Over the last month I have realized more than ever that what we think is a truth may no longer hold true. For example, yesterday it snowed for the third time this season in my new location.

To those who live in parts of the world where snow is a common winter occurrence you might be wondering why I would even mention this. The fact is, the area I live in does not usually get snow. It is a very uncommon thing. And yet, it happened.

There are a lot of things happening day in and day out that can be considered out of the ordinary. It feels like we have gotten to a place where out of the ordinary is ordinary. I suppose the way to stay in balance is to accept that things are, and will continue to be, out of balance.

Last week I finished up my eight week mentoring course. What a great group of folks who joined in. I know there are going to be some huge successes on the horizon for several of the people who went through the course. I had a harpist, a poet, a dietician, a therapist to name just a few. What I realize is more and more people need and want to know how to market their business by utilizing all the Internet has to offer.

I also know that not everyone is ready to go into a full-blown mentoring course. For this reason I rewrote my very popular eBook, formally entitled Street Smarts eMarketing. It is now called, The Truth about Making Money On the Internet and available at NO CHARGE for a limited time. Click here to access.

Last month I released another information eProduct (Directory of Internet Radio Shows and Radio Interviews – Your Recipe for Success). The response to this great resource has been incredible. If you have been thinking of incorporating Web Radio into your marketing mix, do yourself a favor, check it out.

Many of my readers know that I am a real animal lover. I have several four legged critters at home. My old cat is doing what old cats do. He’s slowing down and reaching a place that he seeks a lot of comfort as each day passes. It seems like just yesterday he was a feisty kitten who was a bundle of energy. Who knows how long he will be around? I guess that is true for everything in life. Things change; transform; shift.

We experience great times, we experience times of pain. But through it all we create incredible memories. It is in the memories we create the tapestry of our life.

Some of our experiences we have no choice over whether or not they happen. Yet, we do have choice on how we respond to these events. Additionally, I believe we are often led to a greater calling due to the experiences we have. Some people heed the calling, others resist.

I also believe many of us are given the blessings we have in order to share with others. One such blessing to me is my book, The Law of Achievement. Not long ago I got a sense I needed to do something special with this book. During the month of March 100% of net proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit two charities. All purchases must be made directly from Amazon.com. Please click here to learn more. I began this type of fundraising last month and we are donating $250 to Play Pumps International from the sale of the book in February. I would love to see that amount go to $2,500 in March. Have a great month. Much success, health and happiness to you and yours.

Kathleen Gage

The Street Smarts Marketing Speaker and Author

  Web Radio – A Viable Marketing Strategy

With the right product or service, traditional radio is a great medium for marketing, but has a very short shelf life. Traditional radio can be costly and limits you to a thirty to sixty second spot.

A great alternative is Internet radio, also known as Web radio. As the name implies, web radio is a broadcasting service transmitted via the Internet. Although some web radio stations correspond with a traditional radio station, many web stations are completely independent and only broadcast on the Internet.

Internet radio is an extremely cost-effective way to market and promote your products and services. Whether your genre is business, women’s issues, spiritual, health, wellness, financial, or dog training, you will find shows of every description looking for guests.

Some web radio programs will charge you a fee to be a guest, but most do not cost anything. If you choose to pay for a guest spot, the fee can be put under the category of advertising costs.

If you are going to invest financially, whether it is $5 or $500, do your homework to find out if the investment will be beneficial. In some cases, the investment will be well worth it. But if you are not careful, you can foolishly spend money and gain little or no return on your investment.

When looking for a Web radio program for your product or services, consider the following:

• What is the station’s market reach?

• Who is the market?

• What are the marketing strategies of the radio program?

• Who are some of the other guests that have been interviewed?

• How experienced is the host?

Although it may seem like you can get incredible reach with web radio (and in many cases you can), you can waste a lot of time and money following false promises.

Since are free services on the Internet that allow virtually anyone to start a web based radio program, practice due diligence to make sure you are investing time and money wisely. There are some online services available where someone can literally start a station in a matter of minutes. The challenge with this is you have lots of “rookies” claiming to be well-positioned in the market place. So again, do your homework!

On the other hand, if you are dealing with a professional host and station, there are ample benefits. A well-positioned show and station can gain you instant access to a global market for practically no cost. You can quickly become a recognized expert in a very short period of time through the power of web radio.

Although it does take time to find great places to be interviewed, it can be well worth the time invested especially if you are what is considered a perfect guest.

Great guests are more difficult to find than most people realize. If you are a star guest, chances are you will be invited back again and again. You may also be referred to other web radio hosts. Imagine what this can do to increase your market reach and lower your cost per lead conversion rate!

Treat any radio interview as a great opportunity - because it is! If you are using web radio as an integral part of your marketing mix, invest in the services of a good media coach. Your coach will be able to help you polish your message in a very professional and engaging manner.

Once you have secured an interview, make it easy for the host to work with you. Provide the information the host needs as soon as possible. Prepare a short bio and a selection of questions to the host. This gives them an idea of what to ask. Make sure that you can be clearly heard while being broadcast; don’t use a cell phone or headset during the interview.

In most cases, you will be interviewed to inform, educate, entertain or inspire, not to sell something. Speak clearly, avoid industry jargon, shut out background noise and most of all, have fun!

If you have not included web radio in your overall marketing, it may be time to rethink this. With new stations popping up every day, show hosts are always on the lookout for great stories and people to feature. Why not you?

Kathleen Gage is a bestselling author, keynote speaker and Internet Marketing mentor who works with individuals and organizations who want to increase their market position, sales and level of achievement. She is the creator of The Directory of Internet Radio Shows. Visit http://www.streetsmartsmarketing.com/radiointernet.htm to learn more.

By focusing on developing a solid database and providing incredible value to your market you can and will achieve success in your business. Guaranteed!

To book Kathleen call 541.654.0426

Forget all the hype! You have to work at this!

By Kathleen Gage

There are primarily two types of people who read my books, attend my seminars and listen to my Podcasts; professionals who are using (or will be using) the Internet in their overall marketing and those who are (or want to be) to making money exclusively from the Internet.

The information I provide is a great fit for both. However, the people who are going to really succeed at this are the ones who clearly understand that they must be visible to their market. Not only that, they are very clear on the fact they have to build credibility and position their expertise; constantly.

You do this through consistency. Develop a plan of action of how often you will implement something in your marketing and promotions. The more consistent you are the better your results. Don’t fall into the trap of believing you can do something once and then rake in oodles of money. Making money with or on the Internet must be treated as a part of your overall business plan.

Maybe it's the moon; maybe it's the fact that it is snowing in Eugene, Oregon for the 3 time this season in an area that normally doesn't get snow; maybe it's the fact that my old cat is very sick; or maybe it's the fact that I see people buying into the belief that they can do one or two things and make lots of money on or with the Internet, but I am really frustrated with the get-rich-quick attitude so many people have.

It just doesn't work this way.

How it works is there are a number of ingredients that must be applied. Leave out one of the ingredients and you will likely miss the mark.

Here are some of the ingredients:

Building a responsive opt-in database

• Writing and distribution of articles

• A well position resource box

• An optimized website

• A blog

• Blogging on a regular basis

• Keeping in touch with your readers with high value information at a frequency that is consistent with their needs.

Additionally, if you have offered something free from you site, you can't expect that people will sign up for something from your website and without any further effort on your part, immediately make a purchase. In most cases, it doesn’t work like this.

People have to feel they can trust you. They have to feel you will deliver above and beyond. And they have to know they are making a good investment when they purchase something from you - no matter what the price.

Can you make money with and on the Internet? By all means. And lots of it.

Can you do it with very little effort? Although I read these kind of claims all the time, I have yet to meet someone who is the real deal who will tell you they got where they got without real time, effort and money involved.

Simple as that.

Okay, the snow has cleared, my cat is feeling better, the moon has disappeared and I have written what I set out to write. My thoughts on Getting Rich Quick on the Internet. Give up that notion, put your plan in place, build name recognition in your market, create incredible value, and keep in touch.

Then you can smile all the way to the bank!

Just released! The Truth About Making Money on the Internet! Nearly 200 pages of very high content on how to use the Internet in your overall marketing and sales. For a limited time you can access this incredible resource absolutely FREE. Click here

Other recommended resources

Success formulas, 
tips and strategies addressing marketing & PR for:
Small and Home-based businesses, Retailers, Authors, Speakers, Consultants, Events Coordinators, and Non-profits