Muse Test #2 Is Live

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Hey everyone my second muse test is now live. I’ve completed work on the 007 Lifestyle – Living Like James Bond.

In the next couple days I’ll write up a complete summary of what went down to get this thing up and going. I’ll talk a bit more about the testing process, how I wrote it, how I designed it, shopping cart set-up, etc.

This is the completed package – if you want to see one of the original test pages I used, go to LivingLikeJamesBond.com/example

Right now, I need to get the marketing campaign in full force. I’ve already sold some copies so now it’s time to rinse and repeat.

Check over the site and leave comments if you have any.

How To Find An Expert In Your Niche (And Get Free Help)

I’m a big fan of James Bond but some might say my ‘Bond memory’ is a little fuzzy. I can’t recite every movie word for word or even tell you the specific gadgets Bond used in each and every film.

After completing a rough draft of my ebook, it was apparent that I needed someone to come in an inject a few more Bond references. Combing back over the movies and some novels would have been daunting. I needed an expert on James Bond.

Finding an expert was incredibly easy. Here’s how I did it:

1. I went to a popular James Bond forum – most forums are full of people that are there because they’re passionate about the particular subject. They share their knowledge because they want to help and be part of a community.
2. Scouted the recent posts – I looked for posts within the last week because sometimes even big forums go stale. I wanted to make sure that people would still be checking the forum and their direct messages.
3. Found the person with the most posts – I also made sure the posts weren’t just filler and were actually insightful and helpful. In my case, the winning candidate happened to be the guy who started and runs the forum.
4. Sent him a direct message asking for help – I signed up a new account and contacted him through a PM.

Here’s the exact message I PM’ed him. Feel free to copy this format if you see fit.

Subject Line: Can I ask you a quick question?

Hey,

My name is Derek Johanson and I’m currently working on an ebook loosely titled, (PRODUCT NAME HERE). It’s a practical/relevant guide for guys looking to live a James Bond like lifestyle in today’s world.

I’m a huge Bond fan (obviously) but don’t have the copious knowledge that you seem to have. I’ve written up the meat and potatoes of the ebook (how to make the lifestyle happen), but I need someone to come in and inject it with more Bond references, short stories, etc. to match the content.

So my question is: would you be willing to take my ebook and put in as much relevant Bond information as possible – drawing from the movies and books and your knowledge? With your knowledge base I doubt it’d take much of your time.

I’ll give you credit, link to your website, and also pay you. What do you say?

You can check out my current website (so you know I’m legit) at http://liveuncomfortably.com

Contact me @ derek@liveuncomfortably.com

Thanks!
Derek

I got a response back with in a couple hours saying he’d do it for free. He just wants credit and a link to his forum.

It’s really this simple. The letter above probably could have been better, but it got the job done. Go to your niche’s forums and find your experts.

Inspirational Thought: Try going to a forum and interviewing 4 or 5 experts to create the entire ebook that way.

How To Get Testimonials For Your Sales Page

It’s a little difficult to get testimonials for your sales page when your product doesn’t exist. But I’ve found somewhat of a loophole.

On the initial sales page offer a short report that is related to your product. After people have downloaded the report ask for a testimonial in exchange for a discount when/if the product is ever developed.

I’ve collected a bunch of emails while in the process of developing my product. And, I’ve recieved several testimonials that I’ve now placed in my sales letter.

The testimonials are related to free report but in many cases they still work because people write in something like this: “Well I can say that even the free report has helped me tremendously.”

Make sure you don’t use your testimonials out of context. The people who wrote them wont forgive you.

Your first sales letter wont have any testimonials at all, but hopefully it’s a good enough product or there’s a high enough demand that it wont matter.

+++++

Reader Darryl also had some great insights for collecting testimonials in this post on analyzing the muse

Forum Technical Difficulties

If you spot anything weird let me know. The forum is still in beta form.

Talk Muse Forum Is Now Live

Alright everyone, I’ve created a forum where everyone can start sharing their knowledge, asking questions, and getting to know each other.

http://forum.talkmuse.com

Right now the forum is super simple. 4 categories: Muse Creation, Social Dynamics, Travel, & general 4 Hr Work Week discussion.

After talking a bit with one reader, Darryl, I thought that we should develop a sort of ‘mastermind’ group of like minded individuals. The topics in the forum seem to be ones that many people like me are drawn to. Tim Ferriss creates muses, is definitely a student of social dynamics, and loves to travel.

These are the people I’d like to participate in the forum. It might take a little while for it to grow and will no doubt undergo some changes, but let’s give it a shot. Start firing up any questions or suggestions you might have.

http://forum.talkmuse.com

Testing The Muse – Google Website Optimizer

I’m driven some traffic using both Ezine Articles and Adwords. Now, it’s time to test, test, test our sales page. Luckily, Google Website Optimizer makes that easy for us. Watch the video below.

I forgot to mention in the video that Google will give you scripts to paste into the HTML of your website.

Using Google Analytics and Google Website Optimizer together is a powerful combination. Don’t overlook testing and more testing.

Resources:

Google Website Optimizer

First Muse Test Sales Page Is Ready

The first sales page is up on MuscleMeditate.com – check it out here.

I’ll be making several videos tonight and tomorrow to explain everything I did.

Also, be aware that this is nowhere near what the final website will look like. I designed this sales page to test the market.

The marketing tactics here are a little over the top for my tastes. If there’s some interest in the product, I’ll be redesigning the page to look more ‘business-like’.

Click Here

Questions, comments, and suggestions are more than welcome.