It’s that time of year again!

Time to start getting notices out for the upcoming Online International Virtual Assistant Convention (OIVAC).

This year’s event, the 4th Annual Convention, will be held May 14-16, 2009. It runs from 8 a.m. until 12 midnight, Eastern Time.

And it’s online, like always; you’ll be attending from the comfort of your home, your home office, your downtown office, if you have one. Attendees participate globally using their computer and the Internet.

You’ll save time, money, travel and lodging expense. All Seminars are recorded so if you miss a session or if it conflicts with one of the other classes you want to take, you will be able to download it at a later date.

To get a general line-up of the events, check out the OIVAC. Presenters have not yet been finalized; however, we wanted you to know about this event so you could include it in your May calendar planning.

The event also has awards, games, prizes and exhibits. The exhibits will be open 24 hours each day.

And, we have a “blog hopping” tour, which has been loads of fun in the past. It’s a great way to get backlinks to your site…if you’re so inclined.

You build a site, throw up some banners and links to a bunch of products and eagerly wait for your Affiliate sales to start rolling in. A few days later still no sales, you think Affiliate Marketing doesn’t work and throw in the towel.

Make no mistake! When applied properly, Affiliate Marketing most assuredly works, and it’s a super way to make money online. Here are a few tips to help you avoid those dreaded mistakes many beginners often make in Affiliate Marketing.

Banner Central – Banners don’t often work as well as text links. Of course, it does depend on your subject, and you should test both individually, to determine what works best. Oftentimes you’re better off sticking to text links, rather than turning your Web site into banner central.

Unrelated Products – You’d be surprised at the number of people who do this. Make sure all offers on your Web site are related to the context on your site. For example, if you have a site about pet care don’t offer baby care products. Sometimes it’s tempting to promote other products but stick to what your Target Market is looking for.

Missing your Target Market – Before starting any business venture (including Affiliate Marketing) you should always know who your Target Market is. To become a Super Affiliate you’ll need to build a Web site that speaks directly to the market you are trying to attract. And, you’ll need to understand the needs of that specific market. So who’s your Target Market?

Hype, Hype, Hype – Avoid it all costs. People can smell hype a mile away and will run quick with their credit card clutched tightly in their hands. If you review products on your Web site make sure your reviews are honest. More importantly, try to take the time to actually use the product (or at least look into it) so that you can genuinely speak about its features and benefits; and don’t forget to add the “not so good” sides of the product, too. If the product is lacking in some way, say so. People will appreciate your honesty and grow to trust you.

Not Tracking Sales – You’ll need to track how well a product converts in order to know whether or not a program is worth your promotion. You can try out different things in your promotions, making sure to track each one of them.

Of course, you might find others to add to this list.

And a special “Happy Birthday”, President Lincoln.

Internet Marketers encounter a great number of visitors.

They nose around their site on a frequent basis, then click away.

So how are you “gonna” keep them from leaving before you’re ready? Before they’ve stayed long enough to wear out their welcome! Which, in reality, you hope they don’t. You want them to be interested enough that they keep coming back often to see what you’ve got. And eventually purchase your products and services.

You’ve got to have a way to collect contact information if you hope to follow-up with your readers.

Information gathering can be done in a number of ways, one of which is to offer a free eBook or an informative report that will grab your customers’ attention. This can be done by including a form on your site for them to complete. You’ll get their information, they’ll get your free report, and you have just opened the door to keep in touch with them on a regular basis.

Personalize as much as possible.

In your email follow-up, address your customer by first name. Personalized messages have greater appeal than “addressed to occupant” messages. We had a mayor some years ago who made it a point to address everyone—council members, council attendees, persons on the street he’d meet—he came in contact with by first name.

Name recognition can leave a good feeling and gain you a loyal following.

What do you suppose Guglielmo Marconi and all those other guys attributed to having had a hand in inventing the radio would say now if they came back and saw how their little old “radio” has advanced since their time?

I say “other guys” because while Marconi is commonly attributed to having “invented the radio,” there were one or two others who “got his wires” crossed before Marconi, and managed to provide some semblance of air wave communication as a result. (And the rest of that history lesson is for another time!)

Actually, when you think about it, turning this the other way, wouldn’t it be an eye opener for us to be able to sit around the table or wherever it was they did their inventing, to see how any of them decided to research and go forward with their ideas.

Can you imagine the snickers behind their backs?

The real, ongoing revelation, though, is for many of us right here, right now!

It’s a given that for you, as a “virtual” business owner, to gain new clients, you need a way for them to be able to find you. One of those techniques, which has become somewhat “ho hum” and out-of-date of late has been to put up a Web site.

Okay, so you’ve got your Web site. Now what?

Since it seems “everybody’s doing it,” you want to be somewhat unique. You want some way to draw clients to you.

It was at the “turn of the century” (hee), early 2000-2001, actually, that the concept of using audio files in web pages was first introduced. And we’ve all seen how that has evolved over the subsequent years.

So much so that it now includes not just music, but the “spoken word,” too—audio messaging–and even video!

And to build upon that, Internet trends now include an explosion of podcasting and Internet radio shows along with the imbedded audio files. They’re even being “transported” via email.

All are methods designed to get your name, your products and services out there to increase your business, your sales and profits, and give you name recognition.

The “why” and the “how” you use audio on your Web site or in your email depends upon factors that best benefit you; they’re usually as varied as flavors of ice cream, tv channels, or fish in the sea, and might include communication in the format of regular radio, audio file, or podcasting.

This is a terrific way to establish a relationship with your visitors. Once you do that, all the rest can follow.

With that said, click on over to Konceptuality to sign up for our e-zine.

In the interim, you’ll receive a complimentary copy of our hot, new “teeny, tiny primer” with editing and proofreading tips and tricks.

And, turn yourself on to “radio” and, turn “your radio” on.