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By: Dorian Greer
You're neck deep in competition, and sometimes the profits just
don't find you. Your advertising venues are shoulder-to-shoulder
with other people's offers, and it's getting slower to squeeze
out a profit.
You search for something new, always on the look-out for that
particular edge that'll make it all happen; a new associate
program, a new technique, a new advantage that will bring your
ship home.
What you need, my friend, is a "killer product" that no one else
has but you! That, coupled with a self perpetuating delivery
mechanism can make all the difference in the world. "Difficult to
do", you say? Not at all.
In today's Internet marketing environment, particularly in the
small business arena, the winners have consistently used a viral
marketing approach with a product designed to specifically
execute this winning strategy. It's almost a necessity.
So what is this killer product; the actual "virus" that brings
home the bacon?
Let's define a few of its characteristics:
1. It's something at which people cannot resist taking a
peek. Sometimes people pay for it; sometimes it's free.
But it's always something difficult to resist a look.
2. It's something that can be passed from one person to
another without degradation or dilution. It is typically
also something a person would "want" to pass to another.
3. The content of the virus brings the recipient to a
desired state, or location, where an "action" can be
processed. The action can be a purchase, a subscription,
or anything that requires someone to "do" something. The
virus has a purpose.
You see these products every day. Though they may be subtle,
sometimes even hidden, the distribution mechanism is often the
same. You can typically find some of these mechanisms directly in
your "Downloads" folder.
If you've been at this marketing game for a while, you'll likely
have several of them sitting there smiling at you. You may even
be a carrier, offering them to others in your halo of altruism.
It's okay.
They're called ebooks. Surprised? The most heavily leveraged
ebooks ask you to pay for them. They then convince you to
subscribe to the service, such as a newsletter.
Then, they convince you to subscribe to the affiliate program, so
you can become a carrier and benefit from its propagation. The
cycle then repeats itself with someone else.
Pay keenly to the awareness of the virus "mechanism". It is the
ebook! Yet too many would-be marketers fail to recognize the
power of ebooks because they think it requires too much work to
create and execute.
This faux pas is directly attributable to the linguistic error
that ebooks are electronic books. Wrong! Ebooks are not
electronic books, they're portable web sites (that can be made to
look and feel like a book).
While others are struggling to get targeted traffic, smart
marketers are simply "distributing" their mini-sites all over the
'Net. And in most cases they have others do it for them! (Even
AFTER they've paid for it!)
Are there other carrier mechanisms than the ebook? Of course! But
the more relevant question is: How many carrier mechanisms can
the average 'Net marketer "tailor design" expressly to the
advantage of themselves or their clients, by themselves?
Thinking of the ebook in terms of function, instead of
linguistics, opens all sorts of doors. It can be a catalog, a
coupon, a game piece, a feedback device, an order form, and more
... none of which requires writing a book.
If you're still looking for that "killer product" that no one
else has but you, it may be time to put on a new thinking cap.
Following the crowd is one thing; becoming a leader is another.
You cannot lead when someone else pulls the strings.
Rekindle your entrepreneurial spirit and create something
desirable that is uniquely yours. It is the mechanism, the actual
carrier, that you must eventually develop. It is here in which
you may find your own killer marketing virus, catching the wind
like a finely crafted sail, in a sea of competition.
About the Author
Dorian Greer is founder of METATROPOLIS, Inc., and has
specialized in creating and selling ebooks since 1997. He is the
author of The Web Marketer's Target Market Finder, and others.
http://www.ebooks-ibooks.com
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