Hi all! coffee update

I've been busy doing thinking and planning and stuff so haven't updated for a bit. I got side tracked by creating a Zlio shop, but apart from tweeking it for the search engines I just need to add it to my collection of coffee related stuff - and continue focusing on the main subject of this blog - Healthy Coffee!

Coffee Venues

I am still visiting the fledgling venues and I am also creating back up / replacements to keep things flowing, as you might see, people are slowly drifting in some, people will also slowly gather at other places - the venues I am focusing on are the places - in some cases -where you can add your products - for example - if you belong to Hi5, Multiply or Plaxo - you may as well join the 'local' coffee venue I have created on them - takes a couple minutes to add your intro and link, invite people to your website or tell them why you like a certain brand of coffee - if you are selling coffee - exposure and gathering is important for personal branding, as each of us can be an expert and offer advice from experience of using the products concerned.

Drink Up...

- If you haven't tried ganoderma coffee yet get some already! - if you don't like coffee yourself, buy some for a friend or relative that does like coffee - someone that will give you feedback. Some people might not like the idea of extra things added to their coffee - so personally I'd opt for the black coffee option people can add their own choice of milk/whiter, sugar etc.

Poisoning your parents!

BTW- I forgot to mention (or didn't make it clear enough) to one person there was ganoderma in it - she thought is was just some kind of powered coffee and loved it - when at a later date I mentioned the gano - she freaked -

" waddya mean there was extra stuff in it ?!"

"don't panic, it's just herbal coffee, I thought you read the packet!" I replied

- lesson here is don't forget to mention the herbal element or your family (if like mine) with think you were putting arsenic in their drink! - some people aren't used to the concept of herbs in coffee and I guess there is always the chance a person might have an allergy to mushrooms or ginseng.

Price objections - well you don't have that problem with ganobrand and you live in the States - but there are people in Gano Excel and the Healthy Coffee Company etc. that the wholesale price and shipping is steep - especially for me here in the UK. In this case it is worth remembering the gourmet qualities - the fact you import it - it is still a specialty coffee - so it commands a higher price - YOU are going to the extra lengths needs to get this coffee for your customer - so they should pay you for the trouble you go to, to get it.

- in other words if you are like me and having to pay a small fortune for the stuff - the mark-up price is going to be pretty lousy if you are direct selling it only - BUT - if you are a distributor after than an affiliate - you have to mark up regardless and justify your price in order to make a profit - you have to make a profit to be in business, you can't play the 'loss leader' game and beat people on price with this coffee just yet.

The only way you can get the product at a variety of prices is to join a mixture of affiliate and mlm - the affiliate program provides cheaply priced coffee, which you could sell individually for example - so that people can try it as a sample - The engeri coffee I tried for example - didn't taste like it came from a supermarket - it has a different flavor - taste - it is that different taste you are really selling. The MLM provides the risk factor/path of progression on a business plan - if you want to work your way to much bigger profits - at the lower end - everything is fair game to try out - but if you want to make your path in one company and go for bigger bonuses - eventually you will be expected to choose one brand and become totally loyal to just it.

Other stuff

Okay, so I've being setting up my Zlio Store and adding a few articles, I might put together some more pdf's soon - you could put together your own - if you are making use of openoffice.org their free office suite has a web editor - you simply copy and paste an article (an article you have permission to use or PLR from a reputable marketer) had you save it as a pdf - done - an ebook.

Hi Folks just an update

hi there, just an update from Zara, last couple days I've been 'doing things' including setting up a Zlio Store - now you can set up one of these stores for free with up to 50 products in and they basically are e-stores linked to affiliate products, now the revenue % percentage is pretty low on some of the products (because zlio take a 40% cut on average) but I like the layout of the stores and you can add social networking links.

ALL THINGS COFFEE

The store I have gone for is using the premium version but like I say there is a free version - you can pick which country and pick a product line. I've gone for a UK based store and a Coffee Product line and I've used one of their free templates - my store is here not quite finished yet! I've added a mix of coffee products.

http://www.allthingscoffee.co.uk

I am hoping to add google connect or the xat chat box or something else to aid interactivity.

But this store may give a coffee affiliate some ideas to use in their own store - for example I've not stopped at coffee machines and coffee - the concept for all things coffee - is just that - all things coffee 'looking' or inspired too.

For example jewelry,furniture and clothing etc. is sometimes coffee colored - chocolate can = mocha coloured - cappuccino = tan and golds and whites etc.

So I also have a range of bed sheets described as 'cappuccino' by the supplier, designer bags, dresses etc.

So Coffee, at least in my store goes beyond just the stuff we drink, but that's because I'm exploring the niche. You could drill down further and just sell coffee machines or just sell coffee cups.

People that drink their lovely cup of Ganobrand Coffee, need some nice coffee cups and coasters to compliment their new favorite drink, don't you think ?

Other things:

The Coffee Venues

Okay, my venues I've made a temporary universal logo for them to bring a sense of focus to the idea that they are all the same thing - just spread out across networks.

I have made these venues for Coffee affiliates to either post their affiliate link, together with an article or review of the coffee they drink - in a targeted coffee place, where you are expected by all in there to post relating to coffee.

You could see them as virtual, free coffee convention center's. (at the moment they are just groups, with not a lot going on but as with any venue it takes time and incentives and content and locals etc. to build up a readership.

The point of them being there is if you belong to any of the social networks featured you can join the coffee venue associated with it.

Now one useful thing you could post there as a coffee affiliate, is links to discounted coffee or free coffee samples - these are well known ways for you to get leads into your coffee business.

Social networks are more than just link farms and lead generators, they are places to network and make friends - so you need to bare that in mind - I might be your next customer for example - what coffee products have you got that would interest ME ? Why would I want to buy from you ?.

The Journalist saying Who, What, Why, How, Where, when ?

Is very useful for marketers, a number of people use it as a basis for interaction about the facts/building press releases,pre-launch all sorts. It's like an interview.

Example:

Q - Who are you ? A - I am Zara an Internet Marketer based in the UK.

Q - What do you do ? A - I sell Coffee related items on-line, I have a particular interest in ganoderma coffee.

Q - Why are you doing it ? A - I personally like Coffee so thought I'd see if I could sell it, I've been interested in Internet marketing for 8 years, and decided to focus on the coffee niche to make use of everything I have learned so far.

Q - How are you selling it ? A - I am in the process of setting up Coffee Venues which are attached to revenue share business models such as affiliate marketing, dropshipping, estores, blogs and auction sites. This is combined with social networking and personal branding to create more awareness of the products and services available to coffee consumers.

Q - Where can you be contacted if I with to make a coffee purchase or join the affiliate programs you recommend ? A - If you wish to contact me regarding a purchase or coffee affiliate details I can be contacted for UK information @allthingscoffee or @coffee2u on Twitter ( note: @coffee2u is now my USA coffee information channel)I can also be contacted here: http://www.allthingscoffee.co.uk/about

Q - When is your next live broadcast/webinar/video blog/newsletter due out ? A - At the moment I don't have set dates for any of the above but you can generally expect a video and or newletter once or twice a week and my blog updates are delivered via feedburner once daily, providing I post that day. People can optin to extra e-mail courses as they wish.

You could also use this Q and A to make sure you know who your target market is - i.e who are your potential customers, What brand of coffee to they currently buy ? Why are they buying that coffee ? How are they buying that coffee ? Where and when are they buying that coffee ? = How can you get them to buy coffee from you instead ?

Final note:

Just a reminder again that each of the venues is hosted on a social networking website, each has their different set of rules - remember if in doubt - leave the affiliate link out and add a way for people to contact you about a product or service you sell - i.e you can say to people what you do as a living and invite people to link with you on facebook or twitter or plaxo for example.




Plaxo is venue no.25


With Plaxo you can then drop your new buddy a quick e-mail if they have expressed an interest in your product range. - If you are a phone person - i.e you don't mind people phoning you at all times - I'd say add your phone number to anything and everything - get customers to call you and ask for information.

I personally don't do phone calls preferring e-mail and forums so I can think my answers through a bit first - but I might take it on as a challenge in the future - then you can ring me and we can chat about all this if you want :-)

bare bones of the coffee venues

Some information on what the Coffee Venues are about

okay, so now I have set up some 'barebones' coffee venues - I selected them randomly rather than based on their functions / abilities - it was random in the sense it was a cross section of social networking portals that see activity in my e-mail inbox. I opted for a cross section as it widens reach .

I get alot of friend requests and interaction via the random selection from my inbox, and this activity is usually done by people, and it's people we coffee people want to interact with right ?

So I am taking our coffee venues to the places of activity.

I work on a similar princible to what Thomas Power is talking about over on Ecademy 'ORS' Open, Random, Supportive - look it up in the blogs there, but the concept of ORS in terms of our (and I have made them for more than just me!) coffee venues -is like a cafe or bistro in a shopping center - you are going to get a lot of people (quantity) walking around the shopping mall (a social network), some will walk past your cafe, some will come in, some won't

- some will walk by the cafe every day thinking I will have to pop in for a coffee one day, some will just "have to come in" to start their day - a habit that 'center's' them/ starts them for the day. - The point is - the cafe is there in the first place - if it wasn't - people would go somewhere else or have different habits.

Yet we also know that " build it and they will come" - doesn't work by itself alone on-line - this is proven over the years by many stores that come and go because they can't get awareness to their target market - in order for a shop or venue to work - the shop keeper has to do some enticement, which could mean putting some tasty cakes in the window, it could mean offering a freebie, and it could mean finding or attracting a range of people that work in a similar industry -

Imagine a cafe convention (or family/ friends) supporting your cafe on opening, same kind of thing - this network of friends supporting each other kind of works on Ning - the main difference with this - is it's coffee related as a main subject - a way for others to add in this situation is to make sure you have the equivalent of a notice / community board - where people can leave their messages, things for sale, classified adverts, events, yard sales etc.

- this is where team work from other people in your industry comes in - you offer some free cakes to the cake society - IF they come and eat those cakes in your store. You also have some good products, good deals - and good content for both - people see other people enjoying those cakes in your cafe - then they want some - your cafe is associated with a place where people enjoy cakes.

- why compete for business when there are enough people to share ? - affiliation works on this revenue model - REV share does work, just ask an affiliate agency! - If they didn't make money from sharing revenue and make a profit - they would not be doing it - they are a business - not a social welfare agency!


A group/venue is much like a blog too in that you need to keep it updated with fresh content or activity to attract people.

So my next stage of these venues is to add content, that coffee lovers and coffee people will find useful, and to also find the experts and "cake" people that can fill up each venue.

If you have something you can offer people for free that is coffee related - you are welcome to post it in the venues =)

Not ALL these venues will work - BUT - that doesn't matter - as some will - consistency and fresh content is the key to success with any blog /website or venue - together with effort to attract the right kind of people - extract the quality from the quantity as they walk by the cafe-

- You have to be visible and in the stream to attract attention real-time communication is one tool that gets you there, that is what all the top experts are saying - not just little old me BTW!--

Coffee Venues updated

Remember to follow the rules of the network - for example on Koottam you will get banned for posting any type of advert, so you have to network instead.

Coffee Venues	1 – IncomeClubPro coffee venue no.1	2 – Ning Nomads – coffee venue no.2	3 – Google Groups – coffee venue no.3	4 – Healthy Coffee Downline Club	5 – CoffeeCupping Group YouTube	6 -healthy Coffee Club on Face Book	7 – Friendfeed Ganoderma
GanoBrand	8 – Apsense Coffee Club	9 – TweetJunction Coffee Venue	10 – Social Median Coffee Drinker	11 – Ecademy Coffee Lounge	12 Coffee Group Blog	13 – CoffeeDrinker.org on Facebook	14 – SpicyPage Coffee Club
GanodermaCoffee	15 – BuzzHerd Coffee Venue	16 – Gather coffee venue	17 – Hi5 – The Coffee venue	18 – NetLog Coffee Venue	19 – Coffee Forums coffee venue	20 – Mixx Coffee Venue	21 – Zorpia Coffee venue
Healthy Coffee	22 -Multiply coffee venue	23 – Koottam 23 coffee venue	24 - Net Millionaires coffee venue	25 – Plaxo coffee Venue	26 – Yahoo coffee venue	27 – Friendster – Coffee venue	28 – Vox

Coffee Venues - Connect with Coffee People

Okay I'm going to add this as a new page in the menu:

This page will list Coffee Venues that you can go to on-line and add your coffee related products - I will be adding them across networks like a chain of restaurants - and I will try and have a link to the live Xat Chat room where ever possible.

These are places to meet up, say hi & network with other coffee people or leave a message for other coffee people to come and say hi where ever you hang out.

So the live chat room is always here: http://xat.com/coffeedrinker

These clubs are venues to network in - if nobody is about leave a message saying where you can be found on-line most - i.e add your twitter or facebook or where ever you can be contacted by members of the public.

@Coffee2u Xat Coffee	ICP v1 m0	Ning Nomads – coffee venue no.2 m1	Google Groups – coffee venue no.3	4. Healthy Coffee Downline Club m2	5. CoffeeCupping Group YouTube m3	6 -healthy Coffee Club on Face Book m4
	7 – Friendfeed Ganoderma m5	8 – Apsense Coffee Club Apsense Aff link	9 – TweetJunction Coffee Venue m6	10 – Social Median Coffee Drinker m7	11 – Ecademy Coffee Lounge m8	12 Coffee Group Blog m9
	13 – CoffeeDrinker.org on Facebook m10	14 – SpicyPage Coffee Club m11	15 – BuzzHerd Coffee Venue m12	16 – Gather coffee venue m13	17 – Hi5 – The Coffee venue m14	18 – NetLog Coffee Venue
	19 – Coffee Forums coffee venue m15	20 – Mixx Coffee Venue m16	21 – Zorpia Coffee venue m17	22 -Multiply coffee venue m18	23 – Koottam 23 coffee venue m19	24 - Net Millionaires coffee venue m20
	25 – Plaxo coffee Venue m21	26 – Yahoo coffee venue Group e-mail for yahoo group	27 – Friendster – Coffee venue m22	28 – Vox Coffee Venue m23	Ecademy Facebook