Lessons I have learned about marketing online

Since I have been working on the internet, I have been asked many times….”What do you do to make money online?”

I thought I would put some notes together to share with you in the hopes that it may give you guidance as well as a bit of direction. It is important to note that what I am about to share with you is not the ONLY way and perhaps not the BEST way… but it is MY way. I can only tell you what works for me.

I have been taught or I have learned by trial and error the following lessons that I am going to share with you. Lessons about people, about attitude, and that terrible learning curve.

You will see the actual process that I use to make money online. Once again I am sure there are many ways to make money online…this just happens to be MY way.

Keeping FOCUSED is probably the hardest thing that I struggle with. I will be working on one thing and it just naturally leads to another. At the moment I have several projects that I am working on… All of them I want to do, but each of them take TIME, something that we all have just so much of.

The old saying “Plan your work and work your plan” can be entered here…. and in a bright colorful FLASHING neon sign the word FOCUS should be ever present in your mind.

I am sure that you have heard it many times… 97% of the people working online never make a dime… not one DIME. That leave only 3% who make any money at all.

If those statics are correct why in the world would ANYONE think that this is an EASY way to make a living working on the internet? Why would anyone believe all those ads that SCREAM at you about only having to work just a few hours a week to make $10,000.00 by next Friday. I really don’t understand that.

The people who write sales copy like that do so because they know that it works. People want to believe that it is true. PLEASE stop that way of thinking NOW!

Lesson#1  If you are ever going to be successful you can’t rely on others. You MUST learn to do it for yourself. That lesson can actually apply to anything… not just online marketing. Always be aware of that neon sign as it flashes the word “FOCUS”.

 

The World Wide Web is a vast playground. Your able to connect with people anywhere in the world. A word of caution… connecting with people on the internet should be much like connecting with people in your own neighborhood.

I connect to people through Skype. My Skype ID is abeque, please feel free to contact me but indicate that you got my Skype id from my post.

Skype is a free instant messenger. Your able to text anyone in the world as long as they also have Skype. If you both also have a headset you can “speak” to anyone in the world…. Technology… isn’t it amazing?

When I started on the net, the summer of 2006 I was lucky to connect with a great group of people. I was green… and I mean GREEN. I was very fortunate that they found ME! I am forever grateful to this group.

At the same time that this group found me.. they also found many others as well. What made me different from the others was I wanted to learn. I had NO bad habits and as I said I was green. Few of the others had the drive or the desire that I did.

I was told I had a brain like a sponge. At times I thought my head would explode with all of the information that I was putting into my head. I wanted to learn everything. I couldn’t learn it fast enough.

I was told from the beginning that this was not going to be easy. There were NO short cuts and I had to LEARN HOW TO MARKET,  just as a Dr. or a Lawyer learns his trade… I was willing and as I was GREEN!

I hear you… “how green were you?” I will tell you how green I was…. I didn’t know how that you could copy and paste with a mouse. That is GREEN! Wouldn’t you agree? I had to not only learn how to market online but I also had to learn what  my computer could do. Including creating folders.. Gosh I was green.

Another confession.. to this day I still have to look at the keyboard as I type.

But.. I surrounded myself with a great group of people. We were all of the same mind set. We all wanted to build a business and make money on the internet and what we learned we wanted to share with others.

Lesson #2  Surround yourself with like minded people. You may be able to connect to anyone in the world via Skype but you should only be looking for like minded people. Those that have the same mindset, goals and values as you do.

 

This wonderful group of like minded people were all followers of The Law Of Attraction. Being of the proper mind set is so important to everyone in every walk of life. I created a website with some of my favorite people Napoleon Hill, Earl Nighingale, Lee Milteer, Charles F. Haanel, Wallace D. Wattles. I call this my attitude adjustment site. My Kind Of Thinking. I will be adding to it so please check back often.

The Law Of Attraction is such a powerful thought process it goes right along with the way I was taught to market. It maybe just a hint, but it is indeed the way I market.. It is called “attraction marketing”

Mike Dillard has a wonderful course called “Magnetic Sponsoring“. The concept is that people seek you out rather than the other way around. It just makes this whole marketing thing more enjoyable. Magnetic Sponsoring can apply to any market not just those who work on the internet.

When people do a search for something on the internet.. they are not looking to buy anything they are looking for information. They probably have no intent on spending any money. They are simply looking to solve a problem or a way to do what ever it is that they went looking for. If your able to supply them with the information they were seeking you have just made a connection.

I hear you again… you wondering “how can I make money by giving out information”

How many times have you heard “the money is in the list”? I don’t know about you but I am certain that I have heard it hundreds of times. The reason that we hear it so much is because it is TRUE. The money is indeed in YOUR list.

Even if you simply write a post with a “Call to Action” of… if you would like to be notified when I post more helpful information please put your email address here. Or give them something in exchange for their email address. People love free stuff. Please don’t abuse the privilege of getting their email address to sell it or rent it, SPAM them or send them useless information. RESPECT them.

Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. Just as the plumber or the electrician has tools to do his job you also need tools to market online.

That list that we talked about.. you need tools to be able to create that, and then you need the tools to be able to send out information to that list. You want to be able to create your own pages and to know which of those pages work best. To do that you need a tracking tool.

Tool, Tools and more Tools… I always tell people I am in the Tool Business… I have a good primary business, a way to promote it, and I know how to promote it. In my case they are all the same thing. My Tool Business is Global NPN. I have always said, My little Gem… NPN.

When you market online you need the tools that NPN has and the best part is… they are all in one place. NPN is the perfect marketing funnel. It is a wonderful business but it is what others need to be able to market online. You can’t get much better than that. It is a win win for ALL.

In addition to my Tool Business I also do affiliate marketing.  Affiliate marketing is simply SOPS…. Selling other peoples stuff. To do affiliate marketing you need some tools… I use the tools in my NPN tool box. With anything that you decide to market you want to be building your list.

I learned affiliate marketing from The Queen of affiliate marketing… Rosalind Gardner. She wrote the most wonderful book called The Affiliate Marketers Handbook. It is without a doubt the best book ever written on the subject. It is a step by step How to Guide. It sure beats trial and error.

Lesson #3  You need a good primary business a way to promote it and know how to promote it. I am lucky…. for me those are all the same thing. I use My Little Gem… NPN.

 

After I had read The Super Affiliate Handbook I put into action what I had learned. Picking a topic or niche’ was the first step. I was looking for something I was passionate about. Something that I could see myself writing about years from now. I am passionate about dirt…. and this is the site that I created about dirt. You Can Eat My Dirt.

I use WordPress. All of my blogs are self hosted (hosting is just one of the tools in my NPN Tool Box) Never ever and I mean EVER use a free blog site such as Blogger. How would you feel if after weeks or months of building your website you wake up one day and it is GONE!…. never to be seen again. No Warning just GONE. I know that this has happened. Don’t chance it. This will not happen when you host your own blogs.

There are all kinds of methods for picking domain names and keywords. I got a very good how to about that from the book I just spoke about. You can spend hours or days choosing the right keywords.. but the most important keyword you should always use is your name. Never forget that. It is indeed the most important keyword that you have. It also helps to be connected to like minded people, they can be invaluable for feedback.

Lesson # 4  Brand Yourself. When you are building your business on the internet you want to brand yourself, if you use your real name or you use a nick name choose one and make it a part of your online presence.

 

It really does not make any difference if you are promoting a tool business like I have or an affiliate product… any business you choose the methods are basically the same and once you have the tools and the know how you can promote ANYTHING AT ALL!

I find the way that works best for me is blogging. I have several blogs not just the one about dirt. They are all set up on WordPress. I don’t just want to throw out a link to someone about dirt. I want to write about the benefits of the product. Did you notices I wrote “benefits” I want people to know how the product will be able to help them, what it can be used for.

I would never send someone to the main site of any product. Most of the site have so much information on them that they can be over whelming. I first like to post something about where I intend on sending them. Prepare them for how I can help them…. a bit about it, the benefit to them. This is the same concept as sharing information…NOT SELLING!

Don’t forget… you also want to get them on your list…. !

I hear a few of you saying…”but I can’t write” …If you can speak, you can write. I write exactly like I talk. If you know about a subject tell me about it. It is no different. Perhaps telling about it into a tape recorder would help. Then simply put those words in a post.

The title of your post in VERY important. The purpose of your title is to get people to read the first sentence. The reason for your first sentence is for people to read your second sentence and so on and so on.

Lesson#5  Content is KING.  This lesson is so important. I simply MUST repeat it…. Content is KING! Please write your own copy. Please don’t copy and paste. I get information to post about from others. I read it and then I rewrite it into my own words.

Geoff Steven the founder of NPN did a wonderful webinar about Blogging. Please take the time to watch it. It really does give great bogging tips.

Blogging for Maximum Impact
http://npnblog.com/blog/npn65171/blogging-for-maximum-impact/

In the back office of NPN you will find training just like this on many different topics.

In addition to Blogging I also use social media. Facebook being the best known. Most of my blogs also have a Facebook page associated with them. When I do a blog post it goes directly to the Facebook page that I created to go with it as well. Then from my personal account I can choose to SHARE it or not. Not to say that is the right way but it is My way.

The other social networking site that I use is APSense. I have been a member there for a long time. The nice thing about APSense is.. Google LOVES IT! You can post an article with good original content and it is not long before the Google Spiders will come running. They love to index APSense articles.

I always tell people to get their profiles set up at APSense. (This applies to any networking site.. not just APSense) Not only are all of the articles indexed by the spiders but also all of the comments as well. The spiders crawl back to see who posted that comment on that good original content post. They are just so curious… Gotta Love em!

When you make comments on blog posts you are able to put in your name with a link to your site. This is a great way to market also. PLEASE don’t post stupid stuff.. Post a relevant comment. In the first place the blog owner probably will not approve your silly comment. So make it count. This is your time to shine!

Forum posting is another place you should have your profile set up… and your signature. If your going to join any forums you really should get these 2 things done ASAP.. they are so important.

Make your signature clickable for lazy people who will not take the time to copy and paste.. there are many lazy people out there. Your signature will appear when you comment on others peoples posts.

NO SPAMMING and make your comment relevant to the post. Not only will other forum members see and read your comments but the Google Spiders will also be indexing them and scurrying back to see who commented…. Make your comment COUNT!

I am certain over the years I have posted this next part at least 100 times… but to me it is so important I feel I must do it again. When you are at a social site such as Facebook, APSense or in a forum…. pretend you are at a cocktail party and you are a social butterfly. You are going from post to post.. you are commenting and Liking. You are being social. You are meeting people and your getting to know them.

When someone posts blatant advertising in someone elses post that is RUDE and totally unacceptable behavior. I call it “dancing on the table”… and I would certainly hope that you would Never dance on the table in a social setting. Remember…. your a social butterfly.. NOT a table dancer.

Let’s go back to Content is KING for a moment. I want to talk about those Google Spiders. I have named them Sam and Joe. I once again am just going to tell you how I do it. I am sure there may be some that will disagree with what I am going to write so please keep in mind this is my own personal opinion.

I love to feed the Google spiders, Sam and Joe. I always feed them good original content. I have great respect for Sam and Joe Spider. I do feed them using my keywords when I write BUT I always am writing for people first and Sam and Joe second. If I have all my keywords in my post repeatedly but it doesn’t make sense.. what good is it? I really don’t think that Sam and Joe Spider are stupid. I write for people because they are the ones that have the wallets not Sam and Joe.

I do many of the things that Geoff talked about in his Blogging webinar. When I write I post links to my other posts, this is one way to feed those hungry Google spiders.

I wish I were an animator.. I can see those spiders feeding on Good Original Content in my mind but I am not sure that I am able to convey the image that I have as clearly as I am able to see it. Let’s see how I do…

I have just put up a new post. Sam and Joe find it and they are crawling all over my Good Original Content. They crawl over a hyperlink and they are so curious they just can’t help themselves they have to see where that link goes…. so not only are they crawling on the post that I just put up they are also going to see where the other links go.. all the while indexing everything that they are crawling over…. As I said I love to feed those hungry Google spiders with good original content…..

When you create your blog or an article  you must know how to choose a topic as well as the keywords to go with it. You not only want Sam and Joe to index your good original content but you want people to be able to find YOU when they go looking for information.

Your first step is to post copy that Sam and Joe will index and the reader is able to find. Your goal is to get the reader to be a buyer. You want “conversions” Turning your readers into buyers. When your building your list with readers who have expressed an interest in your niche’ you are able to follow up with them. Repetition is the key. Remember… respect your list, don’t SPAM them and give them good information.

I am also building another business that has been around for over 20 years… yes it started as an off line opportunity by Rick Mathews. The long running business is Wealth Team International Association (WTIA) You can watch how it works here  http://www.wtia.net/?id=7897

If you understand it the first time through I will tip my hat to you. I can see how it works, I know it works, but I am the first to admit I can’t explain how it works. I will simply direct you back to this wonderful video that Rick tells How it Works! I have watched it at least 100 times.. Still can’t explain it.

Lesson# 6  There is more than one way to market on line. You must do what works best for you. The information that I have shared with you is the way that I do it. It is the way that has worked best for me.

I have given you a lot of information…. I am sure many of you had your eyes glaze over. Probably more than half looked at the length of the post and clicked out. I hope some of you will take what I have posted and apply it. It is not the only way… but it is my way.

Please let me know if I can help you.. Cindy

PS….
If this were easy everyone would be doing it.
Learn how and then do it yourself.