, and 15 kinds of bonuses.

They also have 24/7 support and a step-by-step plan and a nice website, webinars, videos, etc.


3. PAWTREE

Although Paw Tree which has been around since 2018, got off to a slow start, it has been making up time.

They obviously offer pet supplies for cats and dogs. There’s a full line of supplies plus supplements.


4. IX GLOBAL

This is a learning-based MLM. They are leveraging today’s most addictive trends such as health, productivity, fitness, spirituality, etc.

You get training, from the top experts in the area that most interests you, from brilliant minds who know how to encourage and impact. You’ll see speakers from all different global stages.


5. IGENIUS

This MLM is about financial markets and investing practices. You’ll get an education and tools for cryptocurrency equity and forex markets. There’s live training and market research provided by experts and it’s easy to follow along.

You should just watch this one for two or three years before jumping into this network marketing business.



In summary, research indicates that older MLMs are not so profitable and not the way to go.

When considering an MLM company, remember the low-cost products, simple recruiting systems, and the high percentage of affiliate products in recent MLMs.

Most importantly, you should get in during the first 2-3 years.



Before getting into MLM, explore your own strengths and what needed service you can provide to others. There are inexpensive ways to start and you can create a very sustainable and ethical income avenue without the headache of a garage full of products you can’t get rid of.

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