Affiliate since: 10/06/2013, Power Rank: 99999999

Keycodes, yes, very practical.

I just tell you about a very simple additional method to check whether particular site is efficient with your particular ad or not. This is a little different indicator, as it shows not where your sign-ups come from, but where the interest is raised at all. It is called Click-Through-Rate (CTR) and is proportion of clicks on your ad compared to the number of shows.

Most Traffic Exchanges and Mailers show it automatically, so you can get an idea whether the public there is interested or not. Also take into consideration that some sites offer very extensive numbers of shows, so even low CTR-s may bring you sign-ups.

One more detail I mentioned somewhere already - be careful with CTR-s given by Mailers for your email ads. They show only how often your mail was opened, not whether it was read.

And another matter: tracking is good, but is won't solve anything if your ads are not composed well. Rebecca Smith wrote recently a mail - I don't know for how wide public exactly - where she summarized it very well. As probably not all of you read it, I stress the most important aspects:
- raise interest at once,
- be to the point,
- be as brief as possible.

Hope that helps.
less

Keycodes, yes, very practical.

I just tell you about a very simple additional method to check whether particular site is efficient with your particular ad or not. This is a little different indicator, as it shows not where your sign-ups come from, but where the interest is raised at all. It is called Click-Through-Rate (CTR) and is proportion of clicks on your ad compared to the number of shows.

Most Traffic Exchanges and Mailers show it automatically, so you can get an idea
...more

Affiliate since: 10/06/2013, Power Rank: 99999999

Frankly speaking, use of your own SFI site for promotion instead of just helping your downline is suboptimal.
Main reason: in this case you don't use the funnel principle. It says you should offer variety of products, not just one. People like to feel they make decisions. If you promote just one article, the choice is to buy or not to buy. The answer will be mostly NO! If you use funnel principle, the choice is WHAT to buy. All or most other products may be connected with SFI somehow, e.g. as promotion tools.
Finally, you promote SFI/TC anyway, even if it does not seem so.
You cannot do that with own SFI site, as this method will be deemed as cross-solicitation.
So I think the SFI page can be optimally utilized for internal use, not external promotions and not recruiting.
less

Frankly speaking, use of your own SFI site for promotion instead of just helping your downline is suboptimal.
Main reason: in this case you don't use the funnel principle. It says you should offer variety of products, not just one. People like to feel they make decisions. If you promote just one article, the choice is to buy or not to buy. The answer will be mostly NO! If you use funnel principle, the choice is WHAT to buy. All or most other products may be connected with SFI somehow, e.g. as
...more

Affiliate since: 10/06/2013, Power Rank: 99999999

Separate language forums are not a new idea - they are quite common on PTC sites.
The language barrier problem is also quite real. I myself have a CSA who used to be inactive till I accidentally addressed her in her own language I master quite well. Now she is enthusiastic and everything.
So yes, these things could be useful.

But... always these buts.
1) As someone already mentioned, SFI is international company and the most international language now is English. If tomorrow it will be Chinese, we all should start to study Chinese, I am not joking. For today everyone had better communicate in English to reach the widest public possible. There are translation programs, they may help everyone, even if all of us are aware they are far from perfect.

2) On PTC-s I mentioned, there are no training materials or webinars in alternative languages - just Forums. You are given the possibility to say something on your mother tongue and read replies of your mates speaking same language. Nothing else.

Finally, there is a horrific example of total inefficiency and terrible waste of time and money in the EU, translating everything in all languages of all members. BTW I strongly doubt all their translations are precise, so they can expect facing legal disputes on this basis too.

OK, they are politics and can throw the money of tax payers in fire with joy - till they are crucified or something eventually.
We are businessman I believe and no one is paying taxes to waste to us. Do we want to waste our own money? I don't think so.

Final verdict: you can organize anything in any language to get better results and that's OK. But it's your own time, money and commitment.

Thinking more generally: if you join an international company, learn English please.

I hope I did not hurt anyone's feelings. English is not my mother tongue, BTW.
less

Separate language forums are not a new idea - they are quite common on PTC sites.
The language barrier problem is also quite real. I myself have a CSA who used to be inactive till I accidentally addressed her in her own language I master quite well. Now she is enthusiastic and everything.
So yes, these things could be useful.

But... always these buts.
1) As someone already mentioned, SFI is international company and the most international language now is English. If tomorrow
...more

Affiliate since: 10/06/2013, Power Rank: 99999999

If you are ECA yourself, you just share your experience.

The real question is what if you are not. In that case it is not realistic you can be their mentor in all fields.

What you can do, is to browse through TripleClicks and compare the ideas of your sponsored ECA with the overall offers in TC. That applies to offer format, discount offers and prices of similar products being sold by other ECA-s.

I actually had a negative experience with a new ECA I connected with. The owner did not offer any discounts at all, set exorbitant prices compared to the market and did not translate the descriptions of products to English. When I told her she should change something, the answer was that is :-( for her. I could not do anything, only disconnect. I am not sure she is still with us.

Nevertheless, you may warn new ECA-s if they are going to do something wrong. If they listen, you helped. If not, they will disappear anyway.
Hardly anything else.
less

If you are ECA yourself, you just share your experience.

The real question is what if you are not. In that case it is not realistic you can be their mentor in all fields.

What you can do, is to browse through TripleClicks and compare the ideas of your sponsored ECA with the overall offers in TC. That applies to offer format, discount offers and prices of similar products being sold by other ECA-s.

I actually had a negative experience with a new ECA I connected with.
...more

Affiliate since: 10/06/2013, Power Rank: 99999999

First of all, I think this question is concerning mostly EA-s with no stable team yet. Other groups, both newbies and TL-s, do not really depend on the beginning of month, they have their specific circumstances, very individual in each case.

So I answer just as EA2 striving for more but not there yet.

Do all the scheduled VP tasks you can, as always. But! Do not do anything specific inside of SFI until you do not know where you stand. Wait for your regular 10 TC plus eventual prizes from contest, commissions perhaps, maybe reviews to made for VP-s, etc.
Gather them all first and set up your plan only after that. You still have plenty of time and can plan exactly how you keep or raise your status.

That does not relate to your promotion work done outside of SFI - but this work has to be done every day, no matter whether it is beginning of month or anything.

I hope I answered your question. Unusual standpoint? Of course. Why should I tell trivialities which might be even wrong, despite sounding good?
less

First of all, I think this question is concerning mostly EA-s with no stable team yet. Other groups, both newbies and TL-s, do not really depend on the beginning of month, they have their specific circumstances, very individual in each case.

So I answer just as EA2 striving for more but not there yet.

Do all the scheduled VP tasks you can, as always. But! Do not do anything specific inside of SFI until you do not know where you stand. Wait for your regular 10 TC plus eventual
...more

Affiliate since: 10/06/2013, Power Rank: 99999999

It depends. When you are forwarding generally applicable recipes to your whole team, 1 time a week is enough - and do not repeat things SFI tells anyway, say something not so evident. But when you notice anyone in your team makes things in suboptimal way, you have to intervene and give him right tip immediately, no matter how much you communicate. If he/she listens, carry on like that. If not, switch to 1-week communication too and let him/her follow own ways, whether they are good or bad.

Hope this helps.
less

It depends. When you are forwarding generally applicable recipes to your whole team, 1 time a week is enough - and do not repeat things SFI tells anyway, say something not so evident. But when you notice anyone in your team makes things in suboptimal way, you have to intervene and give him right tip immediately, no matter how much you communicate. If he/she listens, carry on like that. If not, switch to 1-week communication too and let him/her follow own ways, whether they are good or bad.

Hope
...more

Affiliate since: 10/06/2013, Power Rank: 99999999

Sorry to say, I would advise them not to run any business, or run business where they can buy time with lots of money - provided they have that. SFI may be run on tight budget, but not on tight time limit. You have to build a team here and communicate with them. If you have no time for that, don't even dream of SFI.
They may choose some solo business instead where they can buy upgrades and rent/buy referrals outright, maybe this way 15 minutes/day could be enough, but they still have to manage their portfolio and this method is quite expensive.

So these people had better stay with things they spend time on now if they consider the situation unchangeable. Or revise their priorities and manage their time better. But in that case the question is irrelevant.
less

Sorry to say, I would advise them not to run any business, or run business where they can buy time with lots of money - provided they have that. SFI may be run on tight budget, but not on tight time limit. You have to build a team here and communicate with them. If you have no time for that, don't even dream of SFI.
They may choose some solo business instead where they can buy upgrades and rent/buy referrals outright, maybe this way 15 minutes/day could be enough, but they still have to manage
...more

Affiliate since: 10/06/2013, Power Rank: 99999999

All Affiliats should clearly see - that is their business, not their sponsor's. If they do nothing, they get nothing, regardless of what the sponsors do.
If they do nothing and get something, this is the point where you convey very wrong message to them, ruining their own career first of all.

Your task is not to do their job for them, but to show them how they can manage by themselves. They may get stuck at the start, overwhelmed by too much info they receive from SFI. You have to help them to put everything in order and optimize their personalized strategy.

But if you go further and start to implement it, they will never learn how to do that on their own. Stop here!
less

All Affiliats should clearly see - that is their business, not their sponsor's. If they do nothing, they get nothing, regardless of what the sponsors do.
If they do nothing and get something, this is the point where you convey very wrong message to them, ruining their own career first of all.

Your task is not to do their job for them, but to show them how they can manage by themselves. They may get stuck at the start, overwhelmed by too much info they receive from SFI. You have to
...more

Affiliate since: 10/06/2013, Power Rank: 99999999

Let me be devil's advocate again. I am internet marketer for several years, SFI is only meant to be the top of this structure. I have to say that in PTC and Traffic Exchanges/Mailers world use of fancy avatars is quite accepted and normal practice. I myself have a well-known avatar and I easily recognize others from theirs. Avatar can express anything sometimes even better than the photo.
Still taking my own example, my avatar makes it clear I am deadly serious about internet business. My photo - hmm... I have glasses and wear a formal suit sometimes. You can take it seriously, but it does not reflect anything. Actually I hate formal wear, so this photo is even deceptive. But I look like serious businessman... I hope... wow (?).
This is still not the worst case. I have seen lot of real photos, some of them are really good. One of the young women used black and white picture strongly resembling my first love. I even asked whether she really is that girl. Of course not, but I still remember her name and feel sympathy. Or there are simply photogenic faces just looking good and attracting.
Sorry to say, these are exceptions only - what is quite common is when people try to look better than they look really and you see exactly that - that this person tries desperately to look something he is not at all. Would you trust him/her? With reservations, right?
So use of real photos is at least double-edged method, I think.

Very personal opinion.
less

Let me be devil's advocate again. I am internet marketer for several years, SFI is only meant to be the top of this structure. I have to say that in PTC and Traffic Exchanges/Mailers world use of fancy avatars is quite accepted and normal practice. I myself have a well-known avatar and I easily recognize others from theirs. Avatar can express anything sometimes even better than the photo.
Still taking my own example, my avatar makes it clear I am deadly serious about internet business. My photo
...more

Affiliate since: 10/06/2013, Power Rank: 99999999

Do not forget SFI itself sends their own messages about that. Do not duplicate them and do not overwhelm your downline by throwing heaps of info on them at the very beginning. You will scare them away. So first message should probably contain only two essential points:
- Who you are and that you are here to help.
- How to make the Fast Track in optimal way and why - this one is important because of its urgency. They have 24 hours only and some time may have passed already. Furthermore, they should not waste for nothing the VP-s offered by SFI for one-time actions by collecting them in wrong moment.

You may tell there are still whole lot of important things, but... just ask them to contact you when they did what you advised them. BTW, never behave like a boss, stress you are their personal adviser only.
You will see immediately who is listening for you, who does not, but chooses their own path and who is here by mistake just sitting on the ground with sour faces and waiting for something good happen to them, all in vain.
All your further messages will be addressed to first two categories, but that goes beyond the boundaries of this question.
less

Do not forget SFI itself sends their own messages about that. Do not duplicate them and do not overwhelm your downline by throwing heaps of info on them at the very beginning. You will scare them away. So first message should probably contain only two essential points:
- Who you are and that you are here to help.
- How to make the Fast Track in optimal way and why - this one is important because of its urgency. They have 24 hours only and some time may have passed already. Furthermore,
...more