While we wait to see what he has to say and I just know its going to be good, I have also been thinking about people who are coming into internet marketing or online marketing and trying to figure out how to really help people.
What I am noticing is that while people are being told that they need to help others with their product or service, the reality is that they really want to make money. Now that is going to sound harsh to some people and for that I am sorry, but I feel that if we are going to truly help people create any kind of income, then we need to be upfront and honest.
Reality check, everyone is going to have their 5 cents ( we don't do pennies anymore in Canada) about how you can go out and make money by getting into all these different programs, niches. Then they will tell you to do this or that and off you go...bye bye!
Here is a fact for you..if you aren't an expert in any of these programs, niches or services and you don't have a product, then is it realistic to say you are going to succeed? I don't think so!
What does that really mean? To me it means sitting down with yourself and writing down what you like, your interests and your knowledge. It also means sitting down with yourself and putting pen to paper and stating what you need to learn, whether it be SEO, learning how to advertise or learning how to social network.
After you have decided what you are going to do then the next thing people need to do is to set goals. I'm not talking about goals that so many so called gurus will tell you and we have all heard them "I'm going to have a ton of readers who will fall down and worship my feet" or " Follow me and I will show you how to make 10 million DOLLARS" what a bunch of BS!
Use the smart thinking when it comes to making goals
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely
Believe it or not Wikipedia does a darn good job of helping you understand the
Smart thinking ( not to be confused with the K.I.S.S thinking)
Because everyone is unique and different, you need to create your own personal goals,but I would love for you to share them here so we can cheer you on your way
When it comes to online marketing, then you need to deal with the fact that you are going to feel that you are always going to be in school. Everything is changing in many ways in the digital world and you need to keep up with the current trends, what is hot in social media networking, the tools and the way Joe Q public is reacting to being sold to. Gone are the days where you put in a link everywhere( drop linking) and people would come knocking down your door...sorry not going to happen! While there are many courses to learn from, I have to be honest and say that
Bogdans course is one of the best I have seen to date and really worth the effort to read and heed
One of the biggest complaints I hear is " nothing is happening" and when I hear that its almost like saying " no one loves me". contrary what you may hear, the fact is that online marketing will NOT produce results right away. In fact I would say, give this time. How much time? be realistic and give yourself at least 3-6 months to notice a difference. Be prepared to work. Remember the "smart goals?" If you are working a full time job and then have to come home, then set realistic expectations and know that you will be working 2-4 hrs a day to get where you want to go.
If you are not connecting to people, then expecting people to buy from you is not realistic. Learning how to leverage social networks, learning how to do email marketing, newsletter marketing, setting up autorespondrs and just learning how to talk to people online and yep off line is a requirment for becoming successful in your chosen profession. You need to deal with this if you want to succeed.
Many people get into online marketing and they don't have a blog or a website. Here is a question for you..how the heck are people going to find you without having a home? While I personally love to blog, the fact is not everyone is a blogger and I understand that. There are ways of creating a home front using free services that will help you create a simple and yet effective little website, in fact
Google provides such a service and I have played around with it and its not bad. Many programs will try and tell you to use a ready made website, but to me that is looking at a street with the same box houses all in a row and they all look the same. Find a way to create your own unique home where you can make it truly YOU!
Have you ever noticed a video that goes viral and at first it is unique and to be honest very cool and then everyone copies it over and over again? Just like those same box houses all in a row, after a while what was unique turns out boring and stale. What works for one person will not work for another..yes you need advise and yes you need to learn, but after a while you need to leave the nest and come up with ways and means to make your online marketing work for you. Don't just do things because everyone else is doing it or because you are told this is the way to do things. Don't ever limit yourself!
Well that's my take on some of the pitfalls and traps that people can fall into before they even go into online marketing. What are your thoughts and opinions about this topic and what would you add to this list?