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Freelance with Copyhound

Comparing Online Opportunities

Find out which online opportunity can work for you and why

Introduction

Congratulations you've downloaded the most important tool you'll need to succeed in your online business.  This handy ebook is full of great information to guide you in whatever type of website  or online business you are beginning.  Be sure to read the book from cover to cover.

When I began my own website it was a lesson in trial and error --- mostly error. I was a real rookie when it came to the computer.  You may find yourself in my shoes or perhaps you're a seasoned computer tech but really green at knowing what verbiage to put on your website and how to sell yourself to others.

You may even be starting out as a writer and just want to become known.  On the other hand, you may already be a great writer but are technically challenged.  Believe me, I've come across all of it.  

This little ebook starts out comparing some of the online selling programs available and their pitfalls; then it progresses to online tools and follows that with social media guidelines and tips.  

I hope you'll get some use out of the book and please remember at the end you'll find my contact information, just in case you need some additional guidance.

Sandra Joy Eastman  Your Work at Home Grandma

Work at Home Grandma

I​ began writing in 1992 using my writing to bring closure to some of my own personal problems, but then I learned how much I loved it. I decided to educate myself and help others to tell their own story.​

Sandra Joy Eastman

 

Something personal about me

When I was young my family was very poor.  My father left his wife and five children to fend for themselves and it wasn't an easy road for any of us.  I determined to make the very best life I could for my own children and my grandchildren.  

A few years ago I worked the 9 to 5 grind when suddenly a medical crisis forced me to take a look at my life.  When my son told me I was an entirely different person when I wasn't working, I decided it was time for a change. 

As my publishing credits continued to grow, I knew this was something I wanted to share with others and help them make their dreams come true. My full  media kit is on my blog under the "About​" section.

​

When I started my business, I decided to brand myself as the Work at Home Grandma as my grandchildren were the biggest part of my heart.   

About Grandma's World

When I created Freelance with Copyhound, my dream was to spend my time creating fiction that would appeal to a vast audience, yet be so close to home it touched hearts. I realized then that fact is stranger than fiction and I began to write my stories garnering their basis off the many life experiences that had come my way.

Even though I knew that my goal was to write fiction full time I also knew it would take years to earn a livable income just writing fiction.  I discovered that many people were in the same boat and wanted to break out of the 9 to 5 life, but just didn’t know where to begin. It was then I decided to look into my own freelance business.

​Join me on a journey that may take you in various directions until you find that very place which is a perfect fit. 



What is The Real Secret To Making Money Online?

Empower Network Vs Wealthy Affiliate

Can you really make money online ---- absolutely!

BUT ------  it’s how you go about it that determines if it will ever happen.

Let me begin this book by telling what NOT to do. 

My Brush with a SCAM! 

Several years ago I was searching the internet for work and came across an ad for a business opportunity that looked really intriguing.  The most interesting part of the proposition was that it offered me a free website for blogging and securing business leads.

It began very simply.  A $25 investment was all that was

needed.   But ---- that was just the beginning.

When it came to the nitty-gritty of setting up a payment
account, an additional $19.95 was required.  My stomach began

to churn; then I reasoned it wasn’t so bad.  I had to get paid. Yet the little voice inside my head  said, “BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUR PAYPAL ACCOUNT”?

I ignored that still small voice and signed my name on the dotted line.  The company was called Empower Network and was started by Dave Sharpe and Dave Wood, two multi-level marketers who had made their living working online and even selling door to door.  The phenomenon of Empower Network had enabled them to make millions.

Unfortunately, even though I met some great marketing geniuses, I never was able to get my feet off the ground.  I discovered soon that not only would I need to invest the $25 per month plus the banking account setup but I would need to purchase an auto-responder and advertising if I really wanted make any money at all.

I started my investment in January and by July I had run out of money and had had only a few sales.  Of course there were the endless meetings, both weekly and monthly that would last for hours and hours.   All the rah – rah stuff was exhausting.  I was spending all my time attending meetings and being convinced to buy more of their products.

They said I had to “get all in” if I was to make any money.  So what exactly did “all in” really mean?   Basically, Empower Network has numerous products you can purchase to get the training you need to run your business.  They start at $100 per

month and extend up as high as $5,000 for a one time purchase.

 

The interesting part of the marketing plan is that you are not really selling anything but the same products that you have already purchased.  You don’t make any commissions on any product you sell unless you have already purchased the product first.

Thus if you recruit ten people to join Empower Network and they go “all in” by purchasing all the products but you haven’t done so, you get absolutely nothing except a commission off their original $25.  So in order to make any real money, you must be “all in” and you must encourage your recruits to get “all in”.  Without that process, it is futile.  And so the ball rolls on and on.

In the meantime, Empower continues to add other up-sells for you to purchase promising this is the one product that will definitely guarantee your success but to no avail.  The system is simply encouraging people to buy what  you’ve bought and in turn them doing likewise.  Nobody is really selling anything at all.  Quite a neat little package.

The most disappointing part of Empower Network was that each new course purchased was more hoop-la-la and no substance.  It was a repetitive angle of increased motivation to buy traffic and get others to purchase the same products you have purchased.

I was beginning to feel like a cheater just encouraging people to buy something that had no substance at all.  Frankly, when they began to change the commission structure to allow those at the

top even more access to commission than previously stated I knew I was involved in quite a scam.  I was disheartened and

disappointed I had wasted so much time for so little results.

I quickly and quietly slipped out the back door and no one even attempted a phone call to ask me why.  Then I spent the next nine months building my own website and monetizing it.  I learned WordPress from top to bottom and enjoyed blogging every week.

Unfortunately, I soon discovered that the time I had invested didn’t seem to be helping me.  I needed additional guidance and was seeking it out from various platforms.  Oh I found what I needed but was paying through the nose for it.

A light at the end of the tunnel 

Then one day I came across a question and answer forum on Google that piqued my interest.  It was about an organization called Wealthy Affiliate.​​

I wasn’t falling for another scam. 

After going through what I did with Empower Network I was very skeptical.   Wealthy Affiliate offered a free mechanism for building a website and they would pay the hosting costs.  I could actually have two free websites without even giving them a credit card.  Not one free website but two?​? I was impressed but not completely convinced.

Wealthy Affiliate didn’t walk on water yet.  I read and kept reading about them and finally stuck my big toe into the water and wiggled it around a bit before taking the plunge.  I signed

up for my free website.​​

 

My first day I received a warm welcome from the owner of Wealthy Affiliate plus one from the person’s blog from which I had pulled the sign up form.  I must say I was extremely impressed at the vast difference in the general attitude of those connecting with me.

There was no push to spend money; there was no push to attend a phone rally or Google hangout.  There was just a simple instruction on how I could learn about Wealthy Affiliate and take advantage of all the free materials offered.​​

By this time I had gone from  impressed to “really impressed”.  After a few days of examining the system and training, I realized they were offering 100 times the amount of training I had received from Empower Network AND it was all for FREE.

I  was flabbergasted to say the least.  I laughed when they told me all I needed was a PAYPAL Account! And that wasn't even mandatory.

As I began to go through the free courses I discovered all of the set-up instructions were available to create a successful online business.  The interesting part of the training was that Wealthy Affiliate marketing was not pushed whatsoever. 

The opportunity was available to review what Wealthy Affiliate had to offer​; however, the training was set up in such a manner that a person could create their own business niche and learn how to use that niche to make money online.  



Selling Wealthy Affiliate was strictly a choice offered but not in any way required. 

You see, the big difference between Wealthy Affiliate and Empower Network is that no one is making money off your purchases and your business.  Yes, the person who brings you into the company gets a commission but there is no multi-level marketing involved here.  No one has anything to gain from your profitability.  They only receive commissions when you decide to become what is called a “premium” member of Wealthy Affiliate.  This costs you $49 per month but is not a requirement to get the free websites and training.

In Wealthy Affiliate there is no one hassling you to work harder, create more websites, take more classes or attend additional training.  It is all done by your own free will.

I chose to buy my own domain name for about $11.00 but no one from Wealthy Affiliate​ has ever approached me about dong more.  It is your ballpark and you can choose to sit on the ball or go for a home run.  The choice is entirely yours. 

My first love is my writing so that is where I spend most of my time.  I gladly carry the WA banner on my website because I can get all the FREE training I want on any subject. 

Let me tell you about Wealthy Affiliate

What I like most about Wealthy Affiliate is the camaraderie of

others in the company.  There is an ongoing open forum available to meet new people, bounce ideas off them,

and ask just about any question you choose.

Kyle and Carson, the owners of Wealthy Affiliate are available one on one to help you.  I couldn’t even foresee getting an email from Dave Wood when I belonged to Empower Network.  Not unless I was “all in” and making bundles off other people so he would profit.

Right now I have my own website http://Freelancewithcopyhound.... 

as well as two others I have started.  I’m able to use affiliate marketing to monetize my business if I choose but only if I choose!  There was absolutely no one pushing me to spend one thin dime.

In the next section of this ebook you’ll see a complete review of Wealthy Affiliate and everything they offer. If you want to make money online, just know that it’s not an easy road.  It’s tough, hard work, and long hours.  Is it worth it in the end – most definitely.

So what really is the secret to making money online?  One very simple word: elbow-grease.  Yes, my friends.

Elbow-grease!  That’s the simple key.

Elbow_Grease

 

It’s what made America great and it’s the answer for making your life even greater.

My advice for anyone considering an online business is to think about it carefully, decide what you are interested in learning about or teaching others about and then go for it.  Do it today.  Your have nothing to lose but tomorrow.

 

 


A Wealthy Affiliate Review by Work at Home Grandma

 Below is a comprehensive review of Wealthy Affiliate 

Name: Wealthy Affiliate

Website: www.WealthyAffiliate.com​
Price: $0 Starter Membership (get free account)​

Owners: Kyle & Carson
Overall Rank: 98 out of 100
Who it’s for: Newbie – Expert

Introduction to Wealthy Affiliate

I would not be so foolish as to tell you that this program is perfect because

nothing online is ever perfect.  It is, however, one of the most innovative programs out there.

The platform at Wealthy Affiliate is going to allow you to participate, regardless of your

background, your technical knowledge or your experiences.  Putting it simply: if you can turn on a computer, you can build a business within Wealthy Affiliate.

What Exactly is Wealthy Affiliate?

Wealthy Affiliate is more of a service and community, and far less of a product.  The community at Wealthy Affiliate is supportive and available to help you anytime.  Of course if you’re a jerk or like to spam don’t join them.  You won’t be welcome.  Of course, if you’re looking to earn money online while getting help to build your business then WA is the place to be.

 Why Being a Wealthy Affiliate Makes Sense

The company was started by two visionaries, Kyle and Carson.  They wanted to create a community where people learn from each other, help one another and get expert training from professionals all at the same time.  Wealthy Affiliate is more than a business.  It is a community of hard working entrepreneurs who have advocated success in their own online business whether it is for additional income or full time employment.

Kyle and Carson are totally active in the community.  They interact with you on your very first day and continuously after that.  The training is superior and ongoing.  They are available to you one on one anytime. They want to help you

get your business rolling in the right direction.

Here are some of the most common “positives” that people love about WA.

Getting Started Training (the process is completely SIMPLIFIED!) Video training, Tutorial training, Classroom training and Courses 100,000’s of HELPFUL community members 13+ Full, Interactive Classrooms Live & Interactive Help
(even at 2am in the morning!) 2 Free, Beautifully Designed Websites State of the Art Secure and Fast Hosting Access to Industry Experts & Millionaires A strict spam free environment. Completely FREE to Get Started! (with no catches)

The last one is a big one for most.  Not only do you get access to all of this, you get to do so for no cost.    This is the only program in the industry that does this and there is a good reason for it….YOU WILL LOVE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT WEALTHY AFFILIATE​​

Who is Wealthy Affiliate For?

It doesn’t matter if you are a newbie just beginning in the computer world or if you have been a successful business owner or marketer for years.  Perhaps you are searching for that special niche that will lead to online success and a lifetime of income.  With Wealthy Affiliate you will have access to all the members immediately upon joining and will quickly become immersed in the community.  So, in a nutshell, everyone or anyone with varied levels of expertise from any country in the world can be part of Wealthy Affiliate.  If you have an internet connection, you can be successful at Wealthy Affiliate.  You can grow your business, start a new business or just learn the internet marketing platform.  The choices are numerous.

Wealthy Affiliate Training & Tools

The Training at Wealthy Affiliate is comprehensive, organized, and current within Wealthy Affiliate.  There is training for all levels of expertise, including training for even the most advanced marketer.   The training is offered in different formats:

Wealthy Affiliate Classrooms!

Live Weekly Training Classes Question and Answer Periods Organized Classrooms (on specific topics) Interactive Discussions Video Training, Tutorial Training Task Based Courses

I know this seems a bit much.  That’s because it is!   There are over ONE THOUSAND (1,000) powerful training modules within Wealthy Affiliate​;

essentially each Classroom reveals an entire different online business model that could be used to generate a full time income online.

These are just some of the benefits of being a member of Wealthy Affiliate.  You get access to all the tools and service to create an online business. It even works on iPads and mobile devices.

The Tools & Services within Wealthy Affiliate offer you a robust “tool belt” to accomplish all of your research, writing, and website. Once you are inside Wealthy Affiliate you will get access to incredible tools allowing you to design your website and your business.

Easy to Build Websites!

Wealthy Affiliate provides building/hosting applications for your business.   Included in the members area is:

Keyword & Competition Research Tool WordPress Express (3 click website builder) Low Competition, Cherry Picked Keyword Lists State of the Art, Unlimited Cloud Hosting (Premium Members) Access to over 2,400 website templates/themes Ability to add over 30,000 different “features” to your website Rapid Writer, your content “friend”

 

The Community at Wealthy Affiliate is a Success Story

Have you ever needed help with something and ended up going to Google and searching in frustration?  I know how you feel.  When it comes to making money online and trying to create a successful business, it is nice to know that you can get help when you need it…and get it in a timely fashion.

That is what you get at Wealthy Affiliate with the live, 24/7 community​ and support system.  There are many different types of support offered at Wealthy Affiliate…

Live, 24/7/365 Chat Interactive Discussions Live Question & Answer periods Private 1-on-1 support with ME Private access to community experts

You are never alone and you will never feel like you are in the “dark” like you will with almost every other service out there.

 

What Will You Be Doing at Wealthy Affiliate?

There are so many ways to make money at Wealthy Affiliate; it’s hard to boil everything down in one or two sentences.  Basically, when you join you are given two options.

You can follow your own passion and turn it into a full time business; or if you don’t have a passion or niche currently that’s ok.  Wealthy Affiliate has a state of the art boot camp that allows you complete training from start to finish without any prior experience required.

So basically you will take your passion and create a business online.  It starts with a niche website and evolves into an online business in which you can promote affiliate programs and other ads.  Your options are too numerable to list.  Wealthy Affiliate allows you to build your rank, create training for which you get paid and be an active part of the community.

 Wealthy Affiliate Price

Wealthy Affiliate has two membership price points:

Starter Membership, $0

Premium Membership, $49 per month / $359 per year

You can easily start out right here​:

$0 seems too good to be true, but that statement would be completely wrong…and I will explain why .   When you join Starter, you are going to be granted instant access to the Wealthy Affiliate community.  This includes access to live chat, over 500 training modules, 3 classrooms, networking, commenting,

2 free websites, and access to the keyword tool.  The list goes on and on.

To be honest, there isn’t another paid product in the industry that can compete with Wealthy Affiliate’s FREE Starter membership, other than…

Wealthy Affiliate Premium.  This is the “be all end all” package if you are even remotely interested in an online business.   Wealthy Affiliate was created to remove all of the other “stuff” you need to worry about during your day to day activities.  The pesky hosting fees, the pesky keyword tool fees, website builder fees, paying for hired help, searching the net tirelessly for answers to your questions, and getting access to the RIGHT training…all those things have vanished within Wealthy Affiliate Premium into a single low price.

Most people feel that once they have Wealthy Affiliate Premium, it isn’t ever necessary to buy another guru book, internet scam, or expensive online success course again.   It’s hard to believe but absolutely EVERYTHING you need is at WA, including the 1-on-1 expert help from real living, breathing and proven experts.

You will never get scammed online again.

One Final Note + Special BONUS!

Join the starter, it’s $0.

You certainly won’t be wasting your money because it’s free after all.  Right after you join someone will reach out to you personally within the hour.  It’s really quite refreshing.  But do go ahead a set up an account under the free

plan.  It will give you a chance to check everything out – for no cost at all.

AND – if you do join for free, Wealthy Affiliate offers you a great bonus.

How to Claim Your Bonus…

When you join your FREE Starter Account​​, you will have an opportunity to try out the Premium plan for a discount of 59% in the first 7 days.  It’s a great little

bonus if you decide to go to the Premium level.  When you see all the awesome stuff inside the free account, you will be blown away.

 You will never know what you have been missing all of these years until you step  inside of Wealthy Affiliate​​.

 

Top Four Affiliate Programs by Work at Home Grandma

Amaxzon,ClickBank, JVzoo, Wealthy Affiliate, 

In today’s world of affiliate marketing the choices can be quite exhausting.  Many online marketers find themselves face to face with opportunities all the time.  Currently four affiliate marketing programs seems to be the most commonly in the forefront.

In order to help you decide which one is best for you I’ve compiled a brief overview of each one to help you make your own choice.   For myself I have participated in all of these and find them all beneficial in various ways.

Largest and Most Common Affiliate Marketing Arena - Amazon

Now and probably well into the future, Amazon has made itself a household name among marketers and consumers across the internet.

I personally use it for all my shopping.  As crowded stores filled with screaming toddlers

and impatient mothers, along with long shopping lines are not my cup of tea, I do 98% of my shopping on line.  This includes my own personal items, household goods and yes – even my groceries.

I find the online world inviting, easy, thrifty and totally painless.

My first instinct when product searching is of course Amazon. 

There are very few items you can’t find on Amazon.

 

I type what I need in the search area and invariably something always pops up.  Amazon even gives me listings of other places the item is available and the price choices.  It even tells me the amount of the product still available.

 

This always reminds of the movie entitled “Miracle on 34th Street” where Macy’s Santa passes along all the bargains to shoppers whether or not it be at Macy’s or another store.  At first the management is furious but they soon realize the service Santa has provided far exceeds anything other stores are offering and the referral system actually increases Macy’s business.

 

This same marketing strategy is used by Amazon every day except in their case they get a kick-back on every referral so they still make money whether or not the product is purchased from them or an outside vendor.

 

In the same fashion Amazon uses their affiliate marketers to advertise their products and in turn the affiliate earns a commission of up to $15 per item they sell from their website.

 

Amazon’s array of product lines can be synchronized to your own specific product or sold as a completely separate item.  They provide you banners, links and whatever ad materials you need for an effective campaign.  An example of a campaign link would be  Hot Books on Amazon.    

 

The only drawback is that if you find yourself coming up with zero commissions after a 90 day window, they may discontinue your affiliate id and make you sign up all over again.  This can be a hassle if you have several banners and links built into your site.

 

The upside is that Amazon will always renew your affiliate status and give you another chance to earn commissions. The possibilities with Amazon, especially when you have a niche website, are endless. They also have an additional affiliate source if you promote books like I do.  It’s called AbeBooks and is a source for books no longer in regular print but are still in demand.  It’s just an added tool to earn more commissions.

Let’s Talk About ClickBank​

This is another common affiliate marketplace most of you have dabbled in.  I have heard the horror stories about this affiliate but have not yet found them to be substantial.

There are marketing gurus who will tell you to pick a product, do a YouTube

video about the product and presto you’re in the money.  No so my friends.  There are few important things you need to know about ClickBank to make it a successful tool for your business.

ClickBank is extremely easy to maneuver.

 

First and foremost you need to sign up to be an affiliate.

 

Secondly, you need to spend a few hours reviewing the system and the best way to make it lucrative for your purposes.

 

In order to profit from ClickBank you need to start by selecting a niche to promote that has a track record of profitability without being such a high priced item that very few sales will result.

 

You must do a little research to select the niche you will be promoting.

First you must go to the categories and select one.  The example we will be using today is Employment and Jobs.  You will be brought to a page where different products are listed within that category.  Around each of these products, you’ll find various numbers and statistics.  You’ll want to pay particular attention to a number called ‘Gravity’.

 

The ‘Gravity’ of a product is a number that ClickBank developed.  It basically tells you how well a product is selling.  The definition of ‘Gravity’, in this case, is as follows:

 

“One point of gravity is awarded when a unique affiliate makes his/her first sale (refreshed weekly).  A point is only awarded on the first sale and not on subsequent sales.” So, gravity is really a minimum.  It’s not taking into account the fact that some affiliates are making a lot of sales.  Still, it’s a way to gauge how well a product is selling.  Just to reiterate, a gravity of 51 would mean that 51 unique affiliates have made a sale in the last week.  A good technique is to only choose products with a gravity of 20 or above.  If you go any lower than that, it becomes harder to sell a product.

 

Once you select your product you will get what’s called a “hoplink”.  This will include you own affiliate ID marker which will tell the vendor and ClickBank who sold the product and to whom to pay the commissions.  This is vital that you make sure your affiliate id is in any link you use to market the product otherwise you will not get paid for your efforts.

 

You can use the link along with a YouTube video, a blog entry or in the sidebar of your site.   Just remember when marketing products you do it in such a manner that your potential buyer sees it as a part of your presentation and not just a “please buy this so I get paid mechanism”.


One downside to ClickBank is that the vendors themselves capture the emails when prospects click on the promoted link.  Thus, you do not have an opportunity to grow your email list.

 JVZOO​ – Another Affiliate Marketing Tool  

​JVZoo works much like ClickBank but with one important difference.  

 

When seeking to promote a product within JVZoo you cannot automatically receive an affiliate marketing link by requesting to promote the product as you do with ClickBank.

 

JVZoo first requires that you go through an approval period where the vendor itself must consider your application to promote their product.  Once approved, the vendor then sends you the links they wish used for the promotion.

 

This process may just take 24 hours and sometimes as much a two weeks.  This can be frustrating if you review the product and find it very substantial but have to wait to promote it.

 

JVZoo also has restrictions as to payment for your commissions.  There is usually a waiting period for new affiliates.  Sometimes this can be by-passed but in most cases until you qualify yourself as an active affiliate, commissions are delayed.

 

On the upside, JVZoo allows you a Get Response free account for 30 days upon enrolling.  This way you will be able to capture emails of prospects interested in the products you promote.  This will allow you to experience an online auto-responder and also give you an opportunity to build your email list.



Affiliate Marketing Opportunity that pays you in knowledge and money. Wealthy Affiliate      

 

Wealthy Affiliate​ is one of the only online affiliate marketing mechanisms that not only allows you to earn money while promoting them, they actually give you two free websites in which to do it.

 

If you're interested in looking into this very unique program, you can check the review in the previous ebook section and it will explain everything you need to join the online business world.   

Review of Top Ten Email Auto-Responders by Work at Home Grandma

In today’s marketplace it is almost mandatory that you have some sort of auto responder service if you wish to build your email list.  Recently I did a blog on building your list and how vital it is to your business. Without an email list you're dead in the water.

In a recent survey done online there were several companies listed in the Top Ten for Auto-Responders.    Of course there are many others out there and research via the internet will help you decide which one is best for you.

To lighten your load, I’ve done a brief overview of the top ten auto responder companies and a more in-depth review of the three for which I had had experience. Each sub-head by numbers has an actual link to each site.

 

​

​

#6 Get Response – Great reputation in the small business arena of fewer than 10K 

​

#7 1ShoppingCard – A low cost version of Infusionsoft  – payment processing /email

​

#8 AutoRespond Plus –for buying leads and importing

​

#9 CampaignMonitor –    Email marketing for data driven companies

​

#10  Office AutoPilot –    Product purchase integration intricate sales funnel

 

I have chosen three of these to give more specifics. Two of them I work with every day.  One of them I tried briefly but found in wanting for my needs. 

#1 Aweber  

Tom K.  CEO and Founder

Sean C.  Chief Operating Officer

Gene K. Chief Financial Officer

I use this auto responder daily in my business to respond to sign up requests and also for follow up emails and broadcasts.

Affiliate Program – Yes

The first month cost is $1 and after that the rates are as follows:

< 500  $19 month

< 2500 $29 month

<10000 $69 month

< 25000  $149 month

Customized prices after this point.

Products available on AWeber include

Email Newsletters

Follow up responders

Sign up Forms and Integration to numerous lists

Broadcasts customized to one or more list

Optimization of data for review and maintenance

Html email templates

RSS feed directly from your blog

Seminars and training ongoing basis

One on one personal help with set up or training.  Available via phone 7 days a week

The one on one service provided by AWeber makes them stand out in the industry.  If you have any type of problem they will walk you through it and help you configure it.

The only downside I have found is that their online instructions lack detail needed by the novice, however, their one on one help is phenomenal and they are only a phone call away.

They are constantly coming up with new innovations to make your job easier and enhance your business.  If you are a beginner they are definitely your best bet.

#2 MailChimp

Ben Chestnut   Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Dan Kurzius     Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer

Affiliate Program – Yes but not standard commissions

This is a tremendous tool for those just getting started and do not have any money to invest in an auto responder but would like to have the availability of a newsletter.

For those having a mailing of less than 2000 the cost is free for a monthly newsletter.  I use MailChimp for one of my clients in the non-profit area to send out their monthly newsletter.  If you are moderately adept on the computer this is a very easy program to follow for simple newsletters.

Unfortunately, the downside to MailChimp’s free service is that you get one

opportunity for email support and no phone consultation is available.  If you are familiar with Html and drag and drop processing MailChimp is easy to use.

If you are a beginner, it is a very difficult learning process without any help.   Their newsletters turn out beautifully in most cases but again if you do not understand the process you will have difficulty with the free service.

The free service does not supply any auto responder email follow up program.

Rates on this one are:

Subscribers                              Emails Monthly

0 – 2,000                                              12,000                              Free mailing no auto email setup*

1,001  – 1500                                     unlimited                            $20.00

1,501 – 2,000                                     unlimited                            $25.00

2,001 – 2,500                                     unlimited                            $30.00

2,501 – 2,600                                     unlimited                            $35.00

As you can see they have a small email base but good options to choose from.  Larger databases are customized and they can handle up to $50,000 subscribers.

*A low cost option of $10 per month is available which provides some auto – responder emails with limited use and some customer service help via online chat.

#6 Get Response

Hanna Andrzejewska – Marketing Manager

I have used Get Response briefly with one of my affiliate marketers JVZoo.  I found them a bit cumbersome but I’m not sure if it was because I had been

using AWeber for so long that I was just unfamiliar. Their website itself is sometimes difficult to maneuver.

Affiliate Program:  Yes

Here is a breakdown of their plans and pricing.

Beginner Program                <1000 subscribers                $15.00 Monthly – Basic Email

 

Pro Program*                        <5000 subscribers              $49.00 Monthly – Add Landing Page/Webinar

Max Program                         <10000 subscribers            $165 Monthly -all Pro +custom domain

Enerprise Program               100K > subscribers              $999 -Large infrastructure only

 

The products are available with a quick check on Google by clicking on their link description. There you will find more  details on exactly what each one offers.

 

Whichever service you select the point is:  GET ONE 

Good luck. 

Five Most Popular Social Networking Sites by Work at Home Grandma

Social networking continues to surprise us daily with added statistics of followers and unique website visits. When researching the platforms available I have reviewed the five most popular sites and have summarized each one below.

How it all Started

Have you ever played the game of telephone? It’s an old one played by kids throughout the ages. Everyone sits in a circle and the first person whispers a secret into the ear of the person on their right. This is done quickly and cannot be repeated. The person receiving the secret turns to person on their right and whispers what they think they heard. This continues until at the end of the circle the last person speaks the secret out loud. Then we hear roaring laughter enough to encompass an entire school classroom because the secret is no longer discernible or is often hilariously fragmented.

I cannot help but think about Social Media when recalling this telephone game.

Many times we see a post and react either negatively or positively and then put our spin on the information. By the time it reaches 100,000 people it has vastly changed either for the good or the bad. As with anything that requires the input of so many minds, it cannot help but be disjointed.

On the other end of the spectrum you have re-posting without any comments which in most cases is the impetus for information going viral on Social Media. Whichever is the case, Social Media is playing a huge role in how we think, how we react and unfortunately for some of us, how we live.  

It has become an all-consuming activity. We can’t shut out the light at night until we’ve checked our Facebook page. Sound familiar?

Social Media and Your Business

Not only has Social Media affected our personal lives, it plays an incredible role is the success of our business. I’ve broken down the top five platforms used for marketing purposes and added links in the larger text that will give more information on social networking.  

 Number One of course is – Facebook​

Facebook currently garners over 50% of the networking done online and has over 1,100,000,000 unique monthly viewers. That’s a vast amount of business and personal reach.

Facebook is used daily by most to interact with friends and relatives in addition to expanding a growing business. What’s great about Facebook is that you can have a personal page and also a business page on which to expound your opinions, thoughts or promotions.

The unique thing about Facebook is that posts placed on your business page eventually roll down the news feed into the personal column so both your business prospects and your friends can keep apprised of your activities.

The most important thing about having a business page on Facebook is to

remember that your posts should not all be about selling yourself or your product. People like to find useful information they can pass along to their friends that’s not necessarily geared to your business.

Facebook is a great advertising tool with tremendous reach but it’s important to remember to interact with your audience when comments are received on your page. Remember the term Social Media means exactly that.

Below is a link about gaining expertise on Facebook Advertising tips and tricks. Hopefully it will help you in deciding how much emphasis to put into your Facebook business page and will also give some ideas of ways to advertise on Facebook. 

It is now possible to go live on Facebook for your business as well as personal posts. Slide shows are easy-peasy lemon squeezy to do.   In fact Facebook Live has all but replaced Periscope which was Twitter's live broadcasting tool.  

Facebook​​​ Advertising is worth reviewing   

Facebook allows you to select the friends whose posts you wish to view first and also places relevant information in your news feed which reflects the pages you have liked.   

In one sense of the word, Facebook is slowly beginning to take over our lives. I feel a little like “big brother” is watching as certain settings allow your friends to know where you are at all times.

Number Two Twitter– Check it here​​

This Social Media platform is the second most popular platform and is widely used in the business and political world. I don’t think Donald Trump would be half as controversial if he did not “tweet” several times a day.

Tweets preceding by a # sign carry your message further but there can

beno spaces in the message, i.e. #workathomegrandma.

Tweets can only be 140 characters long and only last minutes before being replaced with another. It is because of the high volume, tweeting your message more often garners a larger audience. Be careful to avoid repeating too much, however, as Twitter will consider you a spammer.

Twitter has an audience of 310,000,000 estimated unique monthly visitors. Those registered on Twitter can respond to tweets and re-tweet but those not registered can only read tweets. As in Facebook you can adjust your settings to see tweets from certain followers first.

Many business entities advertise on Twitter and also use it as a platform for getting more likes on their Facebook page. An automated set up can be done online to message each new follower and thank them for following you and also to pass along a sales or marketing message.

Number Three & Four - LinkedIn and Pinterest

LinkedIn and Pinterest are almost equal as far as estimated unique monthly visitors which is about 250,000,000 compared to LinkedIn at 255,000,000.

LinkedIn is one of the most difficult websites to maneuver however if you are looking for business connections it is a great resource.

Your profile in LinkedIn is pivotal to your contact success. Make your profile page one that will tell others what you can do for them instead of a biography of your past accomplishments.

Spamming is not allowed on LinkedIn thus you should be careful on how you contact others and request to be added to their network. LinkedIn has many sub-groups within the network where like minds can commiserate and offer advice. You can meet new people there and join in conversations that may lead

you to prospects for your business. They also have a job board which is useful

for those seeking employment.

Promote Your Business with LinkedIn

All in all it is a great place to connect with professionals. It is not like Facebook or Twitter both of which can be personal and professional.

About Pinterest

Pinterest is largely a visual Social Media yet is has the attributes of becoming more than just that. It is also a system that uses key words and phrases just as Google.

Pins should be sized more long than wide to find a good visual place on the Pinterest feed. As so many pins are being placed in the system so quickly, it’s advantageous to put keywords in your description so people can locate your pins while searching for an item.

Pinterest allows you to make numerous boards on various different subjects and also allows others to offer you to pin onto their boards. You want to be very careful when pinning onto other boards as you don’t want your pins to get lost in the shuffle.

Get the Power of​Social Networking

Creating an info-graphic on Pinterest is a unique way to advertise your services. Sample are shown below.

Pinning daily is best and pinning each time you blog will draw traffic to your website. In Pinterest you actually place your website into the information slot on each pin. When someone clicks onto the pin they are drawn to the source which would be your site.

You can also validate your site with Pinterest so that your pins will draw others to read your blog. Be careful when pinning affiliate links as those would be

considered spam by Pinterest.

 Number Five – Google Plus

Rounding out the top five we have Google Plus. Last, but certainly not least, Google plays a vital role in the success of your business.

We all strive to get placed on the first page of Google and sending your blog posts to Google Plus is a sure way of doing it. The trick about Google Plus is to remember that Google reads your posts and when you do a Google search you will always find your Google Plus post on the first page. If you do a search incognito, you will not see this. To test your presence on Google, be sure to search incognito for your posts.

Be careful not to place affiliate marketing ads directly on Google Plus as this can get your account suspended. They have very specific rules on posting.

It’s best to follow others on Google Plus to build up a group of followers. Google Plus has many avenues and also Google Adsense can aid you in earning dollars. I’ve listed that information below.

 Master Google Adsense

 Instagram is owned by Facebook 

Instagram like Pinterest is mostly a visual site. You can place 30 second videos (longer for paid advertising) to draw attention to your website or product. You can place personal items or business items. They are pretty much contained in one account.

Instagram is owned by Facebook thus when you post to Instagram you have the availability to post to Facebook and Twitter at the same time.

Instagram is a great Social Media outlet for the youth as it allows little personal contact, only through direct message, and you don’t have to be eighteen or

older to be on the site.  Instagram also has the availability to boost a post

or advertise a  post.  Getting lots of followers on Instagram is very easy to do.

​Your Facebook ads will also go into Instagram if you choose.  This is true of videos or regular posts.

You can also advertise separately on Instagram by promoting posts just as you would on Facebook.  The search mechanism on Instagram makes it possible for you to see those in your field and friend them to build your social base. 

 Clik here -How to Profit From Instagram



Canva​ is the tool you'll need to create your advertising

When using any visual media to advertise your site or services Canva works really well in designing these tools. Here are samples of Canva created Pins designed precisely for Facebook advertising.  

​Canva​ is a tool you must to add to your business & it's FREE. Below are just some of images you can create on ​Canva​ and its perfect for creating Facebook ads in exactly the right dimensions.  ​

​See samples below. They are easy to design and Canva gives you online training in how to use their system.  I use it for Memos, Advertising, Book Covers and Social Network Postings.






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Never Give up - some people miss their success because they gave up just as it was in reach.

Check out my website here​ or contact me below.  I'd love to help you succeed at your busines and make your dreams come true.

CONTACT WORK AT HOME GRANDMA

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