Overwhelmed With Internet Marketing
Posted by Michael Ottman | Posted in In The Beginning | Posted on October 22, 2009
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As you may have noticed, it has been quite a while since my last post. I want to get you all up to speed because as many of you are starting your own online businesses, there are a lot of things to consider. I have been working full time from home now for four months now and it has not been easy.
Though working from home sounds great to most of you, there must come a realization that if you don’t do the work then you won’t get paid. Sounds simple right? With so many ideas in my head and with the tons of emails I get each and every day, it is no doubt difficult to find the time to do everything that I want to do.
So even though my graphics business is going well, the fact remains that I can only do so much work during any given day and I realized that I am not able to please everybody. This quite simply made me sad since I wanted to be one of those people online who could help everybody who needed it.
Of course I could become a workaholic and neglect my family, church, and other responsibilities but that isn’t why I decided to work online. I decided to work online to change my lifestyle first and bank account second. I’ve been told countless times to spend less time on email, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites so that I can get my work done.
It makes perfect sense that the fastest way to make money online is by providing a service which my good friend Rob Canyon has interviewed me about and wholeheartedly preaches over at his blog at EscapeToProsperity.com. Most of you are trying to create a product to sell online but by providing a service first, the money will come much quicker.
The services I provide as a graphic designer put me in contact with so many fabulous Internet marketers and I get a chance to see how they run their businesses and many times I get a chance to get one on one time with great gurus who charge hundreds for their time. A win win for me to say the least. As I ask questions and implement what they teach me, I will share this with you.
Although I provide great graphics, I still have a lot to learn about running a business in general. Proper business skills will help tremendously as you grow your own business forward. I am lucky enough to have several friends who have helped me as they have started and grown businesses in the past and present.
I have seen and watched many of you struggle and succeed online and as we all learn and grow together, I encourage you to let me know exactly what you are struggling with and also what you have had success with. Maybe others who come to read this post will have something to contribute or something to gain. Either way, I want to be committed to not only providing a great service but get into providing online products that will help you to move forward.
I am impressed by those who can see the big picture and appreciate when they reveal their wisdom to help out those who are in need. Social media is not about the numbers but rather the interaction of one on one. If I can give you any advice right now, I would say get to know some people online personally. It’s been by this personal one on one time that I’ve grown the most.
I’ve learned more by individual consultation with others opposed to learning by some mass instruction. I’ve learned that the gurus online don’t have any real big secrets. They simply know how to act and how to get others to act. As I continue to learn the basics and on into the advanced strategies that build successful businesses I will create products that will help you to move forward.
I want to thank all of you who have encouraged me and helped me along my journey. Although I’m far from making the kind of money that’s possible online, I at least am making money. I’ve beaten that 95 to 99% who never make anything so if you are discouraged, try offering a service and see if that can’t pay off for you.
Even if you are completely new to your service try offering a discount and as you get more clients, you will improve upon your skill. Ask for testimonials in exchange for free work and you will begin to leverage the power of marketing online. Create something for free in exchange for a name and email and be sure to follow up with them. As you build up your list of subscribers and continue to offer value, you will be able to market products and services to them.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed at times so make sure to pick out two or three important tasks a day and stick to them no matter what. Begin to plan your day out and make goals for yourself. I find on days where I have no goals, not much gets done.
So leave me comments on your successes and failures. I promise to comment on each and every one so I can get back to that interaction that helps produce successful marketers and even joint ventures! Until next time…
Internet marketing can really get overwhelming at times. Take advantage of the various internet marketing strategies and internet marketing solutions you can find from the world wide web. These will help you deal with internet marketing better and will also help you achieve better results out of it.
Hi McKinze,
Don’t know if you work for Frank Apuzzo or this is one of your pen names but I like what I’ve seen at your blog. Even though it’s new, you seem to be on the right track with a great theme and what looks to be quality training when it’s all set up and running.
I like looking at others blogs and resources so I can pull the best out of peoples knowledge and experience. Leaving comments like yours will increase your traffic and it looks as though you are targeting the words “internet marketing” since you used it four times in your comment.
It’s easy to spot certain strategies and know if people are leaving sincere comments or are just looking for more traffic. Take notice people as I personally don’t like this kind of strategy and am more focused on actually interacting with people online.
The benefits of getting to know your readers will pay off a lot more than placing comments for SEO purposes but to each their own. Real comments will include something that the post said or mention your name. That’s how I spot the really interested people from the non interested spammers who just do SEO tactics.
There’s no reason you cannot do both by sincerely commenting and adding the keywords you are aiming for.
Michael Ottman
There is no easy formula that I know of that will provide a person with quick income sufficient to allow them to quit their job and live off the proceeds. Beware of all those quick rich deals………..
I agree with your strategy to provide a service at first. Your graphic designs are fantastic! No wonder that part of your business is growing so fast. I understand you used to drive a truck…right? So, how did you learn the graphic design business? I assume you started at ground zero. If so, how did you learn that skill and how long did it take before you started making money?
Hi Bob,
Making quick cash is hyped up by those seeking to make it without actually doing anything for it. The only quick cash I’ve ever seen anyone make online has followed weeks or months of ideas, planning, outsourcing, implementing, joint venturing, product creation, list building, networking, and more.
My own mentor made over $326,000 in a week but what preceeded that week took a lot of work for him and after he made the money he needed to spend the next four months delivering service for the money he made.
It’s true that I was a truck driver by trade and have done that for many years busting my butt to make an income to support my family and pay the bills each month.
As I got started online, one of my interests was playing around with graphics and in high school 18 years ago I messed around with a computer making pictures. Believe me, it was very basic stuff.
I have Adobe Photoshop on my computer and as I needed images for my websites, I decided to do them myself to save me some money. The jump from hobby to business came when I started making some graphics for free to some students of a coaching course I paid for.
I began by just seeing if I could improve an image that I found while surfing the web and would then email it to them for free. After several people gave me great feedback on my images, I decided to start charging for them.
People were emailing me asking how much for a header graphic or an ebook cover. Each and every project helped to develop my skills as I had to learn a lot more about using Photoshop.
I made my website, SimpleEcovers.com and the rest is history. I had the courage to quit my job because once the money started coming in pretty regular, I decided that I could work for myself.
Now I don’t encourage everyone to just up and quit like I did because the timing of me injuring my back at work had a lot to do with “when” I quit. The injury coupled with the timing of starting my graphics business along with finishing up a mentoring course from Alex Jeffreys really propelled me to where I am today.
I figured out that I don’t have to be perfect at my skill because my skill is still something that someone else needs and as long as there are those people online, I can make money while improving upon my skills.
In essence people are paying me to become better and as I become better, I can raise my prices and increase revenue. Sorry this has been lengthy but I believe it will help others realize that making money online is possible. You just have to work at it.
Internet Marketing really helps me boosts my product sales by 10%. I mainly use PPC advertising to use my products.
It’s obvious that Tacneros above is just looking for links back to his or her site. You will have better luck with that when you actually read the post and make mention of specific parts and what has “really” helped you.
I only allowed the comment so others know the true purpose of a blog and that it’s imperitive for real interaction to be successful, not just blastin ads everywhere. People aren’t stupid.
To be truly informative you could have told us how ppc works for your business but it seems you make your money with adsense clicks. Real interaction sustains long term growth in an online business unlike the quick comment blasts that are intended for the quick penny.
OMGosh Michael, the story of how you made your ecovers site is great! That is so cool!!
You did a little banner for me a few months ago for Pro Host Management and I didn’t realize until today that you weren’t a graphics man to start with. Very cool AND very inspiring!!
I have seen your work and it’s pretty awesome!
Way to go and thank you for the inspiration!! You actually just made my day! I love to hear about regular people making it online.
Thanks!!
Lisa~
Hi Lisa, I am thankful for your comments and have just been by your blog. I encourage everyone to check out Lisa’s blog by clicking on her name in the above post. She has taken up with my good friends Dean Holland and Adam Spiel and is doing what she should in getting her business up and running fast.
Great job Lisa on building your list and don’t stop with those giveaways. Even though you will be sharing names with hundreds of other marketers, you will have something special to provide by doing something unique and interesting in your own special way.
When you do this, many people will be interested in you so good job and I’ll be over to your blog to make some comments. I like the layout and colors, it suits your online personality.
I wish you the best of success.
Hi Michael, I m writing to you here rather than on the forum because I don t know if the mods can see PMs or not. Please edit at will b4 posting,keep just for yourself if you like, or delete. Just wanted to let you know that your availability in the forum has been impressive.
WOW Michael I am so impressed with your honesty,not to mention your skills. I am like a baby. When I was studying at University(well when I wasn t goofing off in my various ways);there was this author who described what its like for a newborn.His quote was something like “to the newborn the world is a big ,buzzing, undifferentiated matrix”. I think I know a little bit more about what he was getting at now as I go thru the process of deciding if IM is for me at this time. I think I have to admit it is not. I have projects and responsibilties that I know I tend to want to escape in preference for something easier. Obviously IM is not that fantasy easy escape that my immature self would like and that all the hype would like me to believe. So,I d best watch for awhile as a hobby until I get my real world biz(vending) either going well or sold,my house renovation finished,my 93 and-a-half year old Dad well attended to,my 20 & 24 year old kids educated,etc,etc
Instead of doing all the nitty-gritty I should be doing I m going from one free gift to the other looking for the easy way. Which doesn t exist. Thanks. Gary.
Gary, your words touched me as I looked on my blog and read them. I need you to know something that others don’t. I’m just a baby like you in so many ways that it’s not even funny. I struggled for so long looking at many of the same free and enticing ways to make money online.
I signed up to so many programs and even purchased many courses like the one we are on now. As I break out of my comfort zone and venture out into unknown territory, I find many people who are out for the quick buck and many who genuionly want to help others. After years of trying pay per click, Google Adwords, and signing up to so much free stuff, I realized that I “KNEW” a lot about many IM topics.
I messed around with graphics on my home computer using my Photoshop program and then finally decided that for me to progress online I needed a mentor. I signed up for an Alex Jeffreys mentoring program and paid 500 bucks just a year ago. I studied and listened for 6 weeks about the ins and outs of how Alex built his six figure business.
And in the end what I learned was that I already knew most of what he taught me. Fear got in the way. Failure to take “action” got in the way. So I decided to help in Alex’s forum by giving away free graphics to students who needed them. I was afterall messing around and making my own at home. I still had my full time job as a truck driver too while I was doing this.
Anyways, people started thanking me for the great images I sent them and even though I wasn’t a great artist in my eyes, people really responded and appreciated the kind gesture. Next thing I know people are blogging about me and talking about me in the forum. “Sound familiar?” Soon people were emailing me and asking “how much” for graphics and so I started SimpleEcovers.com. It took all of till July of 2009 for me to realize that I could actually create cash online by giving a service like graphics and ebook covers.
So I took a leap of faith and action and quit my job. Ever since I’ve been doing graphics and making a full time living on the internet. I was finally implementing the things I learned from all those freebie sites I joined. I met Adam and Jit in Las Vegas during a seminar and since was asked to help as a moderator in this forum. I watched and learned exactly how those two made over a hundred grand during this launch and have learned just by observation.
I decided to take action and offer free services in this forum because of one thing. “If you help enough people get what they want then you will also get what you want” So by not being greedy, I will eventually get what I want which is a lifestyle. A lifestyle to keep staying at home with my kids and be able to earn enough by helping others. You offered to pay me for mentoring right? You can see now that it works. Unfortunately making the quick buck it a myth but not for those who put in the work.
Adam and Jit made the big cash with this launch but did you see how they did it? Did you pay attention to what they gave away first in order to get what they wanted? Duplication is the key to success so why reinvent the wheel? If Jit makes 10,000 a month or more just from his list then I’m going to do what Jit does. So don’t be afraid of actual work. It will pay off. It may not pay off with cash right away but the knowledge you do learn and then implement later will turn into cash.
After I help you set up a few squeeze pages and you get the hang of it, you can move on to the next part. By stepping in between the students and their needs, I can make mental notes of what the market wants and needs. I now know that there is a need for the Very basic newbie along with very detailed video and one on one mentoring. Just this course over the last week has given me the idea for a very small coaching course which consists of about 20 students.
The key Gary is leverage so after you do the work once for the squeeze pages, then people can subscribe forever and your offers will be presented to them on autopilot. The coaching course is the same thing but on a grander scale. Think big but start small. Don’t get overwhelmed by the techie stuff as I’m gonna help you with it.
So for now just email me all of your login info including usernames and passwords for your hosting, cpanel, Aweber and Affiiliate programs. I will do the work and you can take a break. I will make some videos if you like showing what I did and how I did it and you can watch them. I’m really trying to help you Gary so maybe in the future I will let you pay me for personal mentoring. LOL! So don’t pass up on such a great offer that not many people make. Who knows. If I win you over you may be one of my lifetime customers. That is the goal right?
I know you always do what it takes to provide for your family and for many years I did that by driving trucks. If by chance you could still provide for them by being home, isn’t it worth the effort? This isn’t hype, this isn’t bull, but it does take work and action. Wanting to do it and actually doing it is the difference. One thing I noticed in the forum of my previous mentor was the ones who made the most money were simple action takers. They had no special training or experience. They simply did what they were told. It’s your choice now.
One promise I make is this. I will always tell you the truth and always tell it how it is…..at least the way I see it. There will always be things that you know that someone else doesn’t know and vise versa. Be a Guru to those who don’t and a student to those who do. Be confident and demand your worth. Take it all in and I’ll talk to you soon,
Michael
It s quite amazing (and I have goosebumps reading your thoughts here) I have been a driver on and off (mostly on-but tried to escape many times) since 1980. As a courier; not big trucks, but still I know what heavy boxes,long days and breaking down and all the rest of it is all about. And, oh yes, that aching back. I was a partner on an 18 wheeler and I ve paid more mechanic s bills and taxes than I care to even think about.
I m gonna re-read that post of yours again. I cherish it.
What s a c-panel. (no # mark yet) lol
Info on its way tonight;soon. Left you some in pm. Will come up with the rest here.
Thx. God Bless you and yours.
Gary
colman_gary@yahoo.com
GaryATColman.com (under construction)
Hey Michael,
Important info in PMs is ready
And an invitation for you……. not marketing……..
Thanks Gary,
Since this post I’ve been able to help many students and struggling newbie marketers to get their sites uploaded and their Aweber messages set up. I’ts a great feeling to help people first and then watch the flood gates open when people start to offer you cash for work.
Michael Ottman