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charlesmoney-blog · 7 years ago

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How To Triple Your Website Traffic With Facebook And Enjoy Success

New Post has been published on https://charlesmoney.com/how-to-triple-your-website-traffic-with-facebook-and-enjoy-success/

How To Triple Your Website Traffic With Facebook And Enjoy Success

The most searched for Google search from website owners is, “How to get more traffic to my website.”

98 percent of the time, you will see, “Post to Social Media.” More specifically, you interpret this as, “Post your content to Facebook.” Then you tell yourself, “Oh no! Here we go again! I’ve tried this and it doesn’t work.”

Perhaps you haven’t explored the full potential of Facebook. There’s much more to Facebook than meets the eye.

Why you haven’t been getting website traffic from Facebook

First, I want to show you what you have been doing wrong. Hopefully I will discourage you from continuing with this bad habit.

You are probably falling into the same trap as I did when I started out.

Hit and Run Marketing

You create, you post, you hope for the best and you move on to something else. This is my sad description of hit and run marketing. Website traffic doesn’t fall from the sky. You have to go out there and get it. .

“Post it and Forget It” doesn’t cut it. Hit and run may work in baseball, but not in online marketing.

In my first year, I thought my content was so good, that people would run to my website when they saw my post on Facebook. Sorry! It doesn’t work this way. It took me a year to discover that I was getting zero website traffic.

No matter how great your content, this one shot deal of “Post it and Forget It” will not work. Your content has to be promoted. You have to get it out there for people to see. Posting it one time, and moving on will get you 25 visitors, if you’re lucky.

The right way to use Facebook to promote your content

I’m going to show you two very simple ways to use Facebook to promote your content. The first time I used these methods, I saw my website traffic triple in less than a week.

1. Run your own Facebook campaign

A campaign is something you associate with something that will cost you money. This is Facebook. It’s free. Don’t worry.

Remember this: A well planned campaign will sell anything to anybody. Planning is the key.

To plan a successful campaign, and reach more people, you must think outside the box.

Every time you create content, post it to your Facebook page immediately. But as you will see in a moment, you will not just forget it.

There are plugins that post your content to Facebook immediately after you click Publish. Stay away from them. They never post your content correctly, and they will get you in trouble. You should want to see what’s being posted to your Facebook account. Using one of these plugins is like inviting a stranger to your home, when you’re not there.

Now it’s time for you to start your Facebook campaign.

Let me repeat: A well planned campaign will sell anything to anybody. Planning is the key.

You are now ready to prove that this is very accurate.

Start posting your content to Facebook. Post it immediately. Then, get ready to post it again, several times, but not today.

Before you hit Publish on your Facebook post, you will be allowed the opportunity to schedule your post for a later time and date. You can schedule posts up to 6 months in the future.

Here’s where the planning comes into play.

Schedule your post consistently for the next 6 months. You can post it once, twice, or three times a week. I recommend three times a week, when you are starting out. This depends on how much content you have on your website.

The best days to post on Facebook are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The best times are 9:00 AM on Sundays, and between 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM for the other days. People love to browse the web before going to Church.

Now, all you have to do is start scheduling your posts for the next 6 months. This may seem tiresome, but once you begin, you’ll discover that the process moves very quickly.

There are some paid services that will do this for you. The most popular is Hootsuite. However, you still have to create the posts and schedule them. I do not recommend any of these services. They are a waste of time and money. It’s much easier and faster to do this directly on Facebook. Why have an imitation when you can have the real thing?

Now that you’ve done this, you can forget it, for at least 6 months. Your content will be posted on Facebook consistently, and the link will be out there for people to see.

6 months later, evaluate it. If you’re getting a lot of traffic, you will want to schedule this post for another 6 months. Remember, there will be many more campaigns, depending on how much content you have.

If your content is evergreen, your Facebook posts will be valuable to your readers for at least 2 years, and possibly more.

Your content will continue to be out there for people to see, while you’re doing something else.

2. Reach out to Facebook groups

I learned this method from Pat Flynn, owner of SmartPassiveIncome.com, and one of the most brilliant online marketers in the world today.

Search Facebook for Groups related to your niche. When you go to a group that interests you, the first post will be from the group administrator.

This is the person you want to contact. Send the following email to the group administrator.

Write your email word for word, except for the changes in the brackets. This email will make a group administrator very happy. Don’t be surprised if you get a return email that will make you just as happy. If you can find 20 Facebook Groups related to your niche, and send each administrator this email, you will get a lot of traffic.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve learned the capabilities of Facebook, the Google search for “How to get more traffic to my website” is extremely accurate.

Running a Facebook campaign is no different from any other campaign. You have to plan it.

You have to put it on automatic pilot, so you will be free to do other things that will make you money.

The first time you do this, it will seem strange to you. You may ask, “Why don’t I use a service for this?” Believe me, this is not what you want to do. You will want to know exactly what your Facebook posts will look like.

In addition, an outside service like Hootsuite will not only cost you money. It will cost you time. You’re going to your Facebook account anyway to see how the posts will appear. Do it all on Facebook. It’s the real deal. These outside services are merely imitations.

As you begin doing this, you will find that there is more to Facebook than contacting old friends. You will be contacting new friends, who will become new customers.

Finally, consider this most important factor. When you post your content to Facebook, your main objective must be to help someone solve a problem. You’re not trying to sell them anything. This factor alone will get you more visits to your website. Then try to sell them. That’s what your website is for.

You’re promoting an image of yourself, and your website. Trust yourself. Also, trust only one source – Facebook. That’s a very good choice.

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charlesmoney-blog · 7 years ago

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Get away from your website - Go out and get website traffic

New Post has been published on https://charlesmoney.com/get-away-from-your-website-and-get-website-traffic/

Get away from your website - Go out and get website traffic

Successful internet marketers spend 20 percent of the time on their own website, and 80 percent on other websites.

Spending 100 percent of your time writing good content will defeat your purpose.

Time to take a road trip, My Friend

I am not going to undermine good content. You have to have it to keep the people on your website. But, you have to get them there first.

As you think of a good content idea for your website, you will have a very good perception of what you have to offer people, and how you are going to present it to your readers. Therefore, half of the challenge is over.

Write your content, hit the Publish button, and take a road trip.

If you stay on your website, you will be the only one there. You must leave, and go where the people are hanging out. Go to them, show them some hospitality by inviting them to your home.

To Get Website Traffic, Go Where The Action Is.

Not you are ready to go after the people. First, you will be going after backlinks from authoritative sites. Second, since the sites you are interested in rank high, they get a huge amount of traffic, and more people will see your links.

5 Ways to go after people and invite them to your website

After posting your content on your website, you must to do the following 5 things.

First, visit a free website development site like Google Blogger, HubPages or Weebly.

Post a variation of your content on these platforms, but don’t copy it word for word.

You can also post the first few sentences from your content, and include a Read More link to your website. This will give you some immediate exposure.

A great place to do this is LinkedIn, although, this is more a Social media site. But if you’re reaching people, who cares? Many business people hang out on this website, and you will get a lot of exposure.

Second, search for as many websites as you can find that are related to your niche. Make sure that the sites you visit have a high page rank, and allow comments. To find these websites faster, use Google Alerts.

When posting comments remember these two things.

First, post comments with the attitude that you are trying to help people with a problem they might have.

Second, always leave a link to your site. If your comment is helpful, people will visit your site. Most comment forms will ask for the link before you submit the comment.

Third, surf the web and find as many forums that you can that are related to your niche. Forums are places where people in the same business, or niche can help each other, and exchange ideas.

A forum is not for advertising or selling. If you approach it this way, you will get banned the same day you sign up, within minutes of creating your first post.

Most forums will allow you to edit a signature, with a link to your website, which will be automatically included in your post.

Again, think of doing this to help other people with any issue they may have. Always link to your site. If what you contribute is valuable to them, they will visit your site.

Fourth, post all of your links to social media sites. Post particularly to Facebook and Twitter.

Don’t play the hit and run game. Posting one time to each Social Media Site will not get you any traffic. You must post your content again and again.

Keep this in mind: A lot of content is evergreen, and is good for at least two years. There’s no rule that says how many times you can post one piece of content to Social Media.

Finally, here is a method that works very well. I learn about this method from Neil Patel, one of the greatest internet marketers in the world.

And by the way, I strongly recommend that you get on Neil Patel’s mailing list. You will learn about ways to build your online business and get website traffic that you never knew existed. And while you’re at it, check out his YouTube Channel.

I’ve used Neil’s method several times, with some amazing results.

Always provide links in your content to other websites related to what you’re writing about. As you’re about to see, the more, the better.

Next, send the following email to the owner of the websites you’ve linked to.

Write your email word for word. Any website owner who gets an email like this would be thrilled to death and more than happy to respond to it. If you include 20 links in every piece of content you create, you will get tons of traffic.

Conclusion

Spend as little time on your own website as possible. Create your content, make sure it is posted correctly, and get away from there.

The more time you spend on your website, the less chance you are going to generate traffic. The traffic is not going to come to you. You have to go to it and get it. You will be surprised how much traffic you can generate immediately, from just a single post.

And the best part is, this will be traffic coming to your website for the next few years.

Every time you post content to your website, always follow through with the above procedures.

Write your content, publish it, and take that road trip.

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charlesmoney-blog · 7 years ago

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If You Master Keyword Research You'll Make Big Money

New Post has been published on https://charlesmoney.com/keyword-research/

If You Master Keyword Research You'll Make Big Money

Every time you post content to your website, you are planning a campaign. Your planning tool is Keyword Research. Therefore, from this point on, think of planning a campaign, and keyword research as one and the same.

Don’t make Keyword Research more difficult than it is. If done right, it’s very simple. If you master what I am about to give you in this article, no one will be better at planning a campaign than you.

Keyword Research – The 3 rules for making money

1: You’re not going to make any money if you don’t get any traffic.

2: You’re not going to get any traffic if you don’t plan it carefully.

3: If you plan it carefully, traffic and money will take care of themselves.

Rule Number 1 – No traffic means no money

You already know the pitfalls of not getting any traffic. We’ve all experienced this too often, so I’m not going to deliberate on this. It can be very frustrating to think that we did the very best job possible on creating content, only to get no traffic. But realistically, did we really do the best we could possibly do? If there’s no traffic, the answer is NO! This is a major problem, and it is now time to correct it.

Rule Number 2 – Careful planning means more traffic

There’s a reason why you get no traffic. Once you know the reason, and apply it, you’ll never have a problem getting traffic to your website again. Later in the article, I’m going to give you the tools for correcting the problem.

Why you don’t get traffic

The typical blogger gets an idea for content to post on his website. Naturally, it’s something he’s interested in. So, he goes with his gut feeling. He writes out his content, hits the “publish” bar and prays that he gets traffic. His prayers are answered, but unfortunately, the answer is “NO! No traffic!”

Instead of praying for traffic, this blogger should be praying for a reason why there is no traffic. Fortunately, I made this prayer request a long time ago, and I want to pass along to you the answer I got.

The reason this blogger gets no traffic is, simply, lack of careful planning, or more accurately stated, no planning. This content is just thrown together like a pile of dog doo.

If you want to get traffic to your website, you have to get inside the heads of the people you want reading your content.

That’s all there is to it. Get inside their heads. Know what they want to see before they begin searching for it. This means, you have to know what they will type in Google. This is called Keyword Research. If you do this right, it cannot and will not fail.

During the remainder of this article, I’m going to show you how to do this. If you’ve been confused by Keyword Research in the past, you won’t be anymore after reading this.

Now, let’s learn how to plan it carefully with keyword research.

Rule Number 3 – Plan it carefully and get traffic

Planning it carefully means, creating your content so precisely, that you will already know what your future visitors will type into Google when they search for your website.

Approach it this way, plan it carefully, and you won’t have to worry about traffic and money. They will automatically take care of themselves.

If you plan it carefully, a good campaign can sell anything to anybody. Planning is always the key – A perfect creative execution.

I will also say, “Keyword Research is always the key”. Remember, careful planning and keyword research are one and the same. Now, let’s do it.

The most powerful, and easiest way to do Keyword Research

There are 4 steps you need to take to carefully plan your content with keyword research. Memorize them:

• Find a good, low competition keyword phrase with a decent amount of monthly searches and traffic, that you can target in your content. Low competition is most important. If you go after high competition keyword phrases, you’re not likely to get the traffic you’d like because there are so many targeting the same thing.

• Place the keyword, or keyword phrase in the right location throughout your content. If placed in the right place, Google will find it, and will put your content on the first page of their search results.

• Once you get on Google’s first page, you will see a massive increase in traffic.

• Finally, all that’s required is for you to repeat the process, over and over, with other keywords or keyword phrases, until you turn your website into a money making machine.

Recap: Find the keywords, put them in the right places, watch the traffic, and repeat. That’s all there is to it.

First, I’m going to show you how to do this. Second, I’m going to give the the best and most powerful tool you can use to do this.

Target keyword phrases instead of plain keywords

Let’s use an example. I’m going to use a very popular and profitable niche, weight loss.

When I type “weight loss” in Google, here’s the result.

Pay attention to the yellow highlight near the top of the image. For now, don’t worry about where the data came from. I’m going to show you later in this article. Notice the numbers. The first number is the average monthly searches Google gets for this particular keyword. The second number is the Cost per Click that you would incur if you were to advertise this keyword. This is important because a higher CPC means this keyword has marketability, and is in demand. Finally, the last number is the competition for this keyword, on a scale of 0 to 1.

Weight Loss gets about 368 thousand searches per month. That’s a lot of searches, which means two things. First, the keyword is not specific. It’s too general, and something that would be very difficult to target. Second, the competition is very high. You can see that this keyword has a competition of .93. In summary, this is a keyword that would not work very well for you.

What’s the problem? When you target a general keyword like weight loss, you’re targeting a niche. Instead, you should be targeting your customer. This is the step that most people skip, and it hurts them. Their competition is doing the exact same thing, meaning that they will use the exact same keywords as their competitors. This is why this keyword has a high competition of .93.

When you target a keyword, you want to find something that people will be searching for. This is how you get into their heads.

People who type in weight loss have no clue what they are looking for. They are not looking for something specific. Let’s change this.

When I type “a fast way to lose belly fat” in Google, here’s the result.

Now we have something we can work with. People will search for this keyword phrase because it defines a specific problem. Notice the orange highlight and you will see that this keyword phrase get 12,100 monthly searches. That’s a decent amount. More importantly, this phrase has a competition of .23. This is much less than .93 from the previous search. It also has marketability of $1.80 per click. As as result of all this, this is a keyword phrase that you’ll probably do very well with.

Let’s do one more so you can get the hang of this. When I type “how to lose weight fast in 2 weeks” in Google, here’s the result.

Again, we’re working with a keyword phrase that people with a specific problem will search for. Notice the orange highlight and you will see that this keyword phrase get 22,200 monthly searches. That’s a better amount. This phrase has a competition of .33. It’s a little more than .23 from the previous search, but it has potential. It also has marketability of $1.68 per click. This is another keyword phrase that you’ll probably do very well with.

As a general rule, I like to go after keywords with a monthly search volume greater than 5 thousand, a CPC greater that $1.50 and competition below .5.

Next, I’m going to show you where to place your keyword or keyword phrase in your content. Finally, I’m going to show you the free tool that will give you the numbers that were highlighted in the 3 previous searches.

Where to place the keywords in your content

Now that you have found quality, low competition keyword phrases, there are 2 more things you must do:

• First, you need to know where and how to place your keyword phrases within your article.

• Second, you need to write quality content based on your niche, and the keyword phrase you have found.

This is very simple.

You want to place your exact keyword phrase . . .

• In the title of your post / page / article. For example, in the last search, your title can be, “How to lose weight fast in 2 weeks – 3 simple steps”

• In your URL. For example, your URL would be, “http://yourwebsite.com/how-to-lose-weight-fast-in-2-weeks”

• Add your keyword within the first 150 characters of your article.

• Place your keyword as one of your major headers (H1, H2, H3)

• Add the keyword within the Alternative Text section of your photos, within the last 150 characters of your article

That’s all there is to it. Don’t make the mistake that inexperienced bloggers make. They try to stuff the article with the keyword. This is a bad idea. Follow this guideline, then forget about the keyword. Now that you have your keyword, and the proper placement, concentrate on writing the best quality content. Of course, you can include the keyword in your article again, as long as it doesn’t disrupt your flow.

Finally, write for your audience. Remember, you’re trying to help your reader.

A Powerful Tool that will make your Keyword Research much easier

I’ve been using a tool by the name of Keywords Everywhere for a long time, and have had great results with it.

Keywords Everywhere is a browser add-on that allows you to get search volume, CPC and competition data directly in a Google search. And by the way, it also works with YouTube searches.

With this tool, you can set it up to highlight certain numbers in a Google search, such as, search volume and competition. You can bookmark keywords and phrases directly from Google. Also, you can search for keywords, as with traditional keyword tools. What I especially like about this tool is, you can analyze any web page.

To learn more about this tool, here’s a video from the developers of this tool that explains everything you need to know.

youtube

Concluding thoughts

You now know where and how to find the keywords that will get massive traffic to your website. You know exactly where to place these keywords. And finally, you know the importance of repeating this over and over again.

Now, get started and build a website that’s a money making machine. And never forget what I’ve told you in this article:

If you plan it carefully, a good campaign can sell anything to anybody.Your planning tool is Keyword Research, and the only tool you need. Learn what I shown you, and no one will be better at planning a campaign than you.

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charlesmoney-blog · 7 years ago

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5 Ways to control the cost of living

New Post has been published on https://charlesmoney.com/controlling-the-cost-of-living/

5 Ways to control the cost of living

The cost of living is a simple and much used phrase but one that contains an important truth:

Simply being alive costs money.

We have to pay for our meals, the power needed to keep out the cold, the clothes on our backs and the beds we sleep on at night. But these costs are not constant. They can vary quite dramatically. We may have very little control over these costs. All we can do is be as savvy as possible with our funds in order to give ourselves as much leeway as we can.

One of the biggest costs of day-to-day life is accommodation. Whether you rent or own your own home, a big chunk of your salary will go towards paying for the roof over your head. The price of accommodation can also differ enormously from place to place: from prestigious but pricey big cities to more affordable – but less exciting – small towns. Some cities are seriously expensive. The City of London in the UK is a prime example. Also, in the United States, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco are all notorious examples – the latter, no doubt, due to its proximity to the enormous, technology-driven wealth of Silicon Valley.

When the cost of living begins to overheat, we can find ourselves caught in an uncomfortable financial trap, with our salary failing to keep up with rising rent costs or mortgage rates. If you’ve found yourself in this tight spot, your priority should be cutting back on expenses to give yourself some financial breathing space.

So what can you do?

Here are 5 ways to control the cost of living

Consider the neighborhood. Choosing this carefully can make a huge difference to your living costs. Why pay a fortune to live in a desirable part of town when you may be able to pay less for more space a few miles away in one direction or the other?

If you travel regularly, consider generating some useful extra cash renting out your apartment or house to other travelers? There is a website, known as Airbnb, that shows you how to do this. While this is the best choice, there are other websites that will show you the same thing.

Rethink your daily commute. If you live in a big city like New York, why spend hours each day battling congestion to get to work when there is most likely a decent public transportation service alternative? Alternatively, consider a bicycle for that additional fitness factor. Sell your car and save money on insurance, gas, parking fees and loan repayments.

Cook. Most large towns and cities are filled with restaurants and takeouts, and it’s very easy to feel constantly tempted by these, especially if you work long hours and come home tired and/ or have never really learned to cook. But eating out too regularly will eat through your salary with frightening speed. It’s far wiser – and saves a small fortune – to cook your own meals. Start small by learning a few simple recipes, and build from there.

Learn to negotiate. Ask your utility suppliers and credit card companies for lower monthly payments – you’ll be surprised how often you succeed in getting them. Most have competition to contend with and value each customer’s business. A little off a few monthly bills could soon add up to a meaningful amount.

Another thing that may surprise you is the number of free things to do, or low cost opportunities on offers around you. Sometimes, there are free concerts and fitness sessions at your local gym, and free exercise programs in a neighborhood park. Keep your eyes open as you go about your day. Every little bit helps!

This article was written by Morgan Franklin. For more information about Morgan, visit his website, Assured Removalists. We want to thank Morgan for his contribution to CharlesMoney.com.

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charlesmoney-blog · 7 years ago

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Follow me @ CharlesMoney, and I thank you-

Sometimes it is quite beneficial to “think outside the box!”

#thinkpositive #think about it #thinkoutsidethebox

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charlesmoney-blog · 7 years ago

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Follow me @ CharlesMoney, and I thank you-

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charlesmoney-blog · 7 years ago

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When you think, and try to find new ideas, don’t concern yourself with what is or isn’t practical. Remember, there is no such thing as a bad or stupid idea.

Many millionaires started with crazy ideas that many people thought would never make it. Did this stop them? Well, they’re millionaires!

charlesmoney.com

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charlesmoney-blog · 7 years ago

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Failure means nothing. People who are not successful FEAR IT. People who are successful, WELCOME IT. They know that, Without Failure, there can be no success!

charlesmoney.com

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charlesmoney-blog · 7 years ago

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charlesmoney-blog · 7 years ago

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16 Ways to Think Outside the Box, and build a successful business

New Post has been published on https://charlesmoney.com/think-outside-the-box/

16 Ways to Think Outside the Box, and build a successful business

There is one difference between those who are successful in business, and those who are not. In this article, you’re going to learn the secret sauce for building a successful business. This article is very important. Master what I’m about to show you, and you will be very far ahead of all of the others who are trying to succeed in business.

Learn to Think Outside the Box, or You’ll be out of business very soon

I must be candid and outspoken about this because it’s so important to your future. You’ll thank me for it later.

For years, the one thing that has frustrated me is, having a question about a business matter, Googling it, and seeing the same answers over and over again.

For example, the most Googled question about building an online business is, “How do I Get More Website Traffic?” You’ll see the same results, over and over again:

Comment on blogs

Post to social media

Do guest posts

I can’t go on with this. Do you see the point? Where’s the originality? Most of these authors write about what they’ve read, and not what they’ve done. I don’t know if I can believe them anymore. Many of them know nothing about getting website traffic, and they write the same things that they read in other blog posts. Unfortunately, the few who are experts in the area are not going to give away their secret sauce, and, they’re not going to help you. I’m going to prove it to you, right now.

Last night, I decided to do an experiment. I Googled this phrase, “How to Think Outside the Box with Website Traffic.” One of the first results was an article entitled, “Think Outside The Box: 5 Additional Ways To Generate Traffic Without Google.” Again, this article covers what other articles have done to death – Social Media, Email, YouTube, Blog Commenting and Television and Print. Once again, this article left me hanging, because it has nothing to do with how to Think Outside the Box, and is not very convincing.

What does it mean to Think Outside the Box

Simply stated, it means to think differently, unconventionally, with a new perspective, and come up with new and unique ideas.

If you have an online business, and have your heart set on making a million dollars selling Amazon products, or growing a mailing list, forget it. It’s not going to happen. Too many people are doing these things. That’s the problem with the information you find on a Google search. You’re taking advice from too many followers. And the leaders aren’t going to tell you anything and give away their secrets.

It’s now time for you to stop being a follower.

So what’s the solution? There’s only one. You have to become one of these leaders. Therefore, you MUST learn to Think Outside the Box. This is crucial to the future of your business.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg

You have to come up with an idea, or ideas that have never before been done.

For example, you have to do something similar to what Mark Zuckerberg did when he created Facebook. And if the first thing that comes to your mind is, “I’m no Mark Zuckerberg“, you’re selling yourself short. He did it. If you try to think of one reason why you couldn’t do it too, you will not come up with one. Now that we’ve eliminated the excuses, let’s proceed.

I like to use Facebook as an example. When it comes to unique and creative ideas, there are three people who automatically come to my mind – Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, Jeff Bezos and Amazon, and, Ted Turner and CNN.

Perhaps you’re not going to create another Facebook, Amazon or CNN. But keep in mind that these are only three of the many unique and creative ideas that no one had ever thought of before. There are thousands of ideas still hidden, that have never been thought of, even as you are reading this right now.

You’re about to learn how to focus your thinking in a way that will help you come up with these many unique and unexplored ideas. They’re out there, and I’m going to show you what you have to do to find them. You may not come up with an idea like Facebook, Amazon or CNN. You may think of something that is just as good, or even better. Their out there, and you’re going to find them. Keep an open mind, and for goodness sake, HAVE CONFIDENCE in YOURSELF.

The three gentlemen above had unique ideas, followed through with them, and became leaders. Why would you ever think that you couldn’t do the same? You can do it, and YOU WILL DO IT!

Can th skill, Think Outside the Box, be learned?

YES, of course it can! There are more unexplored ideas out there than you can possibly imagine. I’m talking about ideas that no one has ever thought about before. It’s time for you to learn how to find them, and explore them.

Here’s the cornerstone of learning to Think Outside the Box. You must focus your thinking in three different directions.

First, come up with unique and creative ideas and solutions.

Second, make sure that you’re able to do this from now on.

Finally, you must interact with other people.

These are the three important things you must know how to do when learning how to Think Outside the Box. It’s time to put your mind in full gear. Here are 16 ways to do this. Learn them, practice them, and you will be thinking outside the box in less than a week.

16 Ways to Think Outside the Box

1. Change your surroundings and get away from the normal routine

If you’re trying desperately to build an online business, and not succeeding, I know exactly what you’re doing. Every night, you want to sit down at your computer and hope an idea will come to you. But you keep putting it off. You really don’t want to do it, because you subconsciously think that you’ll be in for the same frustration that you’ve endured night after night. When you finally sit down at the computer, you’re so beat and frustrated that you can’t think straight.

Now is the right time to get out of this routine.

Try making a change. Early in the day, do something different. Don’t eat the same breakfast you usually eat. Take a drive. Go somewhere you wouldn’t normally go, by yourself. If it’s during the Summer, drive to the nearest big city and catch a baseball game. If you like the outdoors, go for a hike in the woods.

Don’t even take your computer with you. Now that you’re in a different environment, with no computer, you have no reason to get frustrated. Just hang out, relax, enjoy yourself and think. Not being in the same old routine, your mind will start working and focusing in different directions. And you’re relaxed, and better able to take it in.

A few weeks ago, I drove from Birmingham, Alabama to Columbus, Georgia just to visit a friend from Facebook I hadn’t seen in years. Why did I do this? I wanted a change, and I felt like doing something different. As I was driving down Highway 280, new ideas began coming to me like clockwork. I wanted to write them down, but,, it’s dangerous to write while you’re driving. But guess what! The iPhone has a recording App. All I had to do was say, “Hey Siri, open the voice recorder!” That’s exactly what she did for me, and all of my ideas were documented, and all done hands-free.

Get away from your normal routine. It doesn’t’ matter what you do, as long as it is something different from what you normally do. Your mind will be open to new, different and exciting ideas. This will get you away from the daily rut, which you have begun to dread, and put you in a more refreshing environment. Exciting ideas will begin coming into your head automatically. Have your smart phone with the recording app, or, a pen and pad so you can record the ideas that come to you. Otherwise, the great ideas that come to you will be lost forever. Document them all, even if you have to stop what you’re doing to do so. If you don’t document them, you will never remember them.

2. Think

This is what most online people call, brainstorming. There are thousands of ideas that have been proven successful. Even better is the fact that there are thousands more that have never been explored. Many ideas, proven or unexplored, are wild and crazy. Some were originally so ridiculous that the creators were told by other people that they should be in a straight jacket. Just to give you an insider’s look at how ridiculous some ideas can be, consider these:

A telephone that talks to you, lets you listen to music, or lets you watch movies.

Turning on the TV at 3 AM and getting the news updated, as it happens.

Contacting old friends from high school that you never thought you’d see again, on a computer screen.

A device that will let you watch a TV show that was already shown.

These are as common as the day. 50 years ago, if you had mentioned any of these ideas to anyone, they would have called the mental hospital and had you taken away. Today, these are successful ideas that are so much a part of our daily lives that we can’t do without them.

Thinking will get you out of the usual pattern, and open your mind to new and different thought patterns.

When you think, deliberate, or brainstorm, you’re not concerned with what is or isn’t practical. Remember, there is no such thing as a stupid idea. In my best seller, Don’t go for Broke, I make it very clear that many millionaires started with crazy ideas that many people thought would never make it. Did this stop them? Well, they’re millionaires!

Avoid saying things like, “This won’t work”, “I’ve never done this before”, “I can’t solve this problem”, or, “I don’t have enough time.” If someone you know says any of these things, get as far away from them as you can, as fast as you can.

Start talking to yourself in a different way. And yes, when you come up with creative ideas, it’s perfectly normal to talk to yourself. Start telling yourself, “This WILL work”, “I CAN and WILL do this”, “There is no problem on this planet that I can’t solve”, “This is going to be the best thing people have ever seen.”

Say these things to yourself every day. Write them down and tape them to the mirror in your bathroom, where you will see them every time you shave, brush your teeth or comb your hair. Don’t just say them.. BELIEVE THEM, because they are true.

3. Shower, cut the grass, and take long walks

You may think this sounds far fetched, but this really works. Most of the best ideas I’ve ever had have come to me while doing other things, like taking a shower, cutting the grass, hiking, and even while cooking and baking in the kitchen. Again, doing something different will cause the brain to re-focus and think in a different direction. Ideas will come to you during a time when you least expect it.

I’m not suggesting you jump into the shower or cut the grass every time you draw a blank, but you can always take a walk on the spur of the moment. Take your pen and pad with you. When you take a shower, or cut the grass, those ideas will start rolling in. The most important thing is that you document every one of them. Have a tape recorder going in the bathroom while you’re taking a shower. Stop the lawn mower and write your idea down. It will take you longer to cut the grass, but the time it takes you will definitely pay dividends in the future.

NEVER GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT YOUR PEN AND PAD, or, YOUR VOICE RECORDER.

4.Re-define the problem

Sometimes you will realize that the solution you’re looking for is not necessarily what you want to accomplish. It may be something you have never considered. Here is what you do.

Re-format the problem, turn it upside down, or in a different direction, and the brain will begin to focus in a different direction. When you re-define your situation from another perspective, you will see things much differently. Then, you will think of better and more effective ways to achieve the results you want.

Another way to handle this is to forget about what you have to do. Concentrate on the END RESULT – what you want to accomplish. Instead of working from the beginning, approach the project from the desired end result and work backwards. This will answer many questions, and give you a different insight on how to reach your goal.

5. Hang out

Sometimes you have to just get away from everything. Turn the computer off. Put your smart phone away. Just relax in your easy chair, or take a walk, and do nothing. Now, the brain is relaxed. There are no distractions. When you’re sitting down at the computer doing something, the brain is busy and the mind is preoccupied. That’s no time for the brain to come up with new ideas. But when you’re hanging out, in the morning, or before bed, doing nothing, the brain will sense the change and begin to work in your advantage. Again, have your pen and paper with you. Don’t go anywhere without your pen and paper, or your voice recorder. I don’t like to be repetitious, but something this important must be repeated over and over again until it becomes a habit.

YOUR PEN AND PAD, or YOUR VOICE RECORDER IS YOUR LIFEBLOOD FOR THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX.

6. Set a limit

It’s better to do one thing good, than to do 6 things bad.

If you get into the position where you’re trying to do too much, you will put too much pressure on yourself. You will not be able to think straight. Narrow your scope. Set a limit for yourself. Don’t place high expectations on yourself. Set goals that you will be able to achieve.

Be careful when setting goals. If you set your goals too high, and will never be able to attain them, you will be frustrated. On the other hand, if you set goals too low, and reach them easily, you will not be able to identify any weaknesses that may exist. Set goals that are attainable, but challenging. From time to time, you can adjust your goals.

7. Consider the worst case scenario

The reason more people are not successful is the fear of failure. What if you fail? So what? Everyone has failed at some point or another. If a batter hits 400 next baseball season, he will be a starter in the Major League All Star Game. His picture will be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But did you know that this means he got a hit 400 times out of every 1,000 times he went to bat? In other words, he failed at least 600 times.

Failure can be a bad thing, or a good thing. What determines this is how you handle it, which I’m about to show you.

There are two types of failure. The first will do you in. I want to mention it one time so you will be aware of it, and avoid it. This type of failure is, admitting you are a failure. If you come to the conclusion that you are a failure, you’re not even going to try. If this is the case, you are a failure. THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU. GET THIS OUT OF YOUR MIND, forget it and let’s move on.

The second type of failure is, just failing occasionally. You’re going to come up with some brilliant and creative ideas, and you are going to be successful. But on the way, you will fail, and probably more than once. Everyone who is successful has failed, many times. I’ve failed over and over again. When I fail, I am devastated – FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS. Instead of beating myself to death because I failed, I’m more concerned with finding out WHY I FAILED. When you fail, there is a reason. Look for the answer, It’s always there, and you will find it. Then, learn from it, and move on. I promise you, if you spend this time searching for the mistake you made that caused you to fail, you will never make the same mistake again.

Remember this: Every time you fail, it is nothing but a stepping stone towards success.

Failure means nothing. Fear of failure is the most crucial thing that prevents people from Thinking Out of the Box. People tend to get conservative by sticking with conventional methods that don’t work. Try considering different methods, and think about the worst that could happen. And while you’re at it, think about the best that could happen. If you fail, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you get back up and try again. You might fail 99 times, but to be successful, you only have to get it right one time. This is encouraging, because the odds of success are definitely in your favor.

8. Eliminate negativity

Never believe you can’t do something, when you know you can. That’s a sure way of admitting you’re a failure.

Many people will discourage you. These people are miserable, and they want you to be miserable. What they say is not true. Don’t listen to anyone who says you can’t do something. They don’t want you to succeed because it’s you who will be successful, and not them.

I want to repeat what I’ve said. Associate with positive people. Stay away from negative people.

Always tell yourself that it will work. Don’t just say it. Believe it. Always think positive. Eliminate the negative.

9. Keep yourself sharp – exercise your brain

As the body needs exercise to stay in shape, so does the brain.

In your spare time, read more. This keeps the brain sharp. Play computer games that require a lot of thinking, like chess. Work crossword puzzles in your spare time.

Here’s a great exercise for the brain. Have you ever journalized? This means, writing down on paper anything that comes to your mind. I do this every day. I started doing this about 25 years ago. And let me tell you, this is very, very powerful. The purpose is to write down whatever comes into your mind, and just keep writing. A lot of the stuff I’ve written over the years has been garbage. But this doesn’t matter, because no one else will read it. In fact, I never read it myself. When you start journalizing, you will discover that it will serve its purpose while you are writing, and therefore, you will have no reason to read it.

No matter how good or bad, vulgar or non vulgar, crazy or sane, WRITE IT DOWN. These are your thoughts, and they are very real to you. Remember this – When you journalize, you and only you know what your’re thinking and writing. You don’t have to worry about grammar. You don’t have to clarify or explain what you are writing to anyone. You know what you are saying because you are writing for yourself, and only yourself. You will be absolutely surprised how much this will open the brain to new and different avenues. You will have thoughts that you never, in your wildest imagination, would have believed possible.

Another powerful thing about journalizing is that it will help you come to terms with most issues that you are struggling with, and help you find the answers to some problems you may have.

This is the best of these 16 ways to Think Outside the Box, and the most effective. As a final note, when you journalize, always use a pen and paper. Don’t do this on your computer. There’s something magic about the pen. When it starts moving, some very magnificent things begin to happen with the brain. Do this and find out for yourself. You will be amazed.

DO THIS EVERY DAY. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES. GET A NOTEBOOK THAT YOU WILL USE ONLY FOR JOURNALIZING, and PROTECT IT AS YOU WOULD A DIARY.

10. Change your routine habits

Start doing the normal things you do differently.

If you drive home through one particular route, take another route. Order Coke the next time you eat out if you’re accustomed to ordering tea. If you jog at the YMCA every day, jog at the track at the local college in your home town.

Have you ever cooked? If not, take the time to prepare a meal from start to finish. If you don’t know how, look up some recipes on the internet. You can do it. If you accomplish what I’m showing you in this article, you can do anything. Cooking will certainly get you out of your normal routine, and will open your mind to other possibilities. I’ve heard rumors that this is how Colonel Sanders got started when he created Kentucky Fried Chicken. Whether this is true or not doesn’t matter. What does matter is, there is the strong possibility that this could open the door to some brilliant and creative ideas.

Be one who does things on the spur of the moment. If you normally plan things, do something that is not planned. Get out of your comfort zone. This will get you out of the rut, and cause you to start thinking very differently.

11. Learn how others do it in another niche

Although someone is in a different niche from the one you’re in, perhaps some of the things they do may work in your business. See how they do things. Consider whether or not these are methods that will work in your business. This will not only focus your thoughts in a different direction, but will also give you inspiration.

Visit your library or browse the web and find a trade magazine in another niche besides your own., Learn how people in another type of business do things. Most likely, the problems they have are similar to your own. See how they deal with them. This could open the door for diversifying, and give you more creative ideas.

12. Learn new things

When I wrote above about turning on the TV at 2 AM and getting the news updated, as it happens, I was thinking about the time when Ted Turner started Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24/7 news TV station. I remember an interview with him years ago when he said, “I’m interested in everything.” And you’ve seen what he has accomplished.

As long as you learn, you will have ideas. As long as you breathe, you will never stop learning. The more you learn, the more you know. The more you know, the more ideas you will have.

13. Surround yourself with creative people

Most successful people are that way because they know how to surround themselves with the people who are the best in their field.

Also, creative people associate with others who are in a different field. Again, this will get you out of your routine, and open the mind to more interesting, creative and inspiring thoughts. And who knows? You may come up with more creative ideas. Is this possible? I know so.

14. Listen to other people’s ideas

No matter how smart a person is, no one knows everything. There is more I don’t know than there is that I do know. Therefore, I’m always open to listening to ideas that others have. They may be something that I may want to use. Also, if you pay attention to other people’s ideas, they will enhance your own.

Ask for someone’s opinion who knows nothing about your business. Sometimes, getting the opinion from someone with an open mind will help you deal with difficult situations much differently, and more effectively.

15. Learn to be a good listener

Have you ever heard the expression, “You can’t fight ignorance“? There’s nothing more frustrating that someone constantly interrupting a person when he’s talking.

The most successful people know how to listen to others. Listening is a skill, and one that must be mastered. Always listen to what people have to say. Again, their thoughts will get your thoughts focusing in the right direction.

16. Remember, you’ll come up with crazy ideas

That’s what Thinking Outside the Box is all about. This is what separates the men from the boys, princes from the paupers, or put another way, the successful people from the non-successful people.

Not every idea will be a winner. But that’s OK. This is why it’s so important to consider the worst case scenario in number 7 above. Some will fail. Like I said, SO WHAT? Your idea may fail, but the only way you will fail is if you stop trying.

Chances are, the one idea you think will be the most ridiculous will be the one that takes off and makes you a millionaire.

Concluding Thoughts

After being in this business for 8 years, and achieving some success, I am convinced that the only way to be successful is to Think Outside the Box. When you do this, you’re trying to create a successful business that you and only you created. It’s nice to make a fortune selling affiliate products, email marketing, or creating mailing lists. But the chances of doing this in these areas today are very slim. Why? Because too many people are doing them

Think outside the box and you will be in a class by yourself. It will make you unique, and almost guarantee your success when you come up with the right idea. AND YOU WILL!

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