Ponder this for a moment…

I did a search other day on MSN for “oklahoma free checking”; a banking client wants to target this keyphrase. There were no sponsored results but front and center from self proclaimed Internet search directory god LookSmart is? You guessed it, Long-Distance Oklahoma Movers - AAA Move. Now that’s relevant! Quick MSN get out while you can as we are doing!

I shudder to think that I am alone in my thinking method. Actually with likes of Brent Winters, President of FirstPlace Software saying, “Unfortunately, I find it difficult to recommend LookSmart as a good value at this time as I have in past.” “Today, there's many other factors to consider, making recouping your costs significantly more risky with LookSmart.” And with tremendous complaints and reports of people being double charged, not receiving clicks that LookSmart claims and getting no response from a customer service standpoint, somehow I don’t think I am.

Simply put and all jokes aside, we’ve done math and evaluated losses in traffic/conversions and when it comes down to it we can use money that LookSmart is wanting us to pay; to pay someone else and receive a much more targeted and highly visible top placement.

With Overture listings almost everywhere on web and being placed more prominently than LookSmart listings (with exception of MSN) and with Google and other PPC programs out there, we will surely recover 6% loss from LookSmart.

Stop whining, do your homework, and you too can survive LookSmart piracy. The question is, will LookSmart survive? Will MSN stick with them with relevant results such as one presented above?

Stay tuned…

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7. Open Loop. A good distance learning course provides resources for lots of other learning opportunties, some of which will be yours! I also pair with another coach who offers services I don't want to provide. I trust her products, she trusts mine. Once they go to her to get XYZ, her courses/services refer them back to me, for special things I offer. We both build our practices that way, help our clients, and sell more useful products.

8. The interactive aspects of your distance learning course are also great new avenues for marketing. Interactive is best way to learn and also works to your advantage. Design your courses so that students email their responses to you. In each email interaction there's a chance for you to teach more, and also to promote your products that are relevant. Make sure your sig line works for you in that respect. [See my topten "Let Signature Block of Your Email Work for You" (If link doesn't work, go to www.topten.org/public/AF/AF527.html.

9. Build relationship--the greatest marketing "tool" of all. Be giving and personal in your responses to students' assignments. The person will have a chance to get to know and trust you, and we do business with people whom we like and whom we trust. Make connection in every way you can.

10. If you know and love your subject, and love people, this will show through. You'll naturally attract a following for your services and products.

When you're a teacher, you are in a position to take advantage of teacher-archetype. Be faithful to it; use it wisely and well. A "teacher" holds a special place in our lives. We love those teachers who teach us well and with love. We naturally listen to them and look to them for guidance. Honor this archetype in all that you do, and your students will begin to look to you for other sources of learning and development. They'll also give you ideas for other products and services, and will refer you to friends. One of my students recommended my course to everyone else in his department.

There are many ways to use distance learning courses to market yourself and your products. Be a good teacher, and be creative, and opportunities are endless. This is cross-marketing at its best.