In my Ateam call this week I went through 6 marketing models in depth spelling out the pros and cons of each.

What about YOUR marketing model?

Do you have one?

Will it be dead in the morning?

Overnight, Google can slap seo models and crush your income.  I’m NOT against doing seo and ppc.

But if your whole model is built around Google, you’re certainly vulnerable.

If you’re using a product launch model, your merchant account be frozen in a heartbeat if too much money comes into your account too fast.

And even if you’ve received promises your account won’t be frozen, it can still happen.

The other vulnerability of product launch models is what if the sales letter doesn’t convert?

Think it doesn’t happen?  It does.

What about CPA-based models?  Same thing.  Just one adverse ruling by the FTC can really put a kink in the works.

NOTHING at all wrong with the cpa model. But if your whole livlihood depends on it, whew!

So what are MY criteria for a marketing model that lasts?

1.  Not likely to be zapped by Google

This means that if you DO use ppc and seo methods, you use ones that are relatively evergreen.

Plain and simple. Google wants quality content.

You need to provide that. You CAN outsource it. But the content needs to be there.

If you’re using tricks to Game ezinearticles.com, the same thing applies. Sooner or later, the directory will catch up to the tricks and that income source will be gone.

You only have so much time in a year. So doesn’t it make sense to invest that time into things that will last?

If nothing else, at least build SOME evergreen seo properties that will stand the test of time if Google zaps some of the others.

Again, we want to do the work ONCE and get paid over and over for it. That’s what I’m all about.  If you invest in strategies that don’t stand the test of time, you’re getting paid for weeks or months, not years.

That is STILL better than a job. But it’s not where you want to be.  Freedom is when you do the work once and get
paid over and over.

2.  Last for the long haul

Short term hits are fine for what they are. But you don’t build a business around them.

You build for the long term.

Is the work you’re doing today going to pay you dividends tomorrow?

Building a list and a relationship with your list will do that.

Building relationships with joint venture partners and affiliates will do that.

I’ve been doing this Game since before the WWW existed via AOL and Compuserve.  I’ve built my strategies for the
long haul, and I recommend you do the same.

Anyone can go in for the quick kill.  But will they be around in the morning?

3.  Steady monthly income

If you launch a new product every one to three months, you should have steady income.

It’s true that one of those products can flop. So you need OTHER sources of income also.

But consistently creating and promoting products IS part of the model.

4.  Recurring income

Having a source of recurring income covers your bills.

5.  Outsourceable

As much of the system as possible should be outsourceable. Otherwise, you’ll be doing the work yourself.

Just this past week, I bought directory submissions, article writing and press release submissions. Those are things I don’t want to do myself.

The one GOOD thing about ppc and seo methods are that they ARE outsourceable.  By nature, they’re repetitive.

To me, if you’re going to do this kind of thing, you need to spend most of your time on the most evergreen strategies you can find so your work today won’t go down the drain tomorrow.

6.  NOT a black box method

A black box method is one where only the guru on the  mountaintop knows the method.

And unless you’re in his or her inner circle, you’re screwed on all new events.

I believe very strongly in the value of paying for know how and intellectual property.

I just bought 3 or 4 info products last night. I do it all the time.  At the same time, if the guru has the corner on the method, you might think twice or three times before investing in it.

7.  Not subject to incessant changes

There are certain strategies that change all the time. My friends do very well with PPC. 

But man, looking back on my hard drive at the stuff I boought even one year ago on ppc and how it’s outdated
is crazy.

There ARE evergreen ppc strategies.  But it seems like it’s a constantly moving target. 

Nothing wrong with that if you want to keep up with it. Or if you can find an evergreen angle.

But all things being equal, I prefer a method or methods that don’t constantly change.  That way,  you don’t always
have to create new documentation and re-train your outsourcers.

In contrast, I can take info products I bought about recruiting affiliates or doing joint ventures.  Much or most of that stuff will WILL still apply today as much as it did a year ago.

Not that the affiliate landscape hasn’t changed. It has. Change is a constant in any endeavor. But I’d say the velocity of that change is less.

8.  Doable without being a genius

I KNOW the “gurus” who do some off the different strategies at an elite level.

Even they can’t train anyone else to do them! That’s how complex the strategies are or difficult to perform.

If you happen to be in that elite class of mindpower and skill, go for it.

I prefer methods that don’t require genius.

My Writer’s Secret system involves creating info products. This is NOT rocket science.  You can even hire writers to
create ebooks for $200 – $500 if you don’t want to write them yourself.

Alternatively, you can do videos and get a product out faster than you can spit.

I’m NOT saying anyone can do it. I AM saying I don’t see any reason you need to be unusually talented and skilled to do it.

9.  Doable without a coaching program

Coaching programs are great. They have a lot of value. But I don’t feel you should HAVE to join one in order to
follow a marketing model.

If you do, it’s a black box model where the secrets reside in one person.

Unlock the black box and follow a marketing model that is doable, practical and makes good sense.

If you make sure your marketing model meets these 9 steps, you’ll save yourself a ton of wasted time and money.

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How to Outsource Your
Marketing Model Using Systems
==============================

Now, let’s talk about how you make your marketing activities happen without having to do them all yourself.

It’s no secret.

I like playing more than I like working.  Mostly I play.

You can have playtime every day also IF you know how.

No doubt. There IS work.  It has to be done. Just not by you.

This means that your job is to create the system. If you’ve read Sam Carpenter’s brilliant book “Work The System” you know what I’m talking about.

You can’t have a smooth running business without systems that are documented and followed. 

The FIRST thing you need are processes that CAN be documented and outsourced to begin with.  You can’t do that with all marketing models.

Here are my steps to making it happen.

1. Write out the action steps

Whatever it is that needs to be done, you’ve got to boil it down to action steps someone else can do.

So go through the ebook and write out the action steps. Or Listen to the videos or read the transcripts and write out your action steps.

For a complex process, this will take time.  For example, right now, I’m having an outsourcer do seo work for designdashboard.com/blog.

I hired my primary outsourcer using the method at:
http://www.outsourceplan.com

I just got an email from John a minute ago and he’s overseas with his outsourcers even as I type this. Well, actually, he’s on the beach in boracay.  Someone has to do it.

Anyway, we have a lot left to do on my seo project. So I’ve been going through a course I have and writing down the steps.

I’ll be at Starbucks today making notes.  This is something I find to be pleasant and easy to do whilst drinking a cup
of coffee or tea.

I’m going to call this your action document.  It has WHAT needs to be done and HOW to do it.  If you can copy and paste a lot of this from the source files, it’ll save you time.

You WILL give the ebook, videos or source materials to your outsourcer. But usually, they’re going ot need you to boil it down for them.

2.  Put your steps into a checklist

Create a checklist that references the appropriate info on your action document.

Your outsourcer will follow this checklist.

Make sure steps are NOT omitted.  This is your LONG checklist and has all the steps to be done.

3.  Create the short sheet checklist

This is the checklist that has only the 7-10 most critical steps, so the absolutely essential things aren’t overlooked.

4.  Give clear assignments

Assign the checklist and make sure that consistent progress is made on doing it. Left to inertia, the thing probably won’t be fully followed or will only be half way followed.

This is why it’s best to set the expectations upfront and give the checklist.

5.  Give the system a spin

Have your outsourcer run through the process or you do it yourself.

The motto is plan, do, check, act.

Plan the work.  Do it or have someone else do it. Check to see that it was done right.  Act or adjust anything that wasn’t done correctly AND fix or clarify your checklist and action document.

The first time around you’ll almost certainly leave things out of your action document.

By getting things down to a checklist, you make sure all the steps are covered.  You make sure the outsourcer knows what they’re supposed to do and what’s expected of them.

You have a mutual agreement on what needs to be done.

Here’s something else to think about.

The more complex a process, the less the competition. In other words, if a process has a number of steps,
you’ll have less competitors than if it has only a few steps.

So THINK about your marketing model and what you plan on outsourcing. 

On the one hand, you need to find activities that don’t require you to personally do them.

On the other hand, the process can’t be too complex or you will have problems outsourcing.

And then you have to balance that with competition. Because the greater the number of steps involved, the less the competition.

Take all those factors into account.

When you have the right outsourcers in place with the right process — you have a well-oiled machine.

There are MANY marketing models that are too difficult to be outsourced at all.

In the ideal world, you figure out a process, document  it yourself, checklist it and train your outsourcers.

Now, you have a unique, differentiated process thast creates value.

Now that you have created value, you need to create a separate system or process for SELLING that value.

Part, or all, of that process can also be outsourced.

Or maybe you want to handle that part yourself.

You don’t have to DO everything yourself.  But you DO have to create great systems that make everything
happen.

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Marlon Sanders helps people with hopes and dreams figure out how to turn those into reality by selling stuff on
the Internet.  http://www.kerriesheehan.com/thewriterssecret

Will Your Marketing Model Be Dead In The Morning? is a post from: Kerrie Sheehan

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