Do you remember where you were when Lonelygirl15 was exposed as a hoax? Perhaps the revelation was not quite worthy of such importance, but it is the case that millions of people were not only wondering, but, more importantly, watching- for months on end. Was this one of the most successful attempts at viral marketing in history, and if so, what was being marketed? First, a little back ground for those who haven't been connected to the Internet or exposed to mass media in the...

How do you come out a winner when the bad press you get is national and it's all over the Internet in 24 hours? A winner is someone like Kyra Phillips, CNN anchor who accidentally took a microphone into the bathroom and then went on David Letterman to redeem herself. Her reaction was on a scale with the bad press she got: national. No matter where the bad press comes from, from the local paper to the national media, you can come out a winner if you adopt a transparen...

The biggest companies want to sell their products and services on the Internet. One of the best ways to market their products and services online is by offering a commission to website owners. This is done by setting up an affiliate program where webmasters can pick up the links to offers and promote them on their web sites in exchange for affiliate commissions for each sale made. Webmasters have many ways to promote these affiliate offers - on websites, by email, with pay...

Step 1: Research, Research, Research. There are so may different Network Marketing companies out there these days that it is very important that you do a lot of research before you jump right in. The last thing that you want to have happen is find yourself broke in a company that isn?t going anywhere. When doing your research there are a few very important things that you need to look at. One of them is the marketability of your network marketing company. You want a com...

This is a story about an entrepreneurial woman - an old friend of mine who 19 years ago was just another soul looking for something of her own. It all started with her first 5 customers... "You know Kim, when I was first approached about this business, I had been looking for something of my own for a few years already. Back then, my husband was a carpenter, and I wanted to do something, too. I had started an aerobics studio, a hair salon, and then a dog grooming kennel. Th...

New series: Profile of a leader who's building long term, not short term: #1 - Donna Johnson, Arbonne's top banana. Last month, I did an interview with Donna Larson Johnson, the top earner at Arbonne International. Many people know that Arbonne has been growing by leaps and bounds for the past couple of years. So what's to worry about? Donna (and corporate) were worried about a few loud and visible recruiter types who had invaded the distributor ranks to ride the compa...

So, you can't get people to buy your product or service? Before you go forward another minute with your business, ask yourself: Would you use your product/service if you were not selling it, yes or no? Be honest with yourself. If yes, ask for and find people in the right niche - those who feel like you do already or who know those sorts - like looking for a tennis partner in a new town. If not, look for a product line or service to market that you DO love and that...

So said my friend as we walked by an overweight street musician crying in the street last evening, surrounded by a few folks putting money in her box. On my daily runs for the past year, I pass by a very large woman who plays clarinet in her chair on the sidewalk. One night last week, I walked by this gal with a friend, plus my friend's 10 year-old niece. We three got about 15 feet past her, and suddenly we heard someone burst into tears. I turned and saw the woman just...

Here are a few openers reps gave us in class. No results so far, they reported. "Would you like to know about the dangers of EMFs?" "My Arbonne products are just amazing! Can I show them to you?" "I have just found this unbelievable Enfuselle, and you really must try it!" Anyone going, "Oh wow, I'd like to hear more!" yet? Other people do not care about our the names of our company, our products, or our fancy scientific techno-babble. They want to hear words sp...

"Every time I come home from the gym, my husband is waiting for me and goes, 'Well did you talk to anyone about the business?' It's getting to the point where I don't want to go to the gym anymore. I don't want to accost people there, I just want to work out. I don't know what to do, really. I've told him I don't want to talk about the business at the gym, but he's waiting to ask me each time I come home. I'm thinking of just quitting the business. I hate this. What sho...