Carl Willis

Stop Drinking From The Fire Hydrant!

feeling overwhelmed by internet marketingStop From The !

I love the world of internet business and online marketing.  Not only is it the way that I make money each and every month, but it goes deeper than that.  Internet marketing appeals to my “inner nerd.”  The thought of playing with new software and climbing mount Google day after day, ranks right up there with my love of fishing and muscle cars.

To the total newbie, the experience is much less invigorating, in fact it is best described as “ straight from a .”    Let’s face it, the average new user starts with a Google search.   That Google search leads to a rapid journey into The Matrix, where nothing is as it seems and yet everything is somehow interconnected.

How We Start From The Fire Hydrant To Begin With

You understand what I’m talking about.  Your Google search leads you to a page that offers to teach you everything you would ever need to know about internet marketing, all they need is your email address.   Once you are on the other side, you are led to some basic information that is helpful, but still leaves you wanting more.  Fortunately for you that information is available through a book, report or video series that is available for a special introductory price.   Your not sure you want to spend the money, so you head back to Google and repeat the search (and the process I might add).

Over the next few days your email inbox literally explodes as it sees more action in 24 hours than it used to see in 24 months.   These emails are coming from people you are slightly familiar with, because you had seen their name on one of the pages you had visited previously.   A story is told, a problem is revealed and a solution is presented, which again leads you to another sign in form that provides a little more basic information and invites you to learn it all for a small investment.   Before long, the laws of marketing kick in and you make a purchase.   The information is substantial, but it seems like something you can replicate, so you begin the journey of replicating what you have just learned.   Then it happens…

You happen to be on Facebook one day when a post catches your eye.   A highly successful internet marketer is putting on a webinar revealing the very technique that they are using to earn $20,000 per month.   There is no cost for the webinar, so you register and receive some incredible teaching.   This information is so powerful that you abandon what you were working on and begin working to implement this strategy (with the help of tutorial product that you purchased on the webinar).   A few weeks later you get an email notification of another webinar and the process repeats itself once again.   This is the point where so many get overwhelmed and simply give up.

Backing Away From The Fire Hydrant Before You Drown

The sad part of this analogy is that it happens everyday and even more heart breaking is the fact that it is preventable.   So how does a person learn the skills, tools and art of internet marketing without becoming a casualty?  The answer comes down to focus.   When a person enters into the world of online marketing, it is critical that they have the right perspective.  For those of you building a network marketing business online, it is imperative that you help craft this perspective for your team members.  Without focus, the online newbie will simply get overrun with information overload.

I encourage anyone starting out online to first examine themselves to see what marketing strategies make the most sense.  For example a person who has no money to work with, does not need to learn pay-per-click, solo ads or pay-per-view marketing.   On the other hand a serious introvert will find Facebook frustrating and will deem making Youtube as being equal to a trip to the dentist for a root canal.   Once a person has identified what fits their personality, then it is time to go learn that skill set.   Once a commitment is made to learn that skill set, then the individual needs to put their blinders on.   Only after that marketing skill has been mastered, should a person even consider trying to learn and deploy any other strategies.

I personally like content marketing, because it allows me to leverage the search engines and it provides residual marketing muscle that lasts for years to come.   In the past, I pointed individuals to my blogging course or I offered to set up their blogging system for them (I still do to some degree); however, I found that in doing so the individual would often wipe out of the small technical details of blogging, such as tags, widgets and plugins.   These days, I simply point people to Empower Network where they can begin blog marketing from day one, because the blog is already set up for them, optimized for the search engines and plugged into social media.   Most people find that spending $25 per month to avoid the pain of being swallowed by technical details is a more than fair exchange.    By taking this step an individual can focus on learning the craft of content marketing without drowning in information overload.

If you find yourself drinking from a fire hydrant of information these days, step back and take a deep breath.  Evaluate what you’ve learned already, find a leader who speaks your language and move forward with your eyes straight ahead.  You will quickly become an expert in your chosen strategy and will then be able to expand your horizons with greater ease.