I am easily inspired… that’s right, easily inspired by great ideas and strategies that will help me grow my business by helping others become successful. Yesterday, I interview one of my dearest online friends and business associates Tatyana Gann aka “Russian Diva” on the topic of Social Media 2.0 – listen to the reply here: Public Relations 2.0 Featuring Tatyana Gann

The interview was filled with great information and several resources to help you utilize public relations regardless of the size of your business or level of experience. I encourage you to listen to the show and take lots of notes, it was a content packed interview.

I would like to share a few thoughts of my own on the topic of how to leverage public relations and social media to drive traffic and build your list.

First, what is public relations?

Public Relations (or PR) is a field concerned with maintaining public image for high-profile people, commercial businesses and organizations, non-profit associations or programs. - wikipedia.org

Public Relations (PR) a promotion intended to create goodwill for a person or institution. – wordnetweb.princeton.edu

Second, what is social media?

Social Media are media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media use web-based technologies to transform and broadcast media monologues into social media dialogues. - wikipedia.org

Social Media are primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. [1] The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. - creativemediafarm.com

Methods to Leverage Social Media

1. Use “Third Party Endorsements” and “Social Proof” to Influence Your Audience

2. Use Traditional Media to Build Preeminence in Your Market

3. Use Public Relations to Drive Content to Your Social Media Networks

4. Use Social Media to Target Your Audience for News Releases

5. Use Social Media to Manage and Support Your Public Relations Campaigns and Manage Your Brand

Ways Which Public Relations Supports Your Brand

1. Provides a Proactive Method to Control Messages About You and Your Business

2. Provides You with a Platform to Establish One Way Communication with Your Online Audience

3. Provides a Funnel for You to Direct New Readers and Established Followers ANYWHERE on the Internet that You Desire

4. Provides a Platform to Manage What Others are Saying About You

5. Provides Your Brand Notoriety and Familiarity in Your Marketplace

In the coming days I will be posting a video presentation that will explain these strategies in much greater detail along with a list of resources that will allow you to effectively execute your own leveraged public relations and social media strategy.

Here are a few resources you may want to review as I will share some tips on these time saving results producing resources in the tools:

1. Hostgator – Website Hosting Discount Coupon Code: askjamesholmes

2. Scribe – SEO Plug in to optimize your content

3. SpyFu – To conduct keyword research in your niche

4. Tatyan Gann’s PR Traffic Secrets 2.0 Video Course

Please be sure to post a comment and let me know how you are using public relations or social media in your business. Be sure to view my free video training on this important topic in the next few days.

I am here to help you succeed in your business and life!

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

Note: I am a Affiliate Marketer and it should be assumed that links provided within the content of this blog and individual blog post are affiliate links from which I may be compensated for sales made at the recommended sites. All products and service recommendations are made as a result of my personal experience with the product or service provider.

*************************
Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

Join me on Wednesday September 1st for a very special interview and webinar invitation featuring Tatyana Gann of Smokin Hot PR. We will be discussing strategies and tips to help you… become your own publishing juggernaut!

Learn how to …

Promote your product, e-book, services and personal brand

Find sources of inspiration for your marketing and brand messages

Identify new marketing methods and resources to breath new life into your business

How to leverage online methods to explode your offline business

Directly reach your targeted audience using PR 2.0

How to build a massive list through PR!

Here are the show details:

Show: The Internet Business Blueprint Podcast

When: Wednesday September 1st from 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST

Web-Host: Blog Talk Radio

Show Page: http://www.JamesHolmesRadio.com

Call In Number: 1 (646) 727-3058

Chat Room Open: Yes

Be sure to post a comment or share your experience with PR and Social Media. If you like this article and found it useful, please feel free to tweet it, share it on Facebook, or bookmark it using the resources posted below.

I am here to help you succeed in your business and life!

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

*************************

Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

I have benefited tremendously from the majority of information products that I have acquired during my time online. I dramatically shortened my learning curve by reading e-books on a variety of topics which have empowered me to build a thriving Internet Marketing business.

There are several topics which every marketer must master in order to leverage their efforts and produce consistent results. Recently a fellow marketer and good friend of mine and fellow marketer suggested that I create a giveaway website and share a couple of e-books from my library free of charge.

I have done something even better and I want to share it with you today. I have a total of seven popular titles covering a variety of topics relevant to Internet Marketing all for you to access for free. In addition, I am going to offer you “Give Away Rights” to the full collection so that you can pay it forward and duplicate my actions.

The process to claiming your free e-books is simple – follow these steps

1. Go Here and Enter Your Name and Email Address: http://BuildASubscriberList.net

2. Immediate access will be granted to download your free e-books

3. Consider the “Give Away Rights” offer for the use of my system

Here are a few of the titles you will receive for free

Advanced SEO Techniques (Currently selling for $27!)
Maximum Profits With Private Label Rights (Currently selling for $27!)
Become An Affiliate Marketing Master (Currently selling for $27!)
Viral Traffic Generation (Currently selling for $27!)
Dominate The Web 2.0 Market (Currently selling for $27!)
Super Joint Venture Secrets (Currently selling for $27!)
Blogging For Cash (Currently selling for $27!)

Once you have downloaded all seven books, select one of the titles that relates to an area in your business you are currently working on or want to learn more about. As with everything, an idea is only as good as the action taken to produce results.

I am here to help you succeed in your business and life!

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

*************************

Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

How to you find the real deal when looking for a home based business? Simple enough question but the answers may surprise you – then again maybe not. Join me on Monday August 16th for a very special podcast interview with Elysse Curry author Of “How To Find The Real Deal without Getting A Raw Deal” a guide for busy women who want to work from home.

Elysse Curry is the founder and CEO of Curry communications, coaching women om personal leadership development. A successful conventional business owner, Elysse built a six figure MLM business in additional to running her other businesses. Elysse is the recipient of the 2003 Business Woman of the Year Award and the 2008 Women in Leadership National Award.

During this fast paced interview, we are going to demystify the process of valuating home business opportunities and provide you with a fail safe process empowering you to cut through the hype, misinformation and fraud that unfortunately exists in many companies in the home business niche.

As a bonus, we will explore the top ten reasons home-based businesses fail and how to avoid making the same mistakes. What you learn on the podcast today will serve you for the rest of your home business career and provide you with a process to evaluate and recognize the good opportunities and those that you should avoid.

We also are pleased to announce Elysse will be launching her new podcast this week and I am honored to be her first guest. More details to come in a follow up post. Please be sure to join us for both podcast.

The Internet Business Blueprint Podcast is dedicated to internet marketers and home based business professionals in network marketing, affiliate marketing, and direct selling. I provide coaching, resources and tools to help you build your business by growing your list, adding value, evolving your tribe, and earning daily revenue through your marketing funnel.

Here are the show details:

Show: The Internet Business Blueprint Podcast

When: Wednesday August 16th at 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST

Web-Host: Blog Talk Radio

Show Page: http://www.JamesHolmesRadio.com

Call In Number: 1 (646) 727-3058

Chat Room Open: Yes

Be sure to post a comment below. If you like this article and found it useful, please feel free to tweet it, share it on Facebook, or bookmark it using the resources posted below.

I am here to help you succeed in your business and life!

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

*************************

Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

I have launched two new article sites Answers Junction and My Ezine World each will bring you tons of targeted traffic if you apply yourself and answer the questions that have been submitted by readers of the site. I recommend that you spend 10 minutes every-other day on each site.

Answers Junction is designed to provide web-surfers with authoritative answers to there questions in a variety of niches. I am going to provide you with a brief review of each site and then share a few ideas on how you can benefit from each site.

as I write this post there have been 2383 published answers and many more questions awaiting the expertise of the Internet community – perhaps you! Simply view the menu tabs on the home page, select a sub-catagory that you have specialized knowledge – for example “Internet Business + Traffic Generation” and answer questions that have been posted in that category.

If you have specialized knowledge in a niche that is not currently included on the site please leave a comment here or on the “Contact Us” form on the site and I will research your niche and consider adding it to Answers Junction.

Full access to the site is free and you can use as many articles as you need to maximize your viral marketing efforts.

Here are a few ways to leverage this site and drive traffic:

1. Post YOUR Answers on the posted question and include “deep links” on our comment registration form. This means that you link to a related article within your blog, not just your home page URL. If you have not authored a post that is a perfect match, find something similar and link that post.

2. Copy the question and your answer reply URL and send it out with a Tweet – Twitter is very powerful!

3. Bookmark the posted questions and answers on your favorite social bookmarking sites.

4. Write reviews on your blog on articles that interest you.

5. Record a video by reading the question and answering the question into your webcam and post a link to your answer in the reply.

This site will evolve over time and I would encourage you to check back frequently. Shortly, I will be adding a subscribe via RSS feature so that you will be updated as soon as new questions in need of answers becomes available.

I am here to help you succeed in your business and life!

Be sure to check out the site: http://AnswersJunction.com

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

*************************

Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

I have launched two new article sites that will bring you tons of targeted traffic if you think a little outside of the box and spend 10 minutes every-other day on each site. Both sites are article sites and as you know articles can be used several ways to drive traffic to your blogs or websites. I am going to provide you with a brief review of each site and then share a few ideas on how you can benefit from each site.

The first site is called  ”My Ezine World” and it is a niche e-zine article site that post articles in a wide range of niches and the articles are updated daily. You will note that in addition to aggregating  niches ranging from self improvement to politics, I have also created a category titled “Internet Marketing” with 22 subcategories - new categories will be added every month along with hundreds of new e-zine articles.

When it comes to sourcing popular content in the Internet and social media niches “Mashable” and “Tech Crunch” are among the best resources and both are closely followed. I have added an RSS feed for both of these powerful sites allowing you to source their articles on My Ezine World to bookmark, tweet to and help leverage to help you drive traffic.

If you are working in a niche that is not currently included on the site please leave a comment here or on the “Contact Us” form on the site and I will research your niche and the authority sites in the niche and consider adding it to My Ezine World.

Full access to the site is free and you can use as many articles as you need to maximize your viral marketing efforts.

Here are a few ways to leverage this site and drive traffic:

1. Post comments on the articles and include “deep links” with your comment registration. This means that you link to a related article within your blog, not just your home page URL. If you have not authored a post that is a perfect match, find something similar and link that post.

2. Copy the article URL and send it out with a Tweet.

3. Bookmark the articles that interest you on social bookmarking sites.

4. Write reviews on your blog on articles that interest you.

5. Post comments from the RSS feed for “Articles by James Holmes” and I will come by your site and return the favor. It is all about helping each other.

This site will evolve over time and I would encourage you to check back frequently. Shortly, I will be adding a subscribe via RSS feature so that you will be updated as soon as new content is available.

I am here to help you succeed in your business and life!

Be sure to check out the site: http://myezineworld.com

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

*************************

Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

My friend and GVO associate Gerry Schroeder has put something together that he knows is really SIC! It is a brand new membership site called “Second Income Coach” and it launched on July 5th and it is going to be a huge hit! When Gerry showed the site to me, I knew that I could recommend it to my readers and podcast listeners without hesitation.

I am pleased to welcome Gerry Schroeder as my special guest on the Internet Business Blueprint Podcast 9th on Friday July . During our interview you will learn about Gerry’s amazing track record online and the story behind Second Income Coach. We also will explore how Second Income Coach can help you learn how to succeed online.

So what is Second Income Coach?

Second Income Coach is a site dedicated to anyone who wants to be a “Ten-Thousandaire” – yes, I said ten-thousandaire. Every day literally thousands of people log online searching for a solution to add an additional $1,000-$5,000 per month into their household budgets. They are looking for a second income, a plan-b, a real road map to solve budget problems and improve the quality of their lives. That is what Second Income Coach is designed to do.

Second Income Coach is not a “primary business opportunity” it is a funded proposal that will help you explode your primary business. A funded proposal is a sales funnel that allows you to pre-sell yourself (personal branding) and your opportunity by selling a low cost information product to your prospect to develop trust.

Here are the show details:

Show: The Internet Business Blueprint Podcast

When: Friday July 9th at 1:00 PM EST

Web-Host: Blog Talk Radio

Show Page: http://www.JamesHolmesRadio.com

Call In Number: 1 (646) 727-3058

Chat Room Open: Yes

If you would like to sign up for a Free Account to Second Income Coach follow this link:

SIC OFFER

I hope  you can join us, it promises to be a fun and enlightening interview and I believe you will quickly recognize the unique quality that has been built into this website. You will learn how to generate web traffic, build a list, create cash-flow to fund your advertising, how to convert leads and much more. I look forward to seeing you on the program.

I am here to help you succeed in your business and life!

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

Note: I am a Affiliate Marketer and it should be assumed that links provided within the content of this blog and individual blog post are affiliate links from which I may be compensated for sales made at the recommended sites. All products and service recommendations are made as a result of my personal experience with the product or service provider.

*************************
Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

I love innovative new social media sites that provide marketers and social media types – like me… the opportunity to leverage to my work and build value for my brand. My friends Tim Linden and Jon Olson showed me this cool site that just launched and I signed up and created a profile right away.

The site is called IM faceplate and it is a very simple site to set-up and create your profile. IM Faceplate allows you to leverage all of your social media properties, RSS feeds, videos, podcast, and personal links. The site has a very clean interface and is monetized to earn commissions for you by adding your ClickBank user ID.

Let me tell you why I like IM faceplate. First, I like the focus as it allows you to quickly build a social network of marketers and develop professional relationships. From there the sky is the limit, strategic partners, JV opportunities, new clients and more!

In addition to the pure opportunity for business, I love the way in which you can utilize this site and community of marketers to brand yourself. As I begin to explore this site and develop creative strategies for marketing with the site – I will let you know.

To Join IM faceplate go here: IM faceplate Free Account

I am here to help you succeed online and achieve your ideal Internet lifestyle!

Be Sure to Visit My Profile: http://www.imfaceplate.com/JamesHolmes

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

*************************

Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

*************************

Forums (new school) and Message Boards (old school) are among the most interactive of all membership websites. Forums are traffic magnets and they exist in literally thousands of niches, test me on this and you will find one in every niche that comes to mind.

Forums are membership sites that are designed to serve large groups of people who share a common interest and contribute to topics and comment on the comments of others known as threads. Threads are simply topics that members offer commentary, provide feedback and recommend resources through an evolving conversation.

There are many reasons why you should  participate in a few quality forums including; mastermind with successful online marketers, benefit from the experiences of fellow marketers, identify joint venture partners, share your ideas and much more.

So where does the marketing come in? As a registered member of a forum (typically a free membership), you are allowed to create a signature box where you can briefly introduce yourself and … here is the key …. add a link to your website or name squeeze page.

Follow these 10 steps to effectively market in forums:

1. Select forums that are in your targeted niche and only join sites where you feel you will enjoy being a contributor.

2. Think carefully about your signature box and be sure to link to a page that includes a subscriber opt-in form. This can be your blog or a squeeze page which includes an ethical bribe. An ethical bribe is a free offer of an item of value in exchange for the subscribers name and email address.

3. Introduce yourself to your fellow form members. Typically there will be a thread that prompts you to take this first step, if not simply start a thread and let the members know who you are and why you joined the forum.

4. Search the current and active topics, read carefully those that interest you and begin adding intelligent and relevant comments to a few threads. If you have an interesting idea for a thread … start it!

5. Be professional and demonstrate your expertise in your niche. The more narrow your area of focus the easier it will be for the members to identify your unique knowledge and expertise.

6. Be professional and friendly … avoid being controversial for controversy sake. But at the same time do not be afraid to be opinionated. Respond constructively to all comments addressed to you personally and avoid verbal duals.

7. Before pressing the “send” button, read your comments and make sure they add to the advancement of the topic and truly add value.

8. Do not “pitch” your products, services or business opportunities. If you have a solution to a problem that arises in the thread you can offer your solution.

9. If you have access to giveaway rights or better yet if you have your own products offer gifts of value such as e-books, Mp3s, videos, etc. The other members will appreciate your generosity and when they register to claim your gift they will be joining your list.

10. It is acceptable to market in forums, I promise that a large percentage of the other forum members are there for the same purpose, just be careful or you will quickly be labeled a spammer. Treat your marketing efforts much as you would in a social network – it is like being at a party… use your manners and good judgment!

Ready to get started?

Here are two forums that I recommend you start with assuming that you want focus on the Internet Marketing niche.

The Warrior Forum is recognized as the most authoritative forum on Internet Marketing. Follow the link below, sign up for your free account and introduce yourself to the community. To get the most out of The Warriors Forum get involved by reviewing the active topics and engaging in the conversation.

Here is the link: Warrior Forum

Net Marketing Forum (NMF) is the best forum serving those focusing on traffic and down-line building using traffic exchanges, safelist and down-line builders. Follow the link below, sign up for your free account and introduce yourself to the community. To get the most out of Net  Marketing Forum get involved by reviewing the active topics and engaging in the conversation.

Here is the link: Net Marketing Forum

Please be sure to post a comment and let me know if this article was helpful for you.

I am here to help you succeed and live your ideal Internet lifestyle by created multiple income streams!

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

*************************

Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

*************************

Worldprofit was founded in 1995 and has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 1999. Founded by Dr. Jeffrey Lant, Sandi Hunter, and George Kosch this unique group of home business experts and independent home business entrepreneurs work together to help individuals create a sustainable income working on the Internet.

To claim a free Associate MembershipVisit: http://www.MyWorldprofit.net

I created this presentation to provide a overview of Worldprofit and to highlight the benefits of Worldprofit’s Silver Business Package.

Worldprofit Home Business Experts

Please be sure to post a comment and let me know if this overview was helpful to you in evaluating if Worldprofit is a viable option for you. Let me know if I can help you if you are searching for the right program to address your personal goals and objectives.

I am here to help you succeed!

P.S. Worldprofit is a “Top 10 Home Busines” traffic opportunity according to:

Alexa Ratings

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

*************************

Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

*************************