To become successful online it’s important to “move up the food chain”.
When I started out in April 2010 I was seriously spinning my wheels and getting zero results for the many months that followed. Here’s some of the things I was doing wrong:
- Buying completely unrelated products basically because the marketing “told me” I needed them
- Endless research of different business ideas and trends
- Reading every single email from made different marketers “in case I missed something”
- Putting far too much faith in what internet marketers were telling me rather than looking at how they actually made money!
- And of course, generally being utterly confused as to what I was doing!
To progress on and leave this bad state of affairs behind it’s really important to transition to a new mindset (which I guarantee you’ll enjoy much more).
First, there are some core skills you must know to succeed online:
- The business model of doing making money online (why giving FIRST is crucial!)
- Understanding why building a list of subscribers is the #1 way to becoming successful online
- Knowing how to use WordPress
- Knowing where the profitable niches are online and how to find them
- Knowing how to set up a squeeze page and a sales page
- Knowing the basics of email marketing (e.g., writing good copy and using autoresponders)
- Creating basic products (even if it’s just a short eBook to use as a free gift to build your list)
- Realizing that you should ONLY invest in new training when it matches what you are doing right now
- Realizing that generating traffic is crucial, there is no magic to it and it’s a skill you need to learn
- Starting to think and feel like a marketer and less like a consumer
Of course, this is exactly what we do inside our members area (yes, a very subtle plug there!) but the last point is really what it’s all about. A good example is when you receive emails from other marketers. Next time this happens – probably later today – ask yourself what your FIRST reaction is:
1) Are you immediately engrossed in the content and thinking whether the opportunity in the email is something that could work for you and if so should you buy it?
Or…
2) Are you looking at how the marketer constructed the email. What caught your eye about the subject line? Have they used a story to introduce a problem and then provide a solution in the form of a product? Are they using social proof (e.g., testimonials). How about the length of the email and how have they linked to web pages?
I’m not saying here don’t buy anything from anyone again, far from it, but always be looking to reverse engineer the methods of others rather than just consume whatever you are fed.
As I said, learn from one of my big early mistakes too. Look at what people are doing rather than what they are telling you to do. This is HUGE!
Can you related to this? Agree, disagree? Happy, angry, confused? It’s all good – just drop a comment below and we can all benefit from the discussion 🙂
yes, I can certainly agree with points 1-5, which I have also spent far too much time and money on previously. I still have a good way to go now, but I feel that the path is clear, and yes, I do now check out the marketing emails, and analyse their construction.
Sometimes though they come from particular sources, so thick and fast, that I wonder how on earth I would be able to keep up with everything on offer, if I was actually engaged in their products. So that’s something I would try to avoid doing myself.
Hi Jean,
Great to see you here at GHG 🙂
Thanks for your thoughts – you make an excellent point about all the different promotions. It’s just impossible to keep up and a “less is more” approach is probably best here!
Cheers – Rob
Hi Rob
Once again you have given excellent advice.
What has impressed me most about everything you publish is that you highlight the ‘critical path’ to success in everything you say.
I can’t believe what you personally have achieved from scratch in 2 years for I’ve been trying for 2 years and to date have achieved nothing.
Without meaning to sound gushing I rate you higher in the teaching stakes than Jon Street and Ed Walters who I feel are 2 who are also worth listening to.
Regards
Ken
Ken – you are very kind, thank you for your comments!
There are a lot of people who’ve done it faster than me for sure AND have achieved greater financial success too. But actually struggling to begin with, although difficult at the time, is ultimately really beneficial I think. For example, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to even write this post if I hadn’t been on the wrong path for so long!
Cheers!
Rob
Well done Rob..again. sound advice (but only if it’s implemented!!) Your first few months seems to be like my first few years!!! Lots of good advice from other sources… You make it clearer and more motivating….still a long way to go.
Sorry cannot make webinair (at Big band Rehearsal!) , hope to pick it up later on members area. Thanks again.
Hi Melvyn,
It doesn’t matter how long you take, for some people it’s just days and others it’s years. It’s never to late to change and you can start TODAY!
Good luck with the rehearsal – hope you managed to catch the webinar replay 🙂
Rob
Hello Rob,
Thanks for the advice here – especially like the part when you say to “reverse engineer the methods of others ” – will make me look at these emails differently and in a way that benefits me too – thanks
Moira
Cool Moria – it really works and the best thing is:
1) it’s FREE to do
2) You can start immediately (or at least as soon as you receive the next email!)
Rob
Hey Rob,
As I am reading a few of your post one word comes to mind ” RESPECT ”
Yes for You as a fellow marketer and someone who is steering people in
the Right direction.I agree with the ‘ core ‘ skills list and the reverse enginering.
Also my experience starting out was ” confusion and info overload ” were one
tells you ‘ do this’ and the other one tells ‘ No! do that ! ‘ Can you say Fustrated?
Anyways, thats what you Learn in This Industry .
Hey Napoles,
You make some great points there, thanks for sharing 🙂
The info overload is the daddy of all problems when most people are starting out. I only wish I’d concentrated on those core skills (which isn’t an exhaustive list by the way) INSTEAD of constantly watching videos and reading articles on many different methods.
Please stop by again here on the blog – it’s great to see you!
Rob
Good stuff Rob. Prioritising what to read & digest is also difficult when you dont know who to trust! It takes some time to work out who CARES, and understand who are the mercenary blaggers. Thankfully I have reached this stage but it really chews up your time learning.
Patently YOU care, which is why I take the time to read and even comment upon your blogs. You will be around for a long time.
Can I also add another key point based upon my sales/marketing experience outside internet. Always look after your rear end!
This is about creating clients ie regular purchasers, not just selling something to make a few instant £’s/$’s. This takes most people some time to understand and apply (especially in salespeople!!!), esp when they are desperately trying to make a living.
Hi Ian,
It’s always great to get your input so thank you for commenting.
Yes, I agree on caring. If you actually forget about the money and think “how can I actually help people in my niche” and maximise that the money WILL come! It sounds kind of backwards but it works and will massively differentiate you from all the other fast cash chasers out there.
Kind regards,
Rob
Hey Rob,
I have been a Biz Opp junkie. Buying far too many & trying several at at time!
You can guess the results…
My new year resolution was to stop buying different stuff & focus on my internet business.
It really is hard to resist the offers but I have got through January.
Thanks for your help
Brian
Hi Brian,
We all got confessions like that. I made mine in the post and I thank you for making yours here!
It’s no problem at all. The worst is when people can’t bring themselves to face up to things they’ve been doing that don’t work. The chance for change and getting onto a better path is very slim then.
Cheers! Rob.
Hi Rob
are you making a recording of wednesday nights webinar? as a newbie just starting out it would be nice to have someting to refer back to.
Best Regards
james
Hi James,
Yes, the webinar will be recorded and I’ll email a link to the replay later in the week.
Cheers,
Rob
Hi Rob
The first rule of internet marketing, emulate someone who is successful.
Secondly, only buy/download what you need for your business model.
I have been sorting out my hard drive over the last couple of months, but haven’t been deleting enough quick enough. Too many products on your hard drive can cost you dearly when things go wrong as I have just found out.
I have been wothout my computer for a week due to malicious software and my poor IT guy has had a hell of a job sorting out my hard drives. The longer it takes, the more it costs to put it all back together.
Dee
Hi. Information overload and a scattered approach have been quite a challenge. Every strategy seems like a great idea when presented by a skilled copywriter. Thanks for the systematic approach presented here–wish I’d found my here a couple of years (and never mind how many $) ago. Doug
Hey Doug,
Don’t worry about the past, the future is all that matters! Glad you’re finding it useful and best wishes for 2013 🙂
Cheers!
Rob
Hi Rob….thanks for this. Isnt it amazing when one’s heart & mind / intellect knows all that but one’s insatiable GUT obstructs & obscures those functions into a ‘self denial’ fantasy world where all IM offerings are an urgent must have, exciting and ‘life’ threatening if you miss them and let them pass you by! I read so often the advice that canny marketers take up the ‘deals / lifetime’ offerings before the prices rise to retailers and that is why they have and can afford an arsenal of tools & resources to make them successful. On that basis, I should now be a £multi-millionaire….lol. Return back to those IM promos in a few weeks, or even months, & you will see the price is the same! Buying IM products is a disease I have & I now plead to the GHG family to help heal me. Rob’s trying his best….but he needs help!….lol. I don’t know whether you know but this illness called IMPD – Internet Marketing Purchasing Disorder! Have I just made that up? Or is it in existence already? Of course its in existence Leon….a ‘label’ just helps you clarify you have an illness….with a name!…lol. Has anybody else got it? Or is IMPD an ‘Order’ we like to nurture slowly when helping IM newbies? I would like to share my illness with my wife for ‘support’…but I’m affraid it might mutate into another ‘Order’: being something more / very ugly!…lol. I can only hope by spreading the word (not the infection), others may seek out the antidote, or indeed anecdotes, to add to Rob’s endeavours here. Good on ya Rob….please don’t give up on us….me. lol.