Archive for the ‘Articles’ category

The Influence Project

January 29th, 2011

A few weeks ago a post appeared on my Facebook page asking me to cast my vote and help spread my friends influence.

I was sort of reluctant at first. My initial thought was this is one of those links that will hit me with a virus and knock out my computer. Then I saw another post asking the same request…help them spread their influence.

What the heck, I’ll do it.

That’s how they get ya!

You see Fast Company is searching for the Most Influential Person Online. All those who cast a vote for someone, also get the opportunity to spread their influence. Fast Company calls it the Influential Project.

I call it, the great marketing campaign of 2010 that is ******* everyone in. Even me!

Sure, it’s one of those popularity contest’s where the most influential win. And, I have no hope of winning… NO HOPE!

But the allure of knowing that my picture will be included on a page in Fast Company’s November edition of their magazine was an offer I couldn’t refuse. When I signed up for this marketing ploy, there was only 6,357 so I thought okay my picture will be small but still somewhat visible.

Now, I have no chance! NO CHANCE! You see, in the last few weeks, those participating in this project have topped 13,000 plus. Now my picture is going to be so small that you’ll need an electron microscope to see it.

The big winner here is not you or me, or even the person duped into believing they are the “Most Influential”… nope, the real winner is Fast Company.

The exposure! The virtual free publicity! The buzz! The added sales!

Is it Influential? Nah!
Is it Bribery? Borderline!
Is it a Great Marketing Concept? You bet!

Yes, you do have influence! More than you think! And, you don’t need the vindication of some magazine to prove it. You can create you own buzz, your own publicity and get exposure for your product and it doesn’t have to be a popularity contest…but it will be all about you. Not 13,000 other people.

Publicity is what you make it. Think big!

By: Rob Anspach

About the Author:
Rob Anspach is a “brilliantly savvy” entrepreneur who helps frustrated business owners regain the passion they once had by showing them how to be more effective in the marketplace. How to dramatically improve their business so they enjoy coming to work again. And, how to win over customers regardless of price. Discover how easy it is to make money using the power of the written word in your online or offline marketing, to attract and retain clientele and profit from your passions… visit http://www.robanspach.com today!

Afiliate Project X Review – Are You Ready To Roll The Dice?

January 28th, 2011

Can Affiliate Project X really take your affiliate marketing career to the next level? The truth is that applying the techniques in Affiliate Project X is like rolling the dice at the casino: you might win, but you may also lose.

For example, one of the tactics found in Affiliate Project X is about playing mind games with your buyer.

According to Affiliate Project X, instead of starting off a product review by saying good things about the product, you should start off by creating an element of doubt. It isn’t until about the mid-phase of your review that you would start saying good things about the product, and then you would hopefully entice the buyer to purchase the product by offering a bonus.

Does this work?

It really depends on who you talk to. Some people have claimed to have made several hundred dollars in a very short period of time with the methods they learned in Affiliate Project X, while some people have LOST several hundred dollars in a very short amount of time using the same methods.

As you can see, there is a certain amount of risk to the tactics Affiliate Project X teaches, and it gets even riskier when you apply the Google Adwords strategies found in Affiliate Project X.

For example, Affiliate Project X recommends bidding up to $1.00 per click to get into the top position on Google Adwords. This is a risky tactic, not only because you are trying to play mind games with your visitors, but also because many products do not convert at 1 in 100!

The final verdict:

These are only a few of the strategies discussed in Affiliate Project X, and not all of the strategies discussed in Affilaite Project X are risky. However, you must realize that you will be rolling the dice with many of the marketing tactics Affiliate Project X teaches. You might make money…but you might not. Affiliate Project X is more than a tad overpriced at $97. There are much better products which teach you how to earn money online, such as Honest Riches, Wealthy Affiliate, and Beating Adwords.

By: Keith Riffle

About the Author:
Keith has been earning money online with affiliate programs for over a year. To find out which programs will help you make money online, please visit http://WealthyAffiliateReview.net

Project Management

January 28th, 2011

Project Management – Key To Success In Business

Project management is at the heart of any project. Irrespective of the type of project, whether it is on information technology, engineering, building, construction or development services, project management services can often become the key to making a project successful. However, it can mean different things for different organizations and people. For example, for some, it can signify procedures and policies that help in accomplishing projects. For others, it can signify the use of similar templates and technologies and better training.

Project Management – A Necessity For Success In Business

In today’s competitive business environment, the focus is on utilizing the available resources to achieve maximum results. In other words, a business would want to deploy the least number of resources to derive the best results possible. This can mean tighter budgets, shorter deadlines, and less human resources. Business margins often become tight in a competitive marketplace and project management helps a business stay competitive by better resource planning and deployment. This is often the road to move forward for most businesses.

What Does Project Management Mean For Businesses?

Project management means the following for most businesses:

* Defining standardized processes
* Deciding about standardized templates and tools
* Developing competencies
* Assessing skills against competencies
* Efficient resource planning
* Developing strategic and long-term plans for training
* Developing formalized coaching and mentoring plans

The Need To Change

The world is changing rapidly and the business environment is shifting too. Thus, a business cannot afford to sit back and follow the same path, even if that path has produced great results in the past. The fact is that what may have worked before may not be effective tomorrow. Therefore, a business must always change to manage the chaotic and ever-changing environment better, and find new and improved ways.

Project administration or management helps a business manage chaos through a disciplined approach, so that controls can be exercised to ensure that results are achieved within the available resources.

Value for money and efficient business administration have always been important factors, but these have probably become even more crucial factors today given the current economic situation and a stiff competition in the marketplace.

Role Of A Project Manager

A project manager is responsible for the following:

People Management: Efficiency of people is critical in any business; a business must be concerned about how human resources are being managed. This includes skill and knowledge identification, and proper deployment.

Establishing The Controls: There are 4 keys: tasks, schedules, costs, and expectations. Once a project has been planned, it needs to be monitored closely to ensure its progress as per the expectations. Through proper management, alternative plans must be developed in case the project is unable to progress according to the plans.

Need For Training: The manager needs to ensure that those involved in the project are properly trained. If specific knowledge is required, the manager must ensure that people with the required knowledge and skills should be hired or additional training be imparted.

By: Virginia Mccullough

About the Author:
http://www.providenceprojects.ie offers Project Management [http://www.providenceproject] services in the building, construction, and development industry in Ireland. Based in Dublin, the company has professional managers who are experienced in offering consultancy for major international projects.