Meet Ken Mabry, Author of LongTail Blogging Secrets

Ken Mabry is a full-time NASA Engineer, part-time Internet marketing blogger, and owner of LongTailBlogging.com.

1. How did you first become interested in Internet marketing?

Back in 2008 I started researching ways of making some extra money online and came across affiliate marketing. I was working in the IT industry at the time, and I had a good working knowledge of the technologies, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I was surprised at how miserably I failed.

I had zero experience in web site design, layout, copywriting, or any kind of marketing, and it definitely showed.

After about 18 months of trial and error and educating myself on the finer points of SEO, I started to see a little progress. I started climbing the rankings in Google for my buyer keywords. This, in turn, brought more visitors to my site. Then started the next trial and error phase of converting those visitors into tangible sales.

...and I've been hooked ever since.

2. What motivated you to participate in the Empower Network?

Honestly, Empower Network caught me totally by surprise. I'm not even really sure how I first came across it. It was late at night, and I was on one of my web research binge sessions, and I must have coincidentally run across it via a Google search.

I was curious but very suspicious at the same time. Being an affiliate marketer I'd never even considered participating in a multi-level marketing business. I honestly thought they were all scams, but I sat back and decided to watch a few of the video pitches put together by the founders (Dave Wood and Dave Sharpe). Their style was pretty unique, and their message seemed to make sense. Some people may find them a little offensive at times, but I tend to appreciate the raw tell-it-like-it-is approach.

3. What are some common misconceptions that people have about the Empower Network?

Probably the biggest misperception is that the Empower Network is a pyramid or Ponzi scheme. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Folks that are branding the company as such haven't really researched Empower Network, or they simply don't know what a pyramid scheme really is.

Unlike a pyramid scheme, Empower Network sells real, tangible tools and training to help anyone promote their online interest or business. And the business they're promoting need not be Empower Network. In fact, reselling Empower Network products is not a requirement for membership--it's 100% optional.

4. Why do you think that some Internet marketers find that they are unable to sell any products?

I'll have to apologize in advance, because I'll have to blunt about this. Some people just aren't cut out for it. It takes a lot of persistent, hard work to succeed at making money online. I believe many people are misled by Internet Marketing "gurus" who sell them on the idea of how easy it is to get rich quick using the Internet.

The problem here is that they're only telling folks half the story. You absolutely, positively can get rich quick using the Internet. But... it is FAR from easy.

Many other people that fail have only themselves to blame. It sounds harsh, but it's true.

The "Empower Network Scam" is a great example here. There's no shortage of negative reviews posted online about EN, but to me, they just don't make sense.

With Empower Network you have all of the training and tools you need to become successful. People that have access to these tools and don't use them can't blame the company for their failure. It's like joining a gym, paying your dues for six months, failing to meet your weight loss goals, and then going online and blasting the gym because you didn't get the results you wanted!

5. What is the relationship between effective blogging and successful marketing--and what would you say makes a blog effective?

Well, if by effective you mean profitable, I would say the two main factors that determine your level of success would be 1) your choice of blog topic, and 2) your choice of product.

Ideally, one should pick a single or related set of "buyer keywords"--meaning keywords that someone with a credit card in hand would be searching for--and build your blog around these phrases.

For example, which keyword phrase is likely to be a better "buyer keyword": "Jennifer Aniston pregnancy" or "Empower Network review"?

If my primary product in this example is Empower Network, I know which one I'd choose--even if blogging about Jennifer Aniston did bring me 100x more visitors--because I know that if someone is deliberately searching for "Empower Network Review," they're already interested and may be getting ready to make that purchase. Those are the readers I want on my blog.

Along with your blog topic, you need to pick a viable product. Preferably something with a low return rate. Something scalable—-meaning you can sell 1,000,000 of them as easily as you could sell 10. Think about this: you would have a tough time scaling up if your product was something like homemade furniture--there are only so many chairs you can make yourself in a month. Your time is limited. Whereas my blog sells Empower Network 24x7 on autopilot.

Also, pick a product that pays a large commission. You might think it'd be harder to sell a higher priced product, but that isn't necessarily true. The competition for selling big-ticket items is less, the refund rates are lower, and you simply don't have to sell a LOT of the products to make decent money.

Thanks, Ken!

Introducing Viyae's Positively Focused Blog

Viyae has labeled her personal/professional blog with the title, "positively focused in a world of negative distractions." She posts about topics related to positive thinking, the law of attraction, manifesting money, and other topics related to harnessing your personal thoughts and emotions to achieve what you want to achieve.

The blog is part of the Empower Network, an online marketing system. I've read other EN blogs, and the interesting aspect about them is that each has the particular personality of the individual blogger. What sets Viyae's blog apart is that in addition to curating content she finds online such as useful videos and links, she shares a lot of her personal experiences with learning to think more positively, move past conflicts and other difficulties, and focus on the good things in her life.

Many of her posts and long and thoroughly developed, and she includes detailed reviews of books she's read on a variety of topics related to business, finance, and personal growth. Viyae is an insightful and unique blogger, and I think we'll be seeing a lot more of her work as she continues to share her ideas online.

A Blog by Claudia Silva from Australia

One of the pleasures of reading blogs is learning about the perspectives of people all over the world. Claudia Silva is a blogger who lives in Sydney, Australia. Claudia's blog is part of the Empower Network, a membership-based and commission-based blogging system with partners in many different countries.

Claudia is the mom of two young boys, and some of her posts relate to issues regarding family and health, such as a recent post about sodium fluoride. She also posts frequently about business and entrepreneurship. And if you like videos, you'll love Claudia's blog as she frequently shares videos made by friends and business associates of hers, as well as favorites she finds on YouTube.

One of my favorite posts of hers features a selection of quotes by Khalil Gibran, including the following: "You must learn a new way to think before you can master a new way to be." Like many bloggers, Claudia is exploring new ways to think and be through sharing online.

Meet Steve Metcalfe, Traveler, Geophysicist, and Blogger

Steve Metcalfe is a co-author and a world traveler who has been on the go for the past 21 years. Professionally, he's a Geophysicist who has been working offshore on research vessels. This role has taken him all over the world from Tasmania in Australia, throughout S/E Asia, India, Africa, Brazil, Mexico, USA & Canada--as well as to the North Sea, Scotland, Norway, United Arab Emirates and also New Zealand.

Although his work has also kept him away from family and friends collectively now for over 11 years, he has also, during the past 21 years, spent near 9 years at home and on vacation which has allowed him to continue his passion for traveling. Here are a couple examples of his blog posts on his travels: Paradise Island and Phuket Island.

Steve's other main interest has been learning about businesses and the internet as he's determined to grow a business online into a multi-million dollar dynasty over the years to come, which will enable him choices to return home to be with family and close friends.

1. Could you tell us a little about the work you do in geophysics and how/why this work has resulted in you traveling the world?

Yes, I am a Geophysicist and have been working in Seismic Exploration for the past 21 years working offshore all over the world searching for oil and gas reservoirs. We basically provide an image of the subsurface for the oil company to delineate their structural oil or gas trap.

Oil exploration is performed all over the world and so the reason I have travelled all over the world from the Southern Tip of the South Island of New Zealand, throughout Australia and Asia, India, Tanzania and Mozambique on the East coast of Africa. Namibia, Angola, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal on the West and Central West Africa. To Europe, England, Scotland, Norway. Canada, Gulf of Mexico both in US & Mexico. Brazil and South Korea.

2. When you're not traveling for work, what are some of the activities (including travel) that you most enjoy with family and friends?

I am a fanatical Australian Rules Football supporter, I live in the North East of Thailand, and I have also studied Internet Marketing, online businesses and blogging. I have over 54 websites, many of which are in various stages of development, and my most recent addition has been my blogging over at the EmpowerNetwork blogging platform at http://www.empowernetwork.com/stevemetcalfe/.

3. What inspired you to start blogging?

It seemed like the easiest way to create a website online. Instead of learning HTML and website design, etc, you simply load WordPress on your web host and start blogging. Of course then you run into design and content issues, but the WordPress platform is so flexible that you could easily twist your blog into a full cms system and even a membership site. And for those of us who are less tech-savvy, there are other blogging platforms out there where all you need to do after purchasing an account is to log in and start blogging. This is the edge that EmpowerNetwork blogs have. Hence, for many of the older generation, this has helped them get their niche content published online.

4. How does your involvement with Team Tissa support your blog and your online business ventures?

Team Tissa supports everyone within the group to help promote the affiliate marketing side of the EmpowerNetwork (EN) product line. You can build a business for yourself using the EN products. However, you only gain 100% commissions for the products that you sell by owning the resale rights to those products.

With EN we are effectively direct sales and the amount of income you would like to earn is based on the resale rights that you possess. Team Tissa help each other understand best strategies etc that will help build your business. We have a really good short 25min recorded webinar that people can watch for more information. This will show you how Tissa is helping all team members become successful. Check it out now if you have the time.

This webinar was live earlier this month, and within the first 5 minutes Tissa will not only tell you exactly what he has to offer everyone who comes onboard with his Team, but he shows you how it's benefited many of his team members. It's a great example of why TeamTissa has become one of the most successful teams.

5. I like the title, Multiple Streams of Inspiration, of the series of books you've helped author. Are you continuing to work on this project, and what else can we expect to see/read from you in the near future?

Yes, I enjoyed the opportunity to co-author 2 volumes of the Multiple Streams of Inspiration with Johnny Wimbrey. I have more information about these volumes and the content that I contributed at my blog.

For the moment, I am blogging about my travel adventures throughout the world over the past 21 years and this has taken precedent over any additional co-author work that has come through the pipeline. I'm blogging daily on the EmpowerNetwork blogging platform and as such, there's a lot of content being added on a weekly basis.

Thanks, Steve!