Secrets Of An Internet Marketing Guru.
One of the common questions asked by online entrepreneurs (especially beginners) in my experience is, “What does it take to become an internet marketing guru?”
The question may seem direct and concise, but in reality it is as multifaceted as the internet itself. And as I often like to say, the competition in internet marketing might be steep, but there’s enough room for anyone willing to put in the effort needed to learn the ropes. You see, while a lot of entrepreneurs are unveiling new adverts, blogs or promotional videos every day, only a seasoned ‘internet marketing guru’ can capture and sustain the audience’s attention and use it to build their business.
At the helm of any successful ‘webpreneur’ career sits a set of effective persuasive skills honed to perfection after months or years of studying what the market needs.
So, how can you learn these skills?
a) Broaden your knowledge base – Read A LOT
It goes without saying that if you want to be at the top of your game, then you have to be extremely well-versed in your niche. How else can you write compelling articles if you don’t know about the service/product you wish to sell to your customers? It is rather unfortunate that there are many aspiring internet marketers today who can’t, for instance, create a simple blog, let alone shoot and edit a short YouTube video.
If you’re just starting out in this industry, your time would be well spent learning the basics in order to build on that foundation. Instead of rushing to post ads on every social media site known to man, aim to be knowledgeable first. Put in the work at the beginning and sooner or later people will start seeing you as an authority in this field.
b) Connect with like-minded people
Being an internet marketer does not necessarily mean that you should spend all of your time behind a computer trying to drive traffic back to your site. Gurus in this field rarely rely on only a computer to get the job done. As you can recall from your Marketing 101 class in high school, advertising is selling your product/service to people, not search engines or Twitter handles.
Therefore, bolster your online presence with an equally strong offline omnipresence. You will realize the importance of connecting with people as word of mouth and personal influence carry huge weight.
If local marketing is your thing, why not make a point of joining one of the numerous online groups for local internet marketers who organize toastmasters, luncheons and galas for the sole purpose of meeting and connecting with real-life clients. A good example is MeetUp.com, which has local groups from all over the world.
c) Think outside the box – Be one step ahead
Bill Gates is known for Microsoft, Mark Zuckerberg for Facebook and likewise Steve Jobs’ fame is tied to Apple. Inc. What are you famous or popular for? OK, sorry. Let me rephrase that, what do you envision your name being associated with in the future?
If you want to be the best in this industry you don’t have to wait for the next big innovation to launch your career. Years ago, no one knew or even thought of an invention such as WordPress. Yet today people are raking in millions every month from the platform through Google’s Adsense, affiliate marketing and SEO.
It’s possible to revolutionalize the world through a very simple idea.
d) Do you even ‘split test’?
How you ever wondered how big businesses came about? They definitely weren’t as eminent in the past as they are now, but the glory they bask in today is a product of years of trial and error, also known as split testing.
Once you have found something that works and have achieved a level of success, you should always be split testing and optimizing to improve your results further. This is what seperates the men from the boys in the marketing world. Top achievers are always striving for better results. Apply split testing to all your marketing strategies.
e) Learn how to win people over
Everybody is busy selling their product, be different and find a way to give back or reward your online community. It may be a free newsletter, a giveaway product, or even free training sessions.
A great example of a company successfully employing this strategy is Apple. When they first launched the iPhone they gave out free smartphones to anyone who was kind enough to share their website URL. The rest is history. I bet there are very few people today who can’t recognize an iPhone ten feet away.
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