Blog Traffic Tips

Forums are concentrated communities of highly targeted prospects that are all interested in the same things.

Why are they a great place to market your home business?

1. Forums are HIGHLY targeted.

2. You can learn great new tips and tricks on any particular topic.

3. Your links remain over time and increase in number with every one of your posts.

The biggest reason that forums are a great place to market your business is that people that click through to your ads will already be familiar with affiliate marketing or internet marketing because those are the types of forums where you’ll be promoting your business.

If a prospect from a home business or affiliate marketing forum sees value in what you’re promoting and joins your business they’ll already know how to get off to a fast start without your help.

You’ll be promoting your business through what’s called a “signature box”. I don’t get thousands of hits a day, but I probably get 20 – 30 highly targeted hits on average. With forums, that’s enough. It’s a constant flow that slowly grows over time.

If you post a comment on a highly viewed thread hundreds of prospects in a single day may see your signature box advertising your lead capture page.

I want to make it very clear that you should not post a comment just to get your signature box seen. This is SPAMMING and it’s distasteful.

The other forum members will know what you’re doing and they will remember you as being someone that tries to take away from the community instead of trying to add to it. Only add to the discussion if you have something of value to include otherwise just read, learn, and wait for your turn to chime in.

How do you find forums?

Just go to Google and do a search for home business forums or network marketing forums, you get the idea. Save yourself some time, if it looks like no one has made a post in a forum for the past month it’s probably not worth your time.

Here are a couple I visit regularly: wahm warriorforum

First you just register as a member of the forum, set up your “signature box”, and then simply participate.

Like I said before don’t SPAM! Chime in when it’s your turn and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you’ve had a burning question that you haven’t been able to find the answer to – forums are the best place to ask that question.

Find 5 forums in your target market and register yourself as a member. Commit to making a least three posts per day per forum from here on out.

Signature Tip: Always send people to your personal capture page that will grow your own list!

Sample Signature:

Residual Wealth Factor FREE 7 Day E-Course ads $1,000’s to your monthly income: yourleadcapturepagehere

By: Debbie Penner

Photo by Steve Woods

About the Author:

Spouses assume that the house should be **** and span and laundry done, among many other household chores. Friends call at all hours of the day and family members sometimes make offhanded comments, this can all undermine your efforts.

So, how do you deal with Wahm stereotypes?

Make your working schedule clear to your friends and family so that they will respect your working time:

Not every mom who stays at home works from home. If you have friends who do not work from home they can sometimes have a hard time understanding that your days are not always free to just come and go as you please. Such things as invitations to lunch, unexpected phone calls, uninvited guests can all throw a wrench into your work schedule.

Have a clear work schedule made up for yourself:

Setting yourself up with some specific office hours will help to make it clear to everyone that you are serious about your work. This way you are setting boundaries for your time. For example, your friends are more than welcome to call you before or after the work times that you have set for yourself.

If someone calls to chat, politely mention that you are working but will be free to talk after a certain time. Or you could even turn off your phone to avoid interruptions.

Don’t forget to schedule in your lunches and breaks. It may also be nice to schedule in an occasional visit, you don’t want to avoid your friends and family altogether and it will also reduce spontaneous drop-ins and invitations.

Helping your husband understand your work schedule:

You bet your booty that if you are home all day, then your husband is going to have difficulty understanding why it is that the housework isn’t done. To best solve this problem, you will want to familiarize him with the nature of your business.

Show him what it is that you do each day and how long it takes to do each task. Help him to understand your work schedule, and how much time you need to work per day. Most importantly, to help him realize the benefits of your work, show him how much money you are earning.

Then ask him for his feedback on how he thinks you can continue to work from home and maintain the household. One of the best solutions would be to share the household duties with him, you and your children. Taking care of the house is something that each family member shares a responsibility in.

Keep him aware of any special projects by tacking a list or calendar on the wall. This way, he can see that you may have a deadline to meet and that is why you have had to order pizza for dinner a couple of times in the past week!

You will need to be prepared for the thoughtless comments of others:

Most Wahms are hurt by thoughtless comments made by others about working from home. Family and sometimes even friends may say things like, “Well, you should have the time, after all, you are at home all day.”

In such a situation you would have two choices. You could get all upset and offer a distraught defense or you could take their comments with a grain of salt and calmly respond with something like, “Well, let me take a look at my work schedule. Unfortunately, I am not available on these days” or “That would be great on Thursday afternoon, which is when I specifically leave time in my schedule just for things like that.”

Although the number of Wahms is growing, you need to remember that working from home is new territory for many women. For the average person it will take them time to understand that in order to effectively work from home, they will be required to be committed and have a consistent schedule.

As far as how to deal with Wahm stereotypes remember that there will always be someone who you will not be able to convince that you are actually working while at home. However, maintaining respect for your own time is the best way for them to see that your work is a priority.

By: Connie McKenzie

About the Author:

Marketing Warriors

Whether or not you work from home is not always an easy decision to make though. Before you do make the decision you will need to take into account a few things.

1) Is working from home really the right thing for you and your family?

There are some decent benefits to working from home. You get to set your own hours, you no longer have to commute to and from work, and if the kids need you, you are there for them. However, there is a downside to consider. Some days, juggling family time and work time can be difficult, or should I say, a challenge.

2) Your present financial situation may suffer substantially in the beginning.

Making the wahm decision may involve leaving a high-paying full-time job in order to work part-time from home while you take care of the kids. You will likely find that there will be some financial adjustments. However, you will no longer be paying day care fees, which will save money.

When you think about, if you can at least make the same amount of money or even more by working part-time from home and looking after the kids yourself, it’s worth it to stay home. And what about all the other perks of raising your own kids while still earning money for the household, there are so many. Remember, they’re only young once, and to be able to stay at home with them is one of the top reasons why men and women choose a Wahm or Wahd career.

To be a successful work at home mom or dad you will need to have the following qualities or at the very least learn to develop them.

1) Self-motivation and Discipline

If you decide to work from home, your business will fit into one of two categories. You will work as an independent contractor or you will work for yourself. Whichever category you fit in, you will be responsible for your own work schedule. You will require a great deal of self-motivation and be able to work well without having the presence of dominating leadership in your place of work. Even if you do choose to work from home but for another company, you are still responsible for meeting deadlines etc.

2) Time Management is another good skill to have if you decide to work from home

Each day that you work outside of the home, you know that you are faced with the challenges of what things you will need to get done. For example, laundry, house cleaning, taking the kids from one recreational event to another, the list is endless.

When you are working from home and if you focus too much time on your work, your household duties will suffer and vice versa. Acquiring good time management skills will assist you in tackling the many different challenges of working from home.

A lot of thought and consideration needs to go into making the Wahm decision. If you are thinking of working from home for any reason, be it to spend more time with the family or other financial reasons. Take some time and write down the pros and cons to be considered. Discuss the idea with your family; be sure that you are doing the right thing for the whole family.

There are many resources online for anyone who is looking to learn more about the realities of working from home. Once you have thought-through your position and completed the essential research, you will then be much better equipped to make the right decision for you and your family.

By: Connie Kalincak

About the Author:

Moms Prosperity Network

Octupet

So what’s the lesson we are learning here? If we keep pumping out babies we will get a tv show, free house and free baby supplies? Read more about octuplet controversy.

The woman who gave birth to Octuplets in January was released from the hospital today. She not only made headlines for giving birth to octuplets but the real scandal followed when the public discovered she is a single mom and she already has 6 kids! Whoa!

Now, I love watching Jon & Kate Plus 8 as much as the next girl, and I am doing my very best not to judge, but I just don’t know what I would think if I saw this single mom’s family on television. The mother’s lawyer insists we would all think different if we heard her story. Well, I am waiting and it better be good.

According to news, she did receive some tv deals, but most of the baby companies are avoiding her like the plague because of the negative response from the public she is receiving. After all, someone had to pay for all of these costly procedures. And how is she now going to afford to raise 14 children (all supposedly conceived by artificial means on her own)? In fact, from news reports, it doesn’t sound like her family is too happy about it either.

I guess this is one of those wait and see scenerios to find out the rest of the story. I started reading some of 769 comments on of those stories and people are pretty upset calling her selfish and irresponsible to the children.   What’s your opinion?

Guest Post by Carrie Lauth

The Natural Mom Business Guide is one solid source of info. It includes an ebook with detailed information about researching your target market, the various ways to make money with a website, and how to get the traffic you need to earn income. It even has video and audio tutorials as well as printable “cheat sheets” you can keep by your computer to remind you of the essential steps you need to take in your business to build traffic and make more income.

* Doing business online doesn’t require one to keep regular hours. You can work early in the morning before the kids get up, during the baby’s nap, or late at night when everyone is in bed. And with the automation that the Internet has to offer, orders can be processed and virtual products delivered while you are sleeping or taking care of the kids.

* You can get some work done with the kids right by your side. Older children may even be able to help you with simple tasks. Did you know that the IRS allows you to deduct wages (up to a certain amount) paid to a child who is age seven or older to work in your home business from your taxes? I have even trained my oldest son to add articles to my websites. He earns a nice wage for doing so, far more than an allowance, and is providing a valuable service to me.

Moms make up a large portion of the people who are making money online. This allows them to take a hands-on approach to raising their children while still making money to support the household. They don’t have to count on a sitter to take care of their children’s needs, and they don’t have to make a commute part of their daily routine. It’s no wonder that the number of moms starting online businesses is growing in leaps and bounds.

If you need some assistance choosing a niche, get some coaching Invest in your business and get to the next level with from an experienced online marketer. Take the leap – you’ll be glad you did!

Carrie Lauth is an internet marketing mom who loves to help other moms launch profitable websites. She created the Natural Mom Business Guide  for women who want to market to the “natural family” niche. To learn about how she can give you one-on-one coaching, visit today.

I heard about this site the other day on CNN. I watched as this woman went grocery shopping and saved

Grocery Game

about $50 on her grocery bill due to this site! I had never heard of it before and wanted to spread the word. If you don’t know about it, check it out because in this economy, you could seriously save some money. The Grocery Game gives you a weekly list of all the supermarket coupons at your local markets. They are color coded so you can differentiate between good prices, stockpiling and which ones are free! You can try it out for a $1 trial.

Jon & Kate plus8 - Good Housekeeping Cover

I don’t know what it is that I love about this show, but when I am flipping the channels late at night, I just can’t resist watching Jon & Kate Plus 8. It just puts a smile on my face and I know I am not the only one, in fact it’s TLC’s highest rated show.

Maybe it’s the fact that when I watch them have fun together and get through even the toughest moments, I think, “If they can do it with 8, I should have no problem with 2!” (Working on that family of 4 ). Maybe it’s the fascination people have with multiples. I always thought it would be fun to have twins. I see how cool it is with my two who are 16 months apart, they are like best friends.

It’s also inspirational to see the transformation the family has gone through and how such a real and loving wholesome family is successful enough that Kate no longer has to work a part time job and they often attract incredible gifts in their lives like being invited to Oprah, a box at a Phillies game and even a trip to Hawaii. You’re watching a success story in the making, because let’s face it, staying on a budget would be pretty tough with a family of 8, but they are the law of attraction at work.

If you don’t watch it, at least check out this article this month in Good Housekeeping, it’s worth it.

Cheerleaders Stage Mock Execution

A skit at a recent pep rally at the Nacogdoches high school in Texas gets national attention. I actually heard about it on the CNN news a few hours ago. The skit actually portrays a group of cheerleaders dressed as the opposing team stealing the Nacogdoches mascot at which time, the Nacogdoches cheerleaders toting toy guns and cowboy hats come in to save their mascot, force the “opposing team” to kneel and the cheerleaders pretend to shoot them in the back of the heads, throwing fake money in the air as a celebration and then pulling them into a pile.

Now, let’s keep in mind while the principal of the school, some of the moms and administration defended the skit, toy guns are strictly prohibited from the school. Not to mention, not everyone found it quite so entertaining.

Some student members wrote an editorial in the school newspaper against the skit and more than 120 students signed a petition against gun promotion at pep rallies.

Nacogdoches Independent School District issued a statement following a Daily Sentinel story stating the district does not advocate the use of weapons or violence under any circumstances.

I would like you moms out there to read the stories and watch the movie for yourself and let me know your thoughts. 

Above photo by Daily Sentinel

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDsJOI4-lPk[/youtube]

I was just checking out some wahm sites the other day when I came across Wahm Cafe by Dianne. This blog is loaded with great information and resources to learn from other wahms just like you and me. Pretty cool eh? She has wahm reviews, a resource section, work at home ideas and just plain fun.  I wanted to share this one with you because I just love it as another wonderful venue to get ideas and see what other creative wahms are doing out there.

It just proves us moms can do anything! Where we find the time I don’t know. In fact, I am still tired from our Winnipeg road trip this weekend. (Oh, maybe it was the 16 hour drive each way. ).

Dianne also founded Wahms United, a resource of information regarding business, marketing and web development work at home moms.

Photo by Benjamin Earwicker

Wahms get to work at home with their babies