10 Tips to Help You Succeed as an Internet Marketer
Finding success as a solo digital marketer can be very difficult when you are just learning how the industry works. Instead of having a team of professionals who act as your colleagues and support system, you are operating all alone.
You have to wear many hats in your business, from handling customer service to developing products and everything in between. At times, you may feel overwhelmed or lost as you try to create a system for your business.
However, once you understand the important elements of your role as an online entrepreneur, it will become second nature and you will begin to realize the profitable opportunities that are in front of you.
Below, you’ll find 10 tips you can adopt and integrate into your business today, so that you set yourself up on a path to success without having to endure countless months of frustration and failure.
Understand Why Buyers Flock to Certain Niche Leaders
Chances are, as you have begun your journey as an Internet marketer, you have developed a fondness for certain leaders who you feel are the best teachers for your needs.
Think about what it is about each one of these individuals that attracts you to their teaching style. Often, it’s an abundance of confidence as a leader. These are the people who do not seem desperate to make a profit or shy, as if they don’t even believe what they are saying, themselves.
Regardless of which business model or niche you are in, people want to follow those who appear self assured. It gives them peace of mind. You need to practice projecting confidence, but you also need to develop an internal believe in yourself if you feel that is lacking.
You can read self help books, work on personal development issues, practice positive affirmations or visualization exercises that will boost your confidence levels. Don’t wait for others to lift you up, because as a solo entrepreneur, you have to develop the mindset you need and want to help you achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself.
Become a Social Media Master to Tap Into an Organic and Loyal Following
Social media mastery is an important part of being a successful digital marketer. This is an type of platform that can deliver organic traffic so that you can build a highly targeted list and ultimately, profit from your efforts.
You need to figure out where your target audience resides, create profile accounts on those platforms, and create the kind of content that will resonate with your followers. Spend time learning the ins and outs as well as the trends for each social platform you’re on, including places like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and more.
Start Leveraging Multi Media Content Creation for Your Brand
While the competition is primarily stuck using one form of media to communicate with the same target audience, you want to have a diverse plan to cater to the preferences of these individuals.
While text is still the most popular media format for content online, video is increasingly popular and competitive as a way to provide information and guidance to your followers. You need to learn how to excel at both of these, and even add graphics and audio media capabilities to your toolbox.
Be Known for Your Ethics and Quality
The price of a product is definitely one factor that can sell or cause a consumer to shun a product. However, many consumers are willing to pay a little more if the quality of the product surpasses that of what’s already on the market.
Not only is it hard for them to find what they need in terms of products that will deliver what they claim, but consumers like to know that the person behind the product is an ethical individual who is teaching them concepts that will not compromise them in any way.
Never Have a Day Where You’re Not Learning Something New
One thing you might notice as you begin networking with other marketers is that they are always learning something new. They will often share an image of the success book they are reading.
If a new technology or platform emerges, they are usually the first to report back on how to use it or whether it is worth it to use in your business. The common denominator in what you will see among the most successful online entrepreneurs is their passion for learning.
You can spend a short amount of time each day learning something about your niche, your business model, trends or news that will affect your followers, or something such as new technology that could be useful to you in the near future.
Know How to Conduct a Proper and Profitable Product Launch
Nothing paints you as a leading expert more than having your own book or info product. It is a sign to consumers that you know enough about the topic to create an entire course that can help them.
However, if you decide to write an eBook or record a video course, you don’t want to quietly release it into the marketplace if you expect it to perform well for you. You need to learn the proper launch process so that it will be profitable.
This includes going through the motions of creating a joint venture page, recruiting affiliates to promote for you, and integrating a funnel of products that can ramp up your earnings and the commissions that you will be paying to those who promote your launch.
Build a Fan Base By Being Consistent and Following Through
One thing that helps many online marketers succeed is the simple fact that they show up and serve their audience regularly. There are many people who pull a disappearing act on their followers on a regular basis.
They will start out enthusiastically, develop a strong following, and then disappear into thin air for weeks or months at a time. Usually, they come back with a tale of woe about what happened that made them leave the limelight.
And while they may sympathize with your predicament, consumers have a mindset of selfishness, where they are focused on their needs and their problems. They may like you as a person and want to support you in your personal struggles, but when it comes to giving their financial support to someone, they’re going to turn to a marketer who is consistent in helping them with their needs.
You have to be consistent with everything you do as an online marketer. If you do need to schedule downtime, announce it ahead of time so that they know you are not simply disappearing on them.
Make sure you are being consistent with your product launches, your blog posts, your social media content, your email autoresponders, and your customer service communications that require you to respond diligently rather than leave them wondering if you are going to help.
Network with People Strategically and Regularly
Networking is something that many people put on the back burner until they feel they have something to offer someone else. You don’t have to be a successful entrepreneur to gain the support and help that you need from other people in this industry.
You can befriend people on platforms like Facebook where you are interacting with their content end engaging with them via private messages. You never want it to be a one way street where you are taking and not giving back.
Each week, pick a new entrepreneur who has knowledge that you would like to gain, and begin the networking process with that individual. It could be someone who knows how to write enticing sales copy, someone who is a master of video production, or someone who simply seems to have the kind of mindset you want to master.
Mitigate Your Risk, But Don’t Sit on the Sidelines
A lot of people talk about the individuals who continually by any and every product and course, hoping to strike it rich overnight. We can all agree that this is not a smart investment, because these people rarely follow through to completion with any course.
Instead, they are searching for their next fix the minute they download a product they just purchased. Shiny new object syndrome is not a method of taking strategic risks. You want to carefully analyze the courses, tools, and strategies that you are adopting for your business, but you don’t want to sit paralyzed with inaction, either.
Offer Your Subscribers Enhanced Access to Content
When people trust you enough to hand over their contact information and get on your list as a subscriber, you need to go above and beyond in making them feel welcome and valued.
One way you can do that is by giving them access to content that the general public cannot tap into. This can be done via direct email communication with them, or by linking them to gated content on your blog.
Often, putting password protected content on your blog is a good way to show value to your subscribers. Because they have to enter a password that they have been given as a subscriber, they know that not just anyone can read your new advice.
You can also periodically deliver a new and unexpected free report that they can download. Usually, many marketers provide this as the free opt in report or lead magnet when they first sign up.
However, going the extra mile and surprising them from time to time with something unexpected like this builds good rapport between yourself and the subscriber. It also ensures that they will be loyal in supporting you with your product launches and other endeavors.
As you can see, taking a second mortgage out on your house to hire an expensive marketing coach is nowhere on this list. You have the tools, drive, and insight to succeed as an online entrepreneur if you are willing to implement the 10 tips above.