Posts Tagged ‘online marketing ideas’
Bad Internet Marketing Ideas
There are a lot of bad internet marketing ideas out there. Sadly, the vast majority of independent internet marketers will never make any significant amount of money. These two facts are not coincidences. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of some of the worst internet marketing advice you could possibly get. Are you making any of these mistakes?
-If something doesn’t work immediately, switch to something else. You have to give something a fair shot before moving on, or you’ll never find anything that works for you. Even if it’s a good natural fit for you, remember that there’s always a learning curve.
-Don’t diversify. Stick with what works and make a killing. Even though it’s important not to spread yourself too thin or jump around from method to method, it’s also a good idea to diversify once you build one successful income stream. It keeps your income much more stable.
-Don’t tell your affiliate manager what you’re doing. It’s true that there have been cases of affiliate managers stealing campaigns, but this is such a small minority that it’s not worth getting too worried about except in the most extreme cases. In most cases, affiliate managers are people who want to help you maximize your income, not steal it. It might not make sense, but for the most part they’re people who value the security of a day job, or who lack the motivation (or maybe even the skill) to take your campaign and have similar success. Being too secretive, however, can ensure that you don’t get valuable insights from your AM or the advertiser.
-Skip the industry events. Although some people would argue that the money is better spent on testing or savings, industry events let you make valuable real world contacts in an industry where few people know each other in real life. They also have a huge motivational benefit. When you see what’s really possible, you’ll go home with a new level of determination.
What kind of bad advice have you gotten? Did you listen to it? Share in the comments!
5 More Great Sources for Internet Marketing Ideas
When it comes to internet marketing ideas, some of us have more than we could ever use, while others struggle to find one that feels just right. There are pros and cons to each scenario – too many ideas can make it hard to focus on one, while too few can be discouraging. For those who are still trying to figure out a direction for their business, these idea sources might help:
- Trade Magazines – Many can be ordered for free from sites like TradePub.com, and they can be incredibly useful for getting niche ideas. In general, if a niche is big enough for a magazine, it’s big enough to build a business around. Pay especially close attention to the cheaper classifieds ads in back, as those are often run by smaller businesses. Think about each one to see if you could do something similar in an online market, or figure out some way to partner with the businesses you see.
- Teenagers – Most online marketers are adults. That means that they’re not always paying attention to what teenagers are doing. By figuring out what’s cool, you can cash in on under-the-radar topics that could drive huge traffic at lower than normal costs.
- Top Seller Lists – If you promote physical products, check out the “best sellers” lists on the sites you promote. Often, the volume on popular products is large enough to justify building an entire site for the topic. Or, you may find that you become more interested in creating a complementary business.
- Patent Trolling – Browsing the patent archives can be an oddly stimulating activity. You can’t help but get inspired by immersing yourself in the ideas of others. Once your mind is aimed at finding ways to make the world better or easier, you’re bound to come up with a few good ideas.
- Your Own Free Time – What activities do you turn to when you have nothing else to do? Moving in the direction of your passion is a great way to get started.
If you’re already focused on your business, let us know how you found your direction!