Carol Owens

Setting a Smart Goal: Achieving Your Goals

Today I’m starting a new series titled Setting a Smart Goal: Achieving Your Goals. Many of us start each January with great intentions. We set what we hope are smart goals for ourselves in every area of our life. But somewhere along the way, about three or for weeks into the new year we lose track of those goals and begin to falter. I know I have done this many times. This year I am determined to change that. With the mid-year coming up quick, I decided to look back at this years goals I set in January. So far, I am a little behind on my goals, but with this mid year review I can tweak and update, and break them down even smaller into smart goals that will help me achieve more of my personal and business goals for the rest of the year.

Many individuals who have tried to set goals for themselves and “failed” often refer to the notorious “first 45 days”—that is, those crucial six weeks after the New Year is set which makes or breaks most go-getters. The New Year is always a time of change, and usually the most active day for “new resolutions.” Starting a new goal (or set of goals) is so easy at first and your resolve is strong at the outset. However, by day five of your new life plan you start to feel the adversity. I’ll go into more detail on how to set smarter goals that are easier to accomplish later in the series.

The Most Common Mistakes in Goal Setting

What goes wrong in goal setting? What makes a solid list of goals go to pieces in just six weeks? The problem may be within the person who is trying to complete this list of goals or it may be the goal list itself. Here are four of the most common mistakes people make when planning their goals.

1. The goal is too vague.
A goal that is vague has no driving force. Achieving a general vision of happiness is usually a lost cause because the achievements are usually unrealistically high and because there are no signs or organization that helps keep you on a steady course. Learning to make smart goals can reduce any vagueness since goals should always be clear and specific. One way to do this is to ask the question “How will I know when I’ve achieved this goal?” If you are not sure, then your goal is probably too vague.

2. The goal is not yours but is someone else’s vision of success.

You must have a personal enthusiasm for accomplishing your goal. If your goal has been forced upon you by a spouse or by a family member then it will be more difficult to become motivated. If you are borrowing the success story of someone else and applying it to your own life, then again, this is not a goal that you have created but one that has been lifted.

3. You made your goal “public.”
It is good to get others in on your mission so they can provide moral support. However, sometimes friendship and camaraderie can be a two-edged sword. If you go “public” with your new goal and start telling everyone you meet, then you could face ridicule or criticism in the future. Friends can do the darndest things sometimes, which includes second guessing you and mocking your progress—which can be discouraging. I’ll discuss more about positive and negative peer pressure later in the series.

4. Setting an individual goal that’s too hard or too easy.
It’s best to avoid both extremes. A goal that is too hard right at the start will intimidate you from trying any harder. On the other hand, a goal that is too easy will not keep your interest or motivate you to press on further. In essence, you are insulting your subconscious mind with a task that is too easy. You can clearly see one major problem in creating goal lists: people not truly knowing what they want.

But how do you set goals that are easier to achieve, you ask? That’s the next lesson in the series: How to write smart goals that will be easier to achieve. In the meantime, what tips to you have for setting and achieving goals? Leave your tips / comments below.

Remember, you control your Success,
Carol O.

Posted in Achieving Goals, Marketing, Outsourcing, Work At Home | 2 Comments »

Super Offers at MomMasterminds May Madness Sale

Yes! The women (and men) have gone May madness…

This year’s May Madness from the Mom Masterminds Members have done it again.

They are offering 10 days of $5 deals!.

I was amazed to see that some of the great deals for services
and products like:
-Blog Graphics
-Video creation and submission
-Professionally written blog post
-Twitter and Facebook icons
-Reports on using  PLR, Squidoo and Internet Marketing
-Reports on PMS, Weekly meal plan, and Lawn Greetings

…and yes, each one is only five bucks.

Check out the ton of other stuff , too, like study courses, plr  articles, memberships, and more.

You can see for yourself at the 10 Day May Madness

Carol Owens

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Nams3 Workshop: Learning, Social Media Marketing, Networking, Winning

I’m attending the Nams3 workshop in Atlanta this weekend. It’s a great workshop for everyone who wants to learn how to earn more using social media to sell affiliate products. So far I have learned how to choose a winning a niche, setting up a blog,  creating content quickly, getting traffic through social media marketing sources like twitter, facebook and Squidoo.

The Nams workshop is a great place to network with others in your niche as well as the presenters.  Lynn Terry, Nicole Dean, BobtheTeacher, Jeff Herring, Willie Crawford, Aileen Bennett and a host of many other well known marketers were on hand to talk about how they do things, answer questions both in the workshop and in after hour get-togethers.

Each speaker motivated the audience to strive to make their business a success without working longer or harder. But as with any business, there is some work, if only when you are first starting.

The live info product creation of the Strategies 4 Social Marketing was a super way to see how you can create a product to sell online quickly. In less than an hour, the interview with four top marketers was recorded and ready to go. With a little outsourcing help (graphics, copy writing, etc) from members of the audience, the product was ready to be sold within a couple of hours. It was fantastic to see the process in action.

If nothing else comes from this great learning workshop, everyone will go away as a winner in having had the privilege of learning something new at Nams.

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Strategies 4 Social Marketing MP3

Social media marketing can be one of the best ways to drive quick traffic to your product or website.  Many well known gurus and big businesses have jumped on the bandwagon, realizing that keeping their customers in the loop of new and upcoming products is the way of here and  now and the future. I recently attended Nams 3 workshop in Atlanta where 4 well known gurus showed how they used social media marketing in their businesses.

Strategies 4 Social Marketing MP3 is a wonderful product created at the NAMS 3 with powerful internet marketers like Willie Crawford, Jeff Herring, Joey Smith, Maritza Parra and Kevin Riley.  These Gurus were asked to reveal the secrets they use for driving traffic to their products. Listen in as they talk about how they use twitter, Facebook and other social networking platforms to drive traffic and grow their lists.  Strategies4SocialMarketing MP3 is available for $17 right now. You’ll receive the 60 minute mp3 recording along with over  800 webmaster tutorial videos.

Check it out to be ahead of the traffic and win in your business.

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8 Must Have Internet Marketing Tools for 2010

Running a business on a tight budget can be tricky. You want to make sure you spend wisely so you aren’t wasting money. When mapping out your 2010 plan for your Internet Marketing business, it’s important you have the tools that will help you move forward.

Here are 8 Internet Marketing tools you want to make sure you have in your arsenal before you go guns blazing into 2010 trying to stomp out the competition. Make sure you have what you need and if you can’t afford it, set aside savings until you can.

1.  Social media management options

Web 2.0 was new and shiny for awhile. Now it’s practically out of control, but you’re not going to steer clear of a social networking site when it has the potential to deliver lots of sales to you. Whenever possible, you want to make sure you’re utilizing social media management tools to make your job easier.

For example, if you’re bookmarking your domains, use OnlyWire to do many sites at once, instead of manually submitting them one by one.  For Twitter, consider using TweetDeck or another similar tool that helps you manage your microblogging communications. These applications help you cut down on the amount of time you spend sifting through dialogue to reach your target audience.

2.    Site design tools

Unless you have deep pockets to outsource your projects, then it’s wise to invest in some site design tools that help you quickly and easily put together professional websites without having to spend weeks learning some new technology.

3.    Article spinners and submission software

If article marketing is your primary source of traffic, then you may be using quite a bit of PLR (private label rights) to help you dominate the online chatter in your niche. While PLR can be used unchanged in most instances, if you’re submitting to certain article directories, you might want to spin the article into something unique – and a submission tool can enter your data into many sites at once rather than you having to do it individually.

Rather have your articles rewritten by a human? Contact me to rewrite your PLR so it is unique.

4.    Graphics creator

Graphics are something that can be purchased in bulk and used by many or outsourced to a professional service provider. But if you have time and want to learn, educate yourself about a particular free or paid graphics creation tool so that you won’t have to rely on another person to convey the image you have in your mind for your products and services.

5.    Keyword research tool

This is a definite must-have tool for Internet marketers. Some keyword research tools are better than others. Some provide more data, or the information is more up-to-date than a competing product. Review several options before deciding which one is best for you, and then make the most of your new keyword tool for 2010 by taking action on the results it delivers to you.

SEOBook is a full range keyword research tool.

6.    Traffic analytics for SEO purposes

With more competition coming into the mix, you’ll want to really cut your teeth on the latest SEO strategies (white hat of course) that are being taught. Some of the SEO tools you’ll need will be how to guides, while others are applications that analyze your existing traffic and make recommendations on how you can achieve even better results.

7.    Autoresponder list builder

Don’t have a list? Then start building one today. Not tomorrow and not next week – today! Too many marketers fail to start building a list until they have ample traffic coming in, but even 1-2 list additions per week will eventually add up to a healthy number over time as traffic picks up.

For 2010, you’ll be able to find some viable free list builders, but most marketers with the funds available will opt for the paid tools that give them more peace of mind that they won’t someday wake up and find their list has vanished or the freebie site has gone under.

Although not a f/ree service, I recommend Aweber for their outstanding service.

8.    Reliable hosting

If you have the most fantastic website in the virtual world, it won’t matter if your hosting company has too much downtime. You want to make sure your hosting is affordable, but that shouldn’t be the only reason you choose one host over another. Look for a very small percentage of downtime, ample customer service options that are provided 24/7 and 365 days a year.

Hostgator is my hosting choice.

***For full FTC disclosure, YES – it’s these are  affiliate links :) I only promote products I have used or am personally familiar with. But at least you know I’m a true user; not just someone hoping to make a quick  dollar. ***

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5 No Cost Tools That Can Help You Get a Head Start in 2010

Hello from a frigid Missouri. BRRRRR!

Just came in from taking care of the few farm critters, mostly chickens right now, I have on our small farm. With the extremely cold weather, trying to keep the animals’ water thawed can sometimes be a full time career all its own. But enough of about that. Let’s get to today’s topic.

Today I want to talk with you about your marketing tools. Most of us would love to have free tools to work with. Free marketing tools are getting better and better – with developers often making money on the ad slots they provide in and around the site or on the tools themselves.

If you’re watching pennies, or just like to get a good bargain from time to time, consider these five free tools for marketers that you may need for 2010:

1.) CamStudio for Video Screen Capture Marketing – http://camstudio.org/

Camtasia can be pricey ($299) when you’re just starting out. But luckily for you, there’s an open source project called CamStudio that allows you to make an endless number of screen capture videos for free!

Pair your version of CamStudio with some free audio recording software at http://www.audioflash.org/ and you can create very professional videos to help you generate interest in your products and services.

2.) GIMP for Graphic Creations – www.gimp.org

Photoshop is often very hard for some non-tech savvy individuals to learn. And when you spend money on a tool like PhotoShop, you want to have the shortest learning curve possible.

Now you can take your time and use GIMP instead. GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program and you can use it for free, along with their thorough documentation, to make call to action buttons, minisite graphics, ads and more.

3.) WIX – Free Flash Website Design Tool – http://www.wix.com/

Flash sites are so expensive when you’re searching for a company or professional freelance individual to create one for you from scratch. With WIX, you can customize a template or make your own.

With a WIX site, you’ll have drawbacks, such as WIX ads being placed on your domain – and the domain won’t be your own dot com moniker, but you can upgrade when you have the money to invest in it and remove ads and use your own domain.

4.) WordPress – Free Blog Software http://wordpress.org/

Chances are you’ve heard of this one before, but some people still think they have to pay for a WordPress blog. Not true. You can either host a WordPress blog on their dot org site, or install it free on a domain that you own. As most marketers already know, WordPress is loved by Google if you utilize it right by posting relevant content on a regular basis.

5.) MailChimp – Free Autoresponder Tool – http://www.mailchimp.com/

This tool is great for those with no list or a very small list to begin with. You can use MailChimp for free to store up to 500 contacts and send out up to 3,000 emails per month.

What’s your favorite free internet marketing tool?

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A New Year…A New Outlook

Today, we have a guest blogger! She’s here to talk about the new year and setting your goals.

Guest Post by Jen Malik

I still can’t believe it’s 2010. Remember when that year was just a movie title? Well, we’re here now. Although the world is not exactly the way science fiction writers pictured it, the world is a completely different place than it was just 20 years ago.

20 years ago, not every household had a computer and no one had the Internet as we know it today. Cell phones were a rarity and text messaging via mobile phone was non-existent. In fact, most “in-touch” people still carried pagers, aka “beepers”.

Ah so long ago.

But enough of that trip down memory lane. Let’s get back to the here and now. It’s a new year and in fact, it’s a new decade.

I know we talked resolutions the other day and I hope those tips we helpful. Interestingly enough, according to a quirkology.com study, only 12% of the participants achieved their New Year’s Resolution goals, even though 52% were confident at the outset of the study that they would do so. That doesn’t bode well for us and our resolutions, does it?
Bah humbug, I say!

I think New Year’s Resolutions get a bum rap because they come with such a big, shiny label. People make and break resolutions every day. They say they’ll stop smoking. They say they’ll stop eating junk food. They say they’ll become a vegetarian. They say they’ll exercise 3 times per week. Guess what? Most of those people don’t do it, no matter on which day they made they made the resolution.

The Mark Twain quote rings true for so many people, in so many ways: “It’s easy to quit smoking. I’ve done it hundreds of times.”

The thing is, you’ve really got to be dedicated to your goal or resolution. You need support, a plan and you’ve got to get back on track when you fall off. If you’re just making a resolution for resolution’s sake, save it for another time when you’re really ready.

Like I mentioned, I’m putting a focus on a healthier lifestyle. No pressure to be stick thin, starve or exercise until I drop. Maybe fewer ice cream treats and more walks up the stairs, instead of taking the elevator. You know, stuff I can incorporate into my everyday life.

If you’re making a resolution, good for you. If you’re not, why not make a goal to simply be grateful for all the blessings your life has brought you? When you’re ready to set an important goal for yourself, you’ll know it.

Thanks, Jen for the great advice.

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10 Tips For Sticking With Your Resolution

Boy, if I had a nickel for every resolution I’ve made throughout the years. Or if I lost a pound for every resolution I’d ever made. As I get older, making the right resolution and sticking with it has gotten somewhat easier. I realize I am never going to be a size 4 again and my chances of being a billionaire is most likely gone. I decided to simply work toward a more realistic happier, healthier life for 2010.

Here are 10 tips for keeping your resolution for the New Year:

- Use a support system. This is critical to any type of change in your life. Someone who keeps you accountable and encourages you when you miss the mark is one way to stop you from quitting completely. Rely on family, friends and coworkers to give you that swift kick when you need it. Join forums and networks to get ongoing support. If you’re resolution includes working online, become an elite member of Lynn Terry’s SelfStartersWeeklyTips group.

- Be specific when making your resolution. Writing down phrases like “Become more confident” is too general and can mean anything. What area of your life do you want to be more confident and with whom? Instead, record something like “Go to my boss and ask for a raise this year.”

- Start with small steps. Those who try to get from A to Z in one step are often disappointed. If this is a weight loss goal, begin with starting an exercise program. If you haven’t worked out in a while, this single piece of a larger goal will take some time to establish. Writing a book begins with a goal of writing a page a day; you can’t realistically sit down and write an entire book in one sitting. Goals that involve cleaning up your entire home can begin with one room and then move on to the others. Tackling a smaller step successfully fuels your drive to continue.

- Look at the big picture. This helps when you are feeling discouraged by disappointment. Don’t lose sight of your ultimate goal or resolution. You can still reach it even with a few setbacks. You’ll just have more to rejoice about later.

- Visualize. See yourself completing your goal. In fact, see yourself completing each step of the journey. Thinking about skipping your workout session today? Visualize yourself in the class and, though tired, you make it through to the end with energy. The mind is a powerful tool that can help or hinder you. And hey, if you’re mind isn’t powerful enough, post pics of what you’d like right on your refrigerator. A trip to Hawaii? A slimmer you? Put it up and see it every day.

- Set a deadline date. Resolutions without a deadline can go on forever. Give yourself a set time frame to keep from floundering in your goal.

- Use online tools. These are popping up everywhere, especially for weight loss resolutions. Many of the online tools are free to use. Sites like SparkPeople offer informative articles, message boards, meal planners, video resources and online food diaries to keep you going from day one.

- Write your resolutions or goals down. Some people only verbalize their resolutions. I see it all too often with friends and family. They don’t write down their goals and within weeks they have already forgotten them. It is scary but putting your resolutions on paper makes them real to you. It is a commitment that is needed if you want to succeed in anything and everything.

- Don’t compare yourself with others. Someone else may have the same resolution to you. They also may seem to be getting farther in their goals than you. Resist the urge to compare yourself. You’ll only end up discouraged. Every person is different and you don’t know what support system or other goal achieving tools they are using. Be happy for them and even ask how they are doing it so well.

- Abandon bad resolutions. There comes a time when some of your resolutions may have to meet the trash heap. It could have been a faulty resolution that wasn’t thought out well in the first place. It doesn’t mean failure. On the contrary, it could be just what you need to help you accomplish the ones that are manageable.

Overall, don’t beat yourself up. We all falter here and there. The important thing is to get back on track. So spill it…what’s your New Years Resolution?

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Using PLR For Squidoo lens Building

Using plr articles is a great way to quickly put up a Squidoo lens. The articles can be broken into modules easily and with a little editing and changing of the content, you have unique content that makes Google happy.

Here’s a great video talking about the ongoing debate of the ethics of using plr and ghostwriting by the EasyPLR Queen, Nicole Dean.

http://easyplr.com

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Super Affiliate Lynn Terry Talks About Affiliate Marketing

There are thousands of ways to make money online. And, if you’re like me, you may have tried many before you the one that works for you. One way I use to make passive income online is through affiliate marketing. In affiliate marketing, you sign up for an affiliate program wherein you will be given a link. You will put this link in your site, blog or email then encourage people to click on it. If the person who clicks the link eventually buys the product or service being sold, then you get a percentage or a commission of the total sale.

When I think of affiliate marketers, two people come to mind. Rosiland Gardner, the original super affiliate and creator of the Super Affiliate Handbook and Lynn Terry, of the SelfStarters Weekly Mastermind Group. Both have been earning a good living with affiliate sales online for many years.

Recently Lynn Terry reviewed the Super Affiliate Handbook and I had a chance to ask her some questions.

My Question: You’ve been a full time super affiliate marketer for 6 years. What advice would you give to a beginner on getting started in affiliate marketing?

Lynn: That’s true. I’ve actually been doing affiliate marketing for over a decade, but doing niche affiliate marketing online as a Super Affiliate for about 6 years now. It was a great transition, and I found that I really love affiliate marketing as a business model!

For someone just starting out, my advice would be to get super focused about what you want to do as an affiliate and then follow through all the way to profit. The number one mistake I see people make is starting and quitting multiple projects or affiliate sites… instead of picking one project and going all the way from start to profit.

It’s easy to get distracted and sidetracked with all the different things you see online, but consistently working towards one focused goal is the key to making good money as an affiliate. You’ll learn the ropes, make all of your mistakes, and figure out a process on that first project. After that you can consider more affiliate sites, but you have to get through that first project first.

My Question: The SAH was a big influence on your decision to become an affiliate marketer. In your review of Super Affiliate Handbook, you mention Rosalind’s tips on using Wordpress. What other platforms would you recommend for affiliate marketers–social media, Squidoo lenses, static websites?

Lynn: WordPress is a great platform for creating affiliate sites, whether you want to create a blog or a traditional type website. It is a great content management system with tons of great features.

I started out using basic HTML websites, and still occasionally create them that way – but more often than not I use WordPress anymore, just because it’s so easy to use. And yes, Rosalind has made that transition as well.

All of these things – WordPress, Squidoo, Facebook, Twitter, etc – are just tools in the process. What really makes the difference is not in what platform or method you use, but how you connect with your target market. The goal is to find out what people want, and deliver exactly that. You just use the tools or platforms to achieve that goal.

My Question What is the biggest hurdle most affiliate marketers have and how can they overcome them? Is it finding a niche, researching affiliate companies or getting started with the technical side?

Lynn: There is plenty of technical help available online, even free at various discussion forums. You can also Google most things you need to know. There are free tools for niche research and keyword research, and free tutorials on how to use them. There are also plenty of affiliate programs and affiliate networks to choose from…

The biggest hurdle I’ve heard is self-confidence. Even when people do all the market research, and keyword research, it seems they hit a point a few weeks into building the affiliate site where they question their decision. You just have to power through this phase and invest in your project upfront – in the development, the marketing, the search engine rankings, etc – and be willing to stick it out until the site gets established.

I think a lot of people want to get immediate results. Build a site and make thousands of dollars overnight. It doesn’t work that way. Affiliate marketing is a business model. Treating it like a business will help you get over that “immediate gratification” mindset.

My Question: What sections of the SAH are the most helpful to someone just starting in affiliate marketing?

Lynn: Good question! The entire guide is really great, so it’s best to read it all the way through from beginning to end, and then go back to specific sections when you need to. This is what I love about the digital version. Not only can you download updates anytime, but you can jump to chapters or sections from the table of contents with a click.

I think one of the most helpful things about the Super Affiliate Handbook are the live examples that Rosalind gives throughout the guide. You can click through and visit her live affiliate sites and navigate them for yourself to get an idea of how things are set up and how she does things.

My Question: In your opinion, is the Super Affiliate Handbook worth the investment to anyone involved in affiliate marketing?

Lynn: Absolutely. I’m an experienced super affiliate, and still found it incredibly helpful and motivating on my 2nd and 3rd read! I look back at where I was with affiliate marketing 6 years ago, and where I am today… and laugh at myself for having second thoughts about investing $47 in SAH.

That was one incredible year for me… and it has just gotten better every single year since!

There you have it. Recommended by someone who has done it, affiliate marketing is a viable way to work online and actually make a living at it.

Known as the ‘bible’ of Affiliate Marketing, Rosalind Gardner’s Super Affiliate Handbook is a MUST-READ for anyone who wants to become an affiliate marketer.

Exceptionally well written, Super Affiliate Handbook covers absolutely everything you need to know about making money as an affiliate marketer.

I HIGHLY Recommended it.

Get the Super Affiliate Handbook today!

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