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Twelve Basic Truths of Profitable Online Marketing
Internet marketing is very simple . . . and at the same time . . . very complex!
It is simple because the basic premise for marketing is to get a quality offer in front of a hungry targeted prospect, convert that offer into a sale, then rinse and repeat. What could be easier, right?
But the details of just how one goes about accomplishing the basics of Internet marketing can get pretty “dicey” and complex, especially for a newbie, someone that has little to no experience in doing marketing successfully. When you think about it, very few entrepreneurs that come to the Internet to start a business have any training (hands-on or otherwise) in what it takes to create and run a successful small business.
Failure, frustration, self-doubt and a lot of second guessing seem to be the signs of a marketing disease called “diflucous of the pizerinctum.” (pronounced die-flu-cuss of the pizz-er-ink-tum) No doubt you’ve suffered through this disease if you’re new to this arena.
It usually is curable but often results from the marketer applying the wrong strategies at the wrong time for the wrong audience in his promotions.
You see I’ve learned the hard way that all marketing strategies can be successful and all marketing strategies can be total duds. You would never guess this listening to some IMers who swear by certain methods and preach particular strategies.
Their logic is simple: “I did this and that, made a boatload of cash, and if you do exactly what I tell you, there is no way you won’t have the same results.”
Of course they will only share their secret system with you if you buy it from them. They may even claim that it is “guaranteed” to land you a six figure income in no time flat! When I see anything being promoted with the word “guaranteed” I immediately run away as fast as possible.
Now here are 12 Internet marketing truths that should help you as you move forward in this industry. They will help to “ground” you or give you a foundation as you decide how and what to sell online.
I offer these “truths” in the hope that you will look at Internet marketing in a new light – without prejudice and without all the hype that other marketers present.
1- Every marketer is unique.
This is so obvious. We all have different backgrounds, different biases and preferences, different skills and talents, and come into this marketing industry with different personal resources, time to devote and work ethics. We all have been through unique experiences and education/training in our lives. A “one-size-fits-all” mentality or expectation of what can be accomplished is never good in online marketing.
2- Every niche is different.
What may work in one niche is never guaranteed to work in a different niche. Strategies and methods that a marketer finds profitable in his chosen niche may be a total waste of time in your niche. How could this be? It’s a function of the people attracted to various niches being of a unique mindset and they are looking for something related to their own interest. Retired people looking for information about cruises are a totally different audience than those who would be interested in teaching children to read at an early age. Yes, I know this is a pretty extreme comparison, but the point is that you must understand the niche and what type of prospects are in it.
3- Strategies, tactics, and methods have a shelf life.
Products especially, have a shelf life. So do Internet marketing tactics and methods. What worked yesterday may not work as well today. It’s important to adjust your marketing and products to the current standards.
4- Successful selling in one situation is not always transferable.
A lot of this has to do with the marketer her/himself. You bring a different set of values, ideas, skills, and knowledge to the table as a marketer. Others don’t possess the same attributes, abilities and talents that you have. Here’s just one example: you may be a very awesome and talented copy writer. That art and skill is not really transferable to a different marketer. You may be a very charismatic blogger, but to say that I am going to be able to blog in the same is never a “given.”
5- Products are (usually, not always) great today and outdated tomorrow.
It’s amazing how quickly it becomes apparent in Internet marketing that products need to be updated and/or replaced on a regular basis. The subjects of the products go in and out of style fast. In addition, new technology and changing online links can cause havoc with older products. You have probably noticed by now that prolific product creation seems to be a part of the most successful IM greats. Of course, it is possible to position some products to be more “evergreen” than others. More on this in a different post.
6- Consumers are fickle and can change their minds whenever they want.
Your audience can change in a heartbeat! It’s important to stay on top of their needs/desires/problems so that your marketing is focused and targeted to what they will buy from you right now. Changing markets leave some non-changing businesses high and dry. It’s always a good idea to create some engagement with your audience in your business so that you’ll keep abreast of audience desires.
7- Internet marketing is a dynamic beast that is not tamed easily.
This is a complex field with many, many ways of addressing the changes in the industry. It’s critical that you stay on the leading edge of technology, selling strategies, the demands of your niche, and your competition. Your audience deserves to get your best – in fact, that’s why they have offered up their personal contact information in exchange for your emails. Nearly every top marketer that I am acquainted with is what I would call a lifetime “student” of Internet marketing.
8- Technology waits for no man.
We kind of covered this already. Just remember that technology generally gives us better solutions, faster solutions, and improved and more precise ways to do business. Embrace technology. If you struggle to keep current, get some tech assistance from outside your business so you at least participate in system advances.
9- Education is critical but actually fairly useless without action.
Knowing what you need to do, as compared to actually implementing a change or new method, is pretty useless by itself. Money is not made in this industry by simply knowing or understanding various concepts and methods. You make your money from putting things into place and actually executing offers to your audience. Selling is a must. Sometimes it takes years to finally make the transition from standing on the sidelines to putting yourself in the game. Every marketer is different of course – some are able to start selling in the first month of their IM experience.
10- Speed kills! Not. In IM, speed rules.
Those who are at the head of the line to market always seem to sell more than those who wait to make sure everything is perfect and can’t be made any more attractive to the prospect. Your audience will buy from those offers that hit their email inbox first, other things being equal. The cliche in the IM industry is “money loves speed!” Pay special attention to this idea if you plan to get involved in affiliate marketing or selling products built with PLR materials.
11- Tenure means nothing in IM – experience and persistence mean everything.
This fact needs no explanation, really. Successful sellers are those that are serious about their profession and stay at it long after the less patient give up in disgust. Seasoned marketers learn by experience and are able to transition more easily from one offer to the next because they have the benefit of understanding what works and what doesn’t. This is the draw of working with an experienced partner, coach, or mentor … you can more quickly put experience on your side.
12- Quality has no trump.
Regardless of niche, regardless of your product, regardless of your personality or temperament, you should always strive for quality in everything you do in your marketing. Create a quality web site that is intuitive and simple to navigate. Create high quality content that is unique and useful to your audience. Sell products that are filled with quality information, software, videos, etc. Give high quality customer service. Send high quality and helpful emails to your list and engage your subscribers. Provide a quality buying and delivery experience to your customers. In short, make sure every aspect of what you offer is high in quality.
The niche you choose is an independent decision … these rules (truths) of Internet marketing apply across the board.
I really do wish each of you the marketing success that will make your life meaningful!
To your online business success!
Steve Browne
www.stevebrownedirect.com
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