Elijah, Author at The At Home Couple

20 Questions With A.J. From AffiliateJustice.com

As you guys know, I’ve been kicking some serious ass on the forums in the last few months – and like blogging, you meet some pretty inspiring people when cruising around.

One day, no different than any other, I was floating around the WarriorForum checking out some article prices, studying the latest sales copy from popular WSO’s and pretty much clicking anything that caught my attention (this was during some free time I had).

I came across a pretty awesome post by a chap named A.J. who gave a lengthy overview on the importance of value in any sales transaction or business relationship – and it really caught my attention. With that being said, you know I didn’t hesitate to compliment the great information and add my own 2 cents (which turned into $1.37) in hopes of sparking the existing thread into higher conversation.

Shortly after, I received a PM from A.J. saying that he read my reply and was very impressed by my use of the English language and wanted to know if I was interested in letting him do a guest post on the most awesome blog on the Internet, this one of course. I replied with “that’s sounds great, but…. you must agree to be my next 20 questions victim, because my regular readers won’t open arms to some random guest post – as it’s never been done before! If they can get to know you first, which they will after reading your interview, than they will have your back 100% when you put forth a super useful guest post – and if you suck, they will mail you flaming bags of dog poop.”

Anyways, that’s the backdrop on how A.J. and I hooked up! He’s an awesome chap from the U.K. who is making some serious moves in the world of affiliate marketing with he upcoming ninja launch AffiliateJustice.com – and as many of us still struggle to find that groove with affiliate based marketing, I thought it would be amazing to introduce you guys to A.J. rather than keeping all his knowledge and connections to myself.

Without further ado I give you 20 Questions With A.J. from AffiliateJustice.com:

1. Who are you and what do you do?

I’m AJ and I am an affiliate marketer and web publisher, which came about from me messing around and trying to make money online. I was always trying to make money as a school kid and even started a real offline design business when I was around 17 – I didn’t know a thing and only ever had 2 clients – it was a huge flop. Today, it’s 11 years later and things are very different, thankfully.

2. In 37,693 words or less describe how you made your first profit on the Internet.

Unlike many other people I know, I actually got started off with making good money online by selling my own product, and not as an affiliate. It was around 2002, and I was still trying to re-live a piece of my childhood and was looking for a rare street fighter game. I asked around on a few forums and was pointed towards someone who was selling it on eBay. And that’s where I became involved with selling stuff online.

I would buy dvd’s from a discount website and people would buy them at full price on eBay. I’d make a tiny profit on each sale, and I’d be working my ass off, keeping track of orders and running to the post office every day etc. But I did it because I needed the money.

At the same time I noticed people selling information about how to receive free electrical promo items.

I had no idea that such a thing existed. So I bought a few of the products and I realised that they were pretty much selling the same type of information – but it was sketchy and the buyer needed to do a lot of the work themselves.

So I decided to do some research and put together my own package and sell it onwards. This was in the days when eBay used a payment service called BillPoint, and Paypal was a competitor. I started making more and more sales and putting up more and more auctions. Before I knew it, I was making a full time salary while working 1 hour a day from home, whilst still attending uni. I put my uni on hold though, to concentrate on my business, and I haven’t gone back. I hope I do one day though.

3. I’ve noticed that you have a good reputation in the Warrior Forum. Through your experience, what would you say is the stupidest thing/thread you’ve ever read?

The thing with forums is that you have to be very careful about who you take advice from. It’s important to remember that forums are public places and yes, there are many people that can give amazing advice. But at the same time, the majority of people are probably learners and non-do’ers. And when you are new and getting advice from an armchair theorist who’s never been out there doing it for real, it can be a massive problem, because you’re basically getting crappy advice.

One of the stupidest things I keep reading is about how affiliate marketing is a big waste and it’s much better to have your own products. There’s a lot more to having your own product then people think. You’ve got the customer service, the website creation, the sales copy, the sales funnel, the promo materials, the marketing, the constant tweaking of all the above AND you have to spend ages making a product that is really good as well. I know this first hand because I actually have products on sale, and I only get involved when I know I can provide the user with something really useful – with zero theory.

Affiliate marketing is much more simpler – bish bash bosh. You can be in multiple markets and be doing well within 30 days. And the earnings are unlimited – you can always make more money by finding a new promo, instead of being tied to a single product and wondering how you can sell more of it.

4. Give me a brief description of your home office?

My home office is actually fairly simple and messy as I’m just realising, as I look around right now! The first thing you’d notice is that I have a dual screen set up because I find it’s more productive for me. I also have a stack of books and manuals I’ve collected over the years, which I am always referring to. And a few 4 inch batman figurines which I use as paper weights. I also have an apple which I’ve been meaning to eat. Oh, I also see my goal list for 2009 on my desk. This is a stack of 5 sticky notes which have my top 5 goals for 2009 on them. Setting goals is really important I think.

5. Have you ever blogged naked?

Hmmn. Probably. Or if not, it’s fairly regular for me to be shaving in the bathroom and have an idea that I can use in my business. So I am always running out of the bathroom in my boxer shorts and jumping in to my computer seat to type away frantically, so I don’t forget the idea I’ve just had! Haha! I know it sounds really stupid, but people who are around me simply ignore it, because I’m just one of these crazy guys who does random stuff like that!

6. If you could have 15 minutes with any successful businessman, woman, or celebrity animal, who would it be and why?

Well I once went to Disneyland and had my picture taken with Mickey Mouse – he was real nice. Does that count!?!

When it comes to business, I like Michael Masterson and the stuff he talks about. The guy has clearly been through a lot in business and knows what you need to do in order for a business to be successful.

7. Early bird, evening owl, or midnight stalker?

Oh man, I’m a midnight stalker going into early bird hours. This is not a joke, the past few days, I’ve been up til 6am and 7am, working through the night. Sometimes if I’m on a roll then I just let it out. I’ll sit here editing the sales funnel and configuring the testing software so that while I’m sleeping a particular site will be receiving traffic and creating results. Then when I wake up, I can see the results straight away. If I wait till the next morning to set up the tracking, then I wont be getting any results while I’m sleeping – that’s how I my mind works.

I think it’s a lot easier for me to do stuff like this though, because I work from home full time and I’m always out partying late on the weekends, so it fits in with my body schedule. If I had a full time job I’d never be able to pull a stunt like that, so I’m actually really thankful.

8. Do you own any vinyl records? If so, which album is your favorite?

To be completely honest with you, I have only ever owned one vinyl record in my entire life. And even that one was a free promo, which I got off a cereal box. It was that teenage mutant ninja turtle song with ya kid k! The first ever album I bought was on tape and it was called ‘Simpsons sing the Blues’ and cost me (or should I say my dad) about $16! How embarrassing!

9. In your opinion, name 3 tools, services or bribery methods that are necessary to becoming successful at affiliate marketing.

Okay, well first of all, it’s really important to stand out as an affiliate. If there’s 20 people all promoting the exact same thing, and you’re person number 21, why should I buy with you instead of someone else? That’s a very important issue to overcome, from the get go, and I actually focus on this inside Affiliate Justice. For example, today many people offer a bonus or a bribe to get someone to buy through their affiliate link. And that’s all good, but there are ways in which you can take that even further. You can extract the value from the bonus you provide and actually gear it more towards the main product you’re promoting. The better you are at this, the more products you’ll sell and the more money you’ll make.

Another important area is when using PPC, don’t only focus on Google. Yes they might provide you with more volume but Google doesn’t always provide the best quality buyer. Test with other search engines. Even if you only use Yahoo and MSN, at least give it a try and then keep an eye on your profits, and which keywords are profitable for you. And if you’re not using ppc, at least track to see where people are coming from, and how much they are worth to you.

Finally, remember that ROI is not the most important statistic – profit is. A lot of people make this mistake and end up focusing all their energy on promoting the wrong statistic. I would rather spend $50 to make a profit of $50 and have a decent ROI instead of spending $1 to make $10 and have an insanely high ROI. Sure a high ROI is nice to have, but in the example I just gave you, $50 is more cash – a larger profit. You can do more with $50 instead of $10. Yes, I understand it’s different if you don’t have $50 to start with. But in that case you simply make $10 5 times, and then work on the $50 model!

To me, there is nothing more important then the amount of actual real full dollars you can return. The more the merrier!

10. When’s the last time you ate cheese whiz?

I live in the UK, and actually had to look up what cheese whiz was! We don’t really get over here but we have something similar which is a cheese spread called Dairylea. The last time I ate that was like a year or two ago – it’s been ages.

11. Did your mom ever cut your hair as a kid? My mother destroyed mine.

Yes even worse – both my mum and my dad cut my hair together, with some electric clippers. I can remember them, partly being in shock and partly finding it hilarious because of how uneven my hair was.

12. When it comes to making money online, do you believe in magic buttons?

I don’t believe in magic buttons, but there are certain frameworks and certain tactics that I know will work for sure and will generate affiliate commissions. I actually give one of these away on the Affiliate Justice homepage because I wanted people to benefit from a real affiliate tactic, even if they just visited the page. The reason I know this is a working affiliate tactic is because I use them myself. And that’s the type of stuff I’m about – real working material with zero theory.

13. Robin Williams, Robin Leech or Batman and Robin?

Batman rocks, ever since I was a kid. Like I said earlier, I have Batman stuff in my home office. I actually was interested in buying a 6ft high version of a carving, but it wasn’t in the style I like. In case anyone is wondering, the style I really like is the Batman ‘Hush’.

14. How important is value with regards to attracting customers online?

Value is number one. There is nothing more important than value and that goes whether you are an affiliate market, a product owner, a graphic designer or anyone who wants money. The amount of value you provide and the number of people you provide it to, is directly related to how much money you have in your bank account. The more value you provide, the more money you will have. Think about rich people you know of or even famous rich people, and you’ll see what I mean.

15. To be, or not to be. Is that really the question?

No. The real question today, is think about who you want to be, then think about how you would be that person, then do what the person would do and hey presto, you’ve become the person you wanted to be!

16. What are some of your absolute favorite affiliate networks right now?

I usually work with Clickbank because they are a network providing digital products, which means the percent of commission which you earn is very high compared to physical goods.

I also have a deal with a private UK clearing house, which provides loans and debt management services for people in the UK. This is huge are for experienced players, and you can make a lot of money by only being a small fish.

I have also set up private deals with product owners where I will buy an item from them and see what their services like. If it’s a decent product and they are a good company, then I will e-mail them and tell them what I do, and then ask them if they are interested in more sales. Of course they will reply and say yes, and I will set up a deal with them. I have also taken a regular product, then positioned it as a premium product and sold it for more money than the original company does (where the company drop ships the item for me and sends all invoices to me).

If you have a little imagination, you can do anything you want to.

17. In 676 words or less explain why most people fail to generate profits online.

Most people are just not expecting to get kicked in the mouth as many times as they will. Yes, I understand it’s not a nice experience to get kicked around online and mess things up, but it will happen, and when it does you have to learn to live with the temporary discomfort until you get it right. Not a lot of people want to do it, but the will to keep on going will get you anything you want in life, in most cases (I’m talking a better body, dates with the hottest girls and all the good stuff and more)!

18. Do you think eating dirt as a child will cause any serious side effects later on in life?

I certainly hope not, because I have it on good authority from my mother that when she used to leave me alone as a kid in the garden, she would come back to find me with a mouthful of mud, and crap from the grass all in my hands. When I asked what she used to do about it, she laughed and said ‘I used to beat you up’!

19. Star Wars or Spaceballs?

Spaceballs all the way. I’d rather laugh then do anything else – always. Ok well almost always…

20. Why did you accept this interview?

Because I thought it would be fun – and it has been! I’ve actually laughed out loud when putting together some of these answers! You didn’t come across as a boring type of guy, and when you said this wouldn’t be any old interview; I wanted to do it even more!

And the other reason is thought it would be nice for people to see a different side of me. I’m usually talking about marketing or affiliate marketing and generally a lot of business and profit related stuff. So I hope that this interview today, has let you see a different side of me, and lets you know that I’m just a regular guy, who wakes up late, has a messy office and a crazy sense of humour. Believe me when I tell you, if I can make it in affiliate marketing, you can DEFINITELY make it in affiliate marketing.

Hearts, Farts and Shopping Carts

Yes yes.. another month gone, another Paypal balance transferred. I hope everything has been productive for you guys and gals in 2009 – I’ve been doing my best to keep busy and remain afloat in this massive Internet ocean. As you’ve been noticing I’m starting to get back in the groove with regards to posting and keeping fresh content for the search engines – and in actuality, I post because I like to hear from you guys (as you’ve probably noticed I don’t do tutorial type posts anymore).

I think the biggest obstacle was figuring out how I can shift my objectives while still expressing myself in a fashionable manner. Making money online is no longer a mystery to me, but rather a daily task which I absolutely love doing.

Hearts…

So Valentines day is approaching, and if you haven’t already, it’s time to get some of that seasonal affiliate money, right? I dunno.. I find I’m more motivated if I treat everyday like it’s a special occasion to make money online. Sure, people’s online shopping frequency may increase over Valentine’s day – but it’s one day, one month and one shot.

I’m definitely considering running a few ads that will funnel traffic to some CPA offers like Nintendo Wii, iPhone and other popular gifts desired by the women we love. Let’s face it guys, we do most of the shopping on Valentines day – so if you are thinking of running a few campaigns or promoting a particular product, be sure you’re targeting the male audience. If you’re great a targeting niche markets, then I would say fuck the male market and really snipe the female shoppers, because most big time players are probably targeting the male audience – which means there’s less competition towards the female purchasing traffic.

Here’s an idea: Create a little one page website with a poll that collects information regarding “what do you want for Valentines day?” and advertise the page via your facebook, twitter, etc.. You could pretty much gather results and have your campaigns pointed out to you. Hmmm.. That really wouldn’t take much to put together. Good job Elijah – Thanks Elijah, you’re so smart – Aww, thanks man. I really appreciate it.

What do you guys have planned for the Valentines day traffic?

Farts…

Veronica and I have severely shifted our diet to consist of 99% organic goods – and it feels amazing! Physically, I noticed a decrease in the “bloated” look of my face/gut within the first week. It’s now been 2 months, and I wake up feeling energized almost every morning – and that is something that I never felt before.

Along side eating all organic, we’ve stopped purchasing meat and dairy products, but we’re not necessarily vegan – let me explain: I could never go straight vegan or vegetarian because I love meat. Steak, chicken wings, steak, um.. steak… I could never give up the pleasure I get from the combination of a bbq, a steak and a cold beer. What we’ve done though is stopped purchasing meat and dairy products, so it will never be found in our own fridge. If I’m over at a friends, or we’re out at my favorite steakhouse, then you better believe I’m treating myself – but that is the keyword. It’s a treat, not a daily consumption.

We decided this based on many obvious factors such as the chemical preservatives, steroids, and other variables that are in the meats served to the general public, as well as the sheer brutality of how the animals are kept and killed in the processing plants.. it’s like something out of a horror movie – and we just couldn’t bare with the thought of purchasing and eating something that was gutted alive while hanging upside down by it’s ankles on a zip line.

Anyways.. I wanted to comment as I’m sure a few of you are of the vegetarian/vegan/organic persuasion: eating well makes you fart like a hell storm! Not that Veronica and I ever had problems letting it rip before (quite the opposite) but it seems to be more regular and often now that our diet has shifted – which is awesome because it’s free laughs!

I guess the body needs to detox and rid itself of all the crap built up from the years of digesting chemically processed shit. Also, we found this awesome company located here in Toronto that delivers our organic produce weekly to our door for $35! They’re called FrontDoorOrganics, and they provide organic food delivery – everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to organic shampoo, soap, condiments.. pretty much everything you would need. Sweet!

Shopping Carts…

I’m in the final stages of completing NicheOnDemand.com – which will be serving as my home base for niche website services etc.. Feel free to check it out and give me some feedback! Anyways, I need to implement some sort of shopping cart element into the site, and want something a little more diverse than a Paypal button. I’ve heard of e-junkie and a few others… Do you guys have any suggestions based on your own personal experiences? I need something that gives me the ability to track, provide receipts emails to clients etc.. You know what I’m talking about.

So, what do you guys think based on what it is that I’m doing?

Cheers,

Elijah

Music And Making Money Online

It should be of no surprise to all you crazy kids that I am a child of music – I mean I sang a song for you guys! I was fortunate to be born from two families that are very inclined when it comes to music; my father is a multi-instrumentalist, all his brothers and sisters play instruments and/or sing. My grandma is killer with the maracas, and my mom is, well, my mom! So needless to say, since I was able to speak I’ve been singing and once I had the hand/eye coordination in my middle school years, I began to play any and every instrument I could get my hands on.

Music evokes emotion. In it’s truest form it is harnessed and expressed through moments of praise and inspiration – and I’m not necessarily talking about religion. Music moves people from the side of rooms into the middle and makes them act like idiots. Music apparently causes people to wear trench coats and shoot up their schools, because clearly it has nothing to do with parenting. There would be no film industry without music as I’m sure staring at moving images in silence wouldn’t have lasted – the entire horror genre would be non existent because it is the sound accompaniment which creates the sense of impending doom.

What does this have to do with making money online?

Well, let’s think about this for a second… You’re having a bad day and nothing is going as expected. No matter what you do you can’t concentrate on the task at hand – whether it be finishing an ebook that you’re writing, or doing some more link building for your latest affiliate driven review site. In an attempt to shake off the dissatisfaction you get up from the computer and start pacing around your home, with your thoughts moving a mile a minute – and this is obviously not helping.

When you’re in this state of mind there is no point working at all. It’s better to pack it up and call it a day, because without the right state of mind and focus on what your doing, the results will not be optimal.

The cure: listen to your favorite song!

Personally, I have music playing in the background all day while I work. I don’t have it blasting at 11 on the volume meter (spinal tap?) but I do have my speakers set to a nice listening level where it is not distracting, so I can still absorb the vibe and good feeling while increasing my productivity. I create a play list to typically last 1-2 hours and when it’s done I’ll create another depending on my current mood.

If you don’t typically listen to music while you work, this could be even more effective for you because once you feel yourself getting off track or loosing your groove – close whatever windows you have open and find that favorite song. Let that song play and allow yourself to feel the goosebumps forming. Take a deep breath and sing/hum along. Close your eyes and pay attention to the lyrics so you can subconsciously translate them into your current state of being. I can almost guarantee that after listening to a few of your favorite songs, you will go back to the task at hand with a clear mind and a better sense of what needs to be accomplished – and you WILL get it done!

Remember – music evokes emotion. Happy, sad, mad, etc… Use the power of music to change your mood and remind yourself that it can be used strategically to accomplish exactly that. One could even go as far as creating play lists for various situations i.e. a “tight deadline” play list which energizes you fills you with excitement at the challenge ahead. A “creative” play list which sparks your mental palate while working in Photoshop or Illustrator. A “brainstorming” play list when you feel an idea coming on and you need to map your thoughts.

Here’s a little taste of what I listen to depending on what I’m doing (keeping in mind that my music taste is extremely broad:

Jazz (Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Bob James) – Usually when I’m building sites for flipping. I find the varying tempo and chord progressions keep my momentum going, while the pleasing tone of piano, sax/trumpet and contra bass prevent me from getting ahead of myself.
Hip Hop (De La Soul, Talib Kweli, Common) – I typically have consciously-driven hip hop playing during the mid-day afternoon. After I eat lunch I get a wave of tiredness, and this is easily combated by the grooving percussion and rhythmic lyricism of my favorite hip hop tracks. Sometime’s I listen to my own music as well.
Heavy Metal (Metallica, Killswitch Engage, Tool) – I’ll sometimes have a few beers while I’m putting in hours on the weekend, and nothing blends better than alcohol and hard rock. I find I come up with the most genious ideas while getting drunk and listening to people scream. I’m dead serious.
Funk/Soul/Big Band (Frank Sinatra, Lou Rawls, Willie Hutch) – The raw aspect of live instrumentation from the 60’s to the early 80’s accompanied by the unbelieveable vocal stylings of the greats always brighten my mood. Soul music can take me from thoughts of burning my computers and crushing my dreams to regrouping and appreciating what I have – rather than what I don’t have yet.
Pop (Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson) – Pop music makes me feel good. I’ll usually put on some up tempo tracks when Veronica comes home from work, so neither of us have the time to engage the thoughts of dissatisfaction and stress.
80’s Retro (Hall and Oates, Journey, Madonna) – We absolutely love 80’s pop! I guess it’s because it was playing all the time when we were children, and we absorbed the nostalgic elements which satisfy us now as adults. We rock out to retro on weekends.

What kind of music moves you guys and gals? I’d love to know!

Cheers,

Elijah

Less Talk, Less Love, More Money!

So the other day I felt the urge to leave a little “cheap shot” remark on SuiteJ’s most recent post. It went something along the lines of “you bastards don’t comment anymore” and I was openly speaking to all my previous regulars who haven’t given me the light of day, but had no problem showing ol Big Head some love – even though he posts less than I do! It’s all good though – I’m not bitter at all. But you guys definitely know I’m the type who is quick to hit the “potty mouth” button in the middle of a investment bankers conference if that means I’ll get some attention and a free portfolio analysis. I cleverly made a statement, and it paid off because I got both SuiteJ and Neal from Nota Bene Consulting to hop on over and increase the comment count on my last post to beyond 4.

Updates and stuff…

Since 2009 has started, I’ve been battling this invisible force of poor task management. I find I’m getting easily distracted, and I can’t blame it on blogging this time. Despite my distractions, I’ve managed to make some great progress this month, especially in the networking and site flipping departments. Here are a few goals that I set which I have accomplished thus far:

I wanted to flip 8 sites this month, and as it stands now I’ve sold one, with two auctions currently live, and two more auctions going live before the end of the weekend. Providing they all sell (which they will) I have to develop 3 more sites in the next 15 days. Easy peasy.
I wanted to have an exclusive partnership with an uber-talented freelance writer to outsource my content for site flips and various other niche projects I have lined up this year. After a few emails to my Big Headed mentor, I’ve now been working side by side with one of the coolest, most talented writers I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. His name is Chris. He is 26, and has been making a full-time living online for the last 5 years via freelance writing, affiliate marketing and blogging. If you would like to learn more about how to make a living as a freelance writer, he’s got a pretty sweet course available over at ChrisBlogging.com. This guy is a fucking machine when it comes to cranking out keyword rich, unique articles – I love it!
I obviously set some goals regarding marketing and networking in the popular Internet marketing forums, and I’ve successfully stuck to a regiment, slowly increasing my presence and thread count. On the networking end, I read a really cool thread by this cat named AJ who’s been making a killing with affiliate marketing blah blah blah… but let me tell you something, this dude is the real deal! What led me towards him was his focus on presenting value to the buyer, and how important of a role that plays – as well as how so many people over look it when trying to get the sale. Anyways, rather than linking to the thread, we ended up connecting and I’m going to have him do a guest post, as well as he agreed to become my next “20 questions with…” victim! I’m definitely keeping an eye on this dude – he’s got a new membership site coming out that looks sick! I’ll keep you guys posted.
I’ve started my first ebook, and yes, it will be on site flipping. I’m so sick of all these garbage-ass site flip products that keep coming out.. for real, 90% of them only cover the basics, and to be honest, it’s not enough to help a complete newbie make $3000/month as they claim. Not even close. My ebook is going to be dead simple. I am basically writing from start to finish my exact process of creating a site within 8-12 hours and cashing out between $200-$300 profit. I learned this process from a crackhead with a lap top who sleeps behind a Jewish church by my apartment – and I’m going to be sharing it with the world. Quality, not quantity – that is how you make real money of flipping websites.

Anyways, I think that’s about it for today. I hope nobody comments on this so I can prove my point that once you stop commenting on other peoples blogs, they stop caring about you. And once you stop posting, they stop reading. And once you start making money, people start hating you.

IM KIDDING!! Man, you guys haven’t learned yet! I absolutely dig each and every one of you people.. and It’s a good thing that I’m not seeing you guys around as much because that can only mean one thing – you’re being productive elsewhere! And that right there makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside – kind of like when I stick my hand down my pants.

Cheers,

Elijah

Why You Should Start Fondling The Forums

Over the last month I’ve been frequenting a handful of Internet marketing/webmaster forums, not only for the valuable information provided by their members, but also as a means of building authority and gaining a following. I never understood why, but many aspiring marketers overlook the power of having “authority” status on popular, niche related forums. I know people who make a huge portion of their online income selling products and services via Internet marketing forums, like the infamous Warrior Forum.

Each forum is a community, much like a blog, with it’s own lingo, rules and rituals. People post threads and people comment. People agree and disagree. It is not unheard of to see digital debates continue for 60 comments amongst 10-20 people, and guess what? Within these arguments and threads lays the true grit and concern of potential niche information seekers.

Start studying some threads and you’ll see what I mean…

To be perfectly honest, it’s almost ridiculous how receptive these forums can be – essentially you establish yourself as being a contributing member by posting useful comments, you then start posting a few threads which is no different than posting on your blog, and once you have around 100 posts (which includes comments and threads) you start marketing your own info products, services and techniques.

Once you’ve achieved the status of being reliable and providing value within the community, you can pretty much bank on the fact that when you post up a thread with your latest report, service or method that people will eat it up – and I’m not embellishing this one bit. With the forum monkeys following your every move, you can write a report that might take you 5 or 6 hours, post up a thread with some clever sales copy selling it for $7-10 and cash out several hundred dollars in a matter of days. This is not a joke!

So where do I start?

First, you need to get rid of the notion that online forums are intimidating and uninviting – this is the furthest thing from the truth. Yes, if you’re an idiot and post up a thread asking the community to TELL you their profitable niches, you will get your ass fried in a heart beat, and believe me, it will happen so fast and so fierce that you’ll end up in a corner, sucking your thumb in fetal position.

With that being said, here are some tips to help you get started:

Choose your user name wisely – Just like you would with a domain name, you don’t want to have a user name that says “noob” or “masturbation magician” because as time passes and you become more reputable, your name will not change. Choose a name that represents you strength, personality and or brand. You can find me on most forums as TheAtHomeCouple – genius, right?
Complete your forum profile – Most online forums provide a “profile” section where you can put a little blurb about yourself, a picture, choose your avatar, and add your social bookmarking/networking/website links. Do not overlook the power of your forum profile – when you post comments that are useful, leave a controversial comment, or outright assassinate someones credibility like a ninja in the midnight mist, people WILL check your profile to leave you a private message or find out how the heck YOU are.
You must have a signature link – For those of you who are not familiar, and signature link in a forum is no different than a signature link in your personal email. When you leave a comment or post a new thread, there will be a section below the content to provide a url (or several) of your choice. You want to include any links or sites that you are promoting because people will click your sig link, and it is a back link to your site. Tip: If you have recently launched a product, report, or your services within the forum, include a link to that thread within your signature file with a catchy anchor text i.e. Find out how to make $100 a day within 3 weeks! Internal traffic funneling my friends!
Rules and lingo – Interaction is the heart and soul of every successful online forum. When you are new, take the time to read the forum rules and browse the threads for a few days making note of any lingo – because each forum has its own language.
Comments are king – Once you feel comfortable, start to leave useful comments on threads that you enjoyed. Do not be one of those “great thread!” people because I guarantee that you will get lost in the shuffle with zero impact. Speak your mind. If something fucking sucks, believe it or not, you need to leave a comment saying that it fucking sucks, and explain why. Forums are a lot less formal than blogs and discussion groups, so don’t be afraid to say what you feel even it it means putting someone on blast. If you found the thread resourceful, then thank them for taking the time out to share the info with you, let them know what you liked about it, and what your plans are. On the same note, if you found the thread resourceful, but felt that they left out some vital information or steps, don’t hesitate to fill in the blanks for the rest of the readers to benefit from – this is a great way to build your rep as someone who is full of useful info!

Please, for the love of all things good, don’t brush off niche related forums as being a waste of time, because if you do you will be missing out on an opportunity to set yourself apart, earn reputation and generate some good revenue to add to your business model. Visit Google, and type in your niche/keyword+forum and you will find an endless list of communities for you to join. Start off small, posting 5 comments a day. After a few weeks you will have a solid foundation, and the position to start marketing yourself and your products to the community.

I’m going to be releasing a few secret ninja reports on a few IM forums in the next month or so, and will keep you guys updated on the progress, and the success!

Cheers,

Elijah

In The Blink Of An Eye

I have a serious problem right now. It seems that the older I get, the faster time moves. Yesterday I was 12 years old, playing hockey outside without a single care in the world. Then I blinked… And I’m 27, saying good-bye to another year with a laptop full of accomplishments and failures, ready to take on the new year like a spartan army with their back’s against the wall. I understand why time is flying by… But what can I do to slow it down? Can I slow it down? Some say it’s all about stopping to smell the roses, and taking the time to appreciate the finer things in life:

Like midgets and candle wax.

All in all, I’m in a much better place now than I was when this year started. 2008 began with Veronica, her family and myself grieving the passing of her father – who was the type of person that you only encounter every other lifetime. His death was an event that set me over the edge, plummeting towards what is most important and completely abandoning everything deemed to be secondary, without the slightest hesitation.

Not only did that moment get my ass into gear, but it also made me re-evaluate (for the 37th time) this college-to-cubicle system of work that’s been accepted by the general population – put in your 35 years of service to society, and retire, having accomplished nothing along the way. It’s legalized slave labor as far as I’m concerned. There is zero emphasis on passion and dream catching, and total focus on stability and safety. Taking risks is, well, risky – and risky will not secure your future. Show up for work on time, maintain neutrality and indifference, and when it’s time for the final vacation, you’ll be taken care of.

As the Wizard of Oz once said, “Not no way! Not no how!”

On a high note, this year has ended with me clearing my 3rd consecutive month profiting over $1000 online. I’ve positioned myself and made my mark. I’ve met some of the most amazing people who will, without a doubt in my mind, be future business partners and vacation buddies. I’ve discovered a world of possibilities, beneath the sales hype and secrets, that will provide Veronica and I with safety and stability of a different color. A world where we determine our hours, our rewards and our shortcomings. A world where we are in control of the books…

In the blink of an eye I have become a man. A man who is leaving in an hour to sip scotch and bring in 2009 amongst the company of my successful circle. People who’s words I appreciate, and consultation I seek in times of desperation. If all of you were here, I would be celebrating with you as well – because you guys have kept me going. I’ve created this place where I can speak freely, and you crazy bastards have accepted me from the get-go! Whether your laughing with me or at me is irrelevant – but the fact that you stop by whenever you get a minute and share stories with me still blows my mind to this very day.

Word is bond…

Please take some time to think about where 2008 started for you, and where it has ended. Look towards 2009 with a pen and pad handy – and begin to sculpt your future. I strongly believe that 12 months is all it takes to go from struggling to comfortable, and with the right plan and network of people surrounding you – success will come knocking. I wish you all the best in the new year, and hope to see each and every one of you at the top!

Oh yeah, if you’re going out tonight, don’t drink and drive. If you see someone who’s getting ready to drive, take their keys and give them a pillow. Don’t be stupid, stupid!

Cheers,

Elijah