Month: March 2026

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Internet Marketing Tips; Position your Brand

Internet Marketing Tips; Position your Brand

Internet Marketing Tips; Positioning your brand is the process of finding an unfulfilled need in your customer’s mind and filling it with your brand.

Internet Marketing Tips; Find a position of your own

Find an unfulfilled need and fill it… kind of like ‘finding an itch and scratching it.’ Specialize in some aspect of your business and either create a new product or service or just do it differently than all of your competitors. In other words, create your own niche market. Kind of like discovering an all-new solution; like an invention. Or you can transform an established solution; i.e. computers to laptops or books to eReaders.

Internet Marketing Tips: Figure out what you do better than anyone else

What is your Unique Selling Proposition, or Point of Difference
Deciding which customers you serve best
Avoid copying someone else, find your own position by filling an unfilled need.

Internet Marketing Tips: Write a positioning statement

Include the following;
1. Name of your company or product
2. Your business description
3. A summary of your point of difference
4. Your customer profile

EXAMPLE: “Lynn Albro, Marketing Specialist, uses simple SEO and Social networking techniques to assist  small business owners with the goal of leveling the playing field by working smarter, not harder.”

Ask yourself these questions…

1. Is your positioning statement believable
2. Is it consistent with what your prospects and clients believe to be true about you
3. Can you consistently deliver the distinct attributes stated in the positioning statement
4. Can you package and deliver your point of difference consistently

Thank you for reading these Internet Marketing Tips. We look forward to your questions and comments, feel free to add your thoughts in the box below.

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Internet Marketing Tips; 1st Step in Branding, Research the Market

1st Step in Branding, Research the Market

Internet Marketing Tips; Branding is about consumer
beliefs and perceptions, research your product and
the market in which you will compete.

Branding marketing is the process of developing consumer beliefs and perceptions that are accurate and in alignment with what you want your brand to be. Early on in the process of Branding your business, research everything there is to know about your product and the market in which you will compete.

Branding 1st Step: Market Research

Internet Marketing Tip: Focus on contact signals

    • Think about where are your product or service inquiries coming from (or may come from); emails, phone calls, social networking sites.
    • Ask yourself which of your marketing contacts work and which don’t; email, social networking, direct marketing.
    • Follow up with your prospects or clients and find out what and where they purchased your product or service

Internet Marketing Tip: Think about Why Customers Buy from You

    • What does your product or service does best, and how do you do it differently than anybody else?
    • Thinking about clients that buy your product or service, what do they buy the most often.
    • What aspect of your business (products or services) gets the most attention from the buying public, your prospects, and/or your clients.
    • Think about what services you could offer or promise that your competitors don’t

Internet Marketing Tip: Sell what people are buying

    • Start with keyword research to find out what keywords your target market is using to find your product or service.
    • Research what types of web pages or websites your target market is visiting.
    • Determine what types of marketing materials your target market responds to.
    • In your business, what products or services are selling consistently to your target market?

Internet Marketing Tip: Research your competitors, industry organizations and networks

    • Visit the web pages of your competitors, check out their demographics
    • Search organizations that serve your industry; statistics, geographics, demographics
    • Join industry networks, groups, forums

Whether you are getting ready to start a new business, or just want to improve and update the brand of the business you are already conducting, it is always a good idea to research your market. After you have gathered all of this information, you can make informed decisions about how to move forward branding your business.

Thank you for reading these Internet Marketing Tips. We look forward to your questions and comments, feel free to add your thoughts in the box below

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Internet Marketing Tips; Creating fresh content often is beneficial

nternet Marketing Tips

Internet Marketing Tips; Learning how to create interesting and relevant content will benefit your internet marketing efforts in so many ways.

Internet Marketing Tip: Create new content every day.

Before Internet Marketing, the content was created only when a company needed for a specific application or project.

Today, however, it’s an Internet Marketers goal to a constant flow of content…

    • The kind of content that your visitors feel compelled to share at their social networks
    • The kind of content that your visitors will link to at their blogs
    • The kind of content that your visitors want to subscribe to.

These days Internet Marketers create a constant flow of new content; blog posts, videos, eBooks, social networking status updates, direct messages, comments, and email messages to name a few.

Internet Marketing Tip: Content benefits the internet marketer in so many ways

    • Drives traffic to their websites,
    • Improves search engine rankings,
    • Engages prospects,
    • It helps nurture leads.

However, coming up with a constant flow of new content takes a lot of time and can be overwhelming.

And, if you stop producing content (at least once a week), your Internet Marketing efforts will suffer. In a nutshell… if you stop creating new content, you run the risk of turning off a major source of new traffic and leads.

To be a successful internet marketer you need to learn how to create marketing content that provides your prospects (and clients) with relevant information (that they really need)… that is interesting and so remarkable that they will feel compelled to share your content with their friends and colleagues.

Thank you for reading these Internet Marketing Tips. We look forward to your questions and comments, feel free to add your thoughts in the box below. 

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Just in Time Tax Tips for 2025

Just in Time Tax Tips for 2025It is currently March 2026, meaning you are likely finalizing your 2025 tax return due by April 15. The “One Big, Beautiful Bill” (OBBBA) passed in 2025 introduced several new last-minute opportunities.

1. New “Above-the-Line” Deductions

You can claim these even if you take the Standard Deduction ($15,750 single / $31,500 joint):

*No Tax on Tips: Deduct up to $25,000 in qualified tip income.
*No Tax on Overtime: Deduct the “extra half” of time-and-a-half pay, up to $12,500 ($25,000 for joint filers).
*Car Loan Interest: Deduct up to $10,000 in interest on loans for new, U.S.-assembled personal vehicles.
*Senior Deduction: Filers 65+ can claim an additional $6,000 deduction.

2. Retirement & Savings Deadlines

You have until April 15, 2026, to fund these for the 2025 tax year:

*IRA Contributions: Up to $7,000 ($8,000 if age 50+).
*HSA Contributions: Up to $4,300 for individuals or $8,550 for families.

3. Key Credits & Changes
*Child Tax Credit: Increased to $2,200 per child for 2025.
*SALT Cap: If itemizing, the State and Local Tax deduction cap jumped from $10,000 to $40,000.

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Internet Marketing Tips; Determine what sets you apart from the competition

Determine what sets you apart from the competition

Internet Marketing Tip; Determine what sets you apart or distinguishes you from other small business owners offering the same product or service.

Internet Marketing Tip: Define your Unique Selling Position (USP).

In other words, what do you bring to the table that is different or distinguishes you from every other small business owner offering the same, or similar products and/or services?

Without clearly defining and communicating these distinctions, your prospects and clients basically view your product or service as chosen for its availability or low price. The distinction comes from providing values and attributes that your prospects and clients can only receive when they buy your product or work with your business.

Internet Marketing Tip: Determine what sets you apart from the competition:

  • Find something true about yourself, your business, or your product that either defines or differentiates you from all of your competition.
  • There are unique benefits (or value) that your prospects or clients receive only when they work with you, your business, or your product.
  • Reinforce your United Selling Position (USP) every single time your prospect or client encounters your name, your business or your product.

When you know what makes you unique, you know what set of skills that you bring to the table that distinguishes you from your competition.

Whether you are selling real estate, shoes, or the newest software, you have a set of skills… maybe even a unique way of solving problems, that you use to sell that product or service.

Instead of trying to please all of the people all of the time, focus on pleasing some of the people – a defined segment of the market – in an extraordinary way due to the set of skills that you use to close the sale.

Thank you for reading these Internet Marketing Tips. We look forward to your questions and comments, feel free to add your thoughts in the box below. 

Image: Canva Pro

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Internet Marketing Tips; Schedule Marketing Time and Maximize that Time

Schedule Marketing Time and Maximize that Time

Many of us know we need to market our business and our intentions are good, however, we just never get around to market our products or services on a consistent basis. We get busy conducting the day-to-day operations of our business (and our lives), and suddenly we realize that we are about to run out of business.

So, we get back on track… for a time, and market are business. And after a while we get busy, too busy to market. Over and over again we repeat this cycle and because of this, there is no consistency to our business.

Internet Marketing Tip: Schedule Time for Marketing

Remember the 80/20 rule: 80% of your sales are a result of 20% of your time spent on marketing efforts. What this means is – if you work a 40 hour week, then 20% of your time, or 8 hours, needs to be spent on marketing activities

Schedule time for marketing. Block out times on your calendar that you can devote to marketing activities.

  • 1 day a week, either the beginning of the week or the end.
  • 2 days a week, like Tuesday and Thursday-4 hours each day.
  • 4 days a week, like Monday through Thursday-2 hours each day.

NOTE: If you have to reschedule that time, block those hours out on your calendar in another place.

Internet Marketing Tip: Maximize your Marketing Time

a) If you want leads

  • Write an eBook and offer it for free
  • Write relevant blogs that support your target market
  • Offer Newsletter Subscriptions
  • Set up a Facebook Business Page that provides relevant information for your target market
  • Advertise on Facebook for LIKES for that Business Page
  • Engage in conversations at Social Media sites: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, etc.

b) If you want to build marketing lists

  • Getting business cards from people at networking events
  • Hosting a booth, Sign-Up sheet
  • Setting up a lead capture system at website
  • Invite social networks to free event

c) If you want to establish yourself as an expert

  • Offer free informational booklets
  • Offer free webinars or seminars
  • Organize a free meet-up
  • Offer to do free presentations at meet-ups
  • Blog on relevant subjects

Thank you for reading these Internet Marketing Tips. We look forward to your questions and comments, feel free to add your thoughts in the box below.

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Internet Marketing Tips; Build a Sales Funnel to Promote a Business

Build a Sales Funnel to Promote a Business

Internet Marketing Tips; “People do business with people they know and trust” – the goal of sales funnel marketing is all about building trust.

 

A ‘Sales Funnel‘ is a simple visualization tool that shows how your sales cycle works for every prospect or sales opportunity. The metaphor of a funnel, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, helps us to define and monitor the sales process.

Whether you are selling real estate or widgets, if you have a sales or marketing plan, you have a sales funnel in place. Whenever a potential prospect meets you at an event, exchanges business cards with you, or access your website, they have entered your ‘sales funnel‘.

Once they have entered your ‘sales funnel’ you now have a chance to build trust through your contacts that person. If the impression is positive they will begin to move your ‘sales funnel‘.

All potential prospects can be divided into categories based on where they are in the ‘sales funnel‘ system;

  • Potentially Interested
  • Informed prospects
  • Interested prospects
  • Highly Interested prospects
  • Clients that purchase your product or service.

How do you get prospects into the top of the funnel? By prospecting them and making a positive impression on them. Whether you prospect from you website, social networking or ‘farming’ a geographical area, prospecting in and of itself is an ongoing process.

Once a prospect is in your sales funnel, you need to keep in touch with those people and start building a relationship of trust in order to draw them through the sales funnel from potential prospect to client.

You’ve heard the saying – “People do business with people they know and trust” – the goal of sales funnel marketing is all about building trust.

Thank you for reading these Internet Marketing Tips. We look forward to your questions and comments, feel free to add your thoughts in the box below.

Image: Canva Pro

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Internet Marketing Tips; Reach out to your target market

Internet Marketing Tips; Reach out to your target market

Internet Marketing Tips; Reach out to your target market using many marketing tools – Direct Marketing, Social Networking and Email Marketing.

 

Set up a top 100 prospects file

    • Prospects that need your services and are going to buy this year (contact 1 x a week)

Set up Contact files;

    • Prospects that need your services, but have put the decision on hold (contact 2 x a month)
    • Prospects that are not going to need your services anytime soon, but you would still like to keep your name in front of them
    • Clients that have purchased and you need to keep your name in front of them.
    • Colleagues that you may refer business to.

Internet Marketing Tip: Network locally and online

Attend local meetings where these people are likely to be

    • Collect business cards
    • Send direct mail
    • Visit in person

Invite people that fit into your target market to be friends, followers & connections

    • Provide valuable, interesting content that appeals to these people

Join online Groups, ‘like’ pages, get involved in forums, and question & Get involved in the discussions

    • Answer questions at LinkedIn and Quora
    • Post valuable and interesting content
    • Join networks where your target market hangs out.

Set up your own Groups and Pages

Internet Marketing Tip: Email marketing is a powerful marketing tool

    1. Contact every one of your contacts at least once a month with a newsletter
    2. Send out links to relevant and interesting information you find on the internet
    3. Send out links to your new blog content
    4. Share videos
    5. Set up a free informational product, and have that information automatically emailed to a contact list on a regular basis.

Thank you for reading these Internet Marketing Tips. We look forward to your questions and comments, feel free to add your thoughts in the box below. 

 

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Internet Marketing Ideas; GET SALES

Internet Marketing Ideas; GET SALES

Years ago, I memorized the acronym GET SALES for a women’s clothing store management position. The idea was treat each letter as a part of the sales process. So when the customer walked in the store, first I would greet, then engage in conversation, mentions the sales, show and suggest clothing articles…and so on.

In fact, we were warned that the corporate office would be sending in professional shoppers who would report on our performance, so it was important not to leave out one letter of the acronym.

These days I’ve been giving a lot of thought to GET SALES and how this marketing idea would work to help real estate agents and small business people marketing their businesses in social networking. And, so here it is…

Greet every friend, follower, contact or connection. Send a personal message that invites interaction to your social networking contacts. This activity is always a good real estate marketing idea.

Engage in conversation – asking questions about their business, interests or hobbies is always an important real estate marketing idea. Get to know your social networking connections first, share your business only when asked.

Tell your story and establish your credibility. Do that in such a way that it is entertaining to your social networking contacts and explains what you do and why you do it.

Share, Comment and Like, be generous in your interaction with your social networking contacts. Give, give and then give some more.

Ask a series of questions – How did you get into this line of business? What is the biggest challenge you have in your business? Describe your ideal client? What makes you unique?

Lead Capture, collecting names, addresses, phone numbers and emails from the social networking contacts in your target market is always a good real estate marketing idea.

Establish marketing campaign using drip marketing techniques, and then follow through with telemarketing, direct mail and email.

Share your knowledge and expertise for FREE, without expecting anything in return from your social networking connections. Free referrals, Free eBooks, free webinars and podcasts are always great real estate marketing ideas.

These days people are so jaded that they don’t react well when sales people are ‘selling’ to them. In fact, don’t ‘sell’ until someone asks your services. In the end, if you are consistently incorporating each of the above GET SALES activities into your internet marketing ideas you will win social networking connections and establish yourself as someone people can trust in your industry.