Online marketing hooks you the moment you start learning about it.
It’s that…
“Holy crap, this could be a huge opportunity!” type of feeling & thought.
You’ll go down the digital marketing rabbit hole, no doubt. You’ll probably watch a ton of videos, check out some blogs, and likely grab a list freebie or two. Yet, the deeper you go into it the more you start to realize there are big questions that you need to be answered.
Here are a few of the biggest online marketing questions you likely have…
…and the answers (that are easy to wrap your head around).
What should I sell or promote?
What you decide to promote is dependent on the market you’re getting into.
It’s business 101.
Find a problem… deliver a solution.
There are usually two paths you can take with this:
- Offer a product you create via research & development
- Get behind a product/brand you believe in
Your choice will depend on the buyers in that market, too. So, it’s important that you learn about the person that’s willing to buy what you’re offering, and that you fulfill their needs.
Don’t randomly work on ideas that pop into your head.
Why?
Because…
You’ll likely work on something because it’s exciting to YOU. That doesn’t mean that it’s exciting for THEM. Also, you can spend a bunch of time & money chasing an idea that doesn’t really have a market, or that just isn’t really worth the effort in the long run.
On the other end of this is the “OPP” – other people’s products.
You down with it?
The affiliated products & services should have value.
It should be a product or service you can get behind – or one that you already use.
Look around at what YOU’VE bought or subscribed to, and then check with that brand if they have some kind of sales/commission/affiliate system. Join it, and voila! You now got something you can easily talk about, an established market presence, and a community from the get-go.
How do I get traffic & conversions?
There are countless methods for driving traffic
Get started with some of these:
- Blog posts
- Guest blogging
- Advertising
- Social media
- YouTube videos
- LinkedIn updates
- Cross promotions
- Email marketing
- Podcasting
The underlying element to all these… CONTENT.
If you can create great content that people want to read/watch/listen to, then it really doesn’t matter which platform you choose (as long as there are people there). Because – you can always share that content on different sites + reformat/remix content for those communities.
For example:
You could create a video for YouTube, then trim it down and republish it to Instagram. You could transcribe it and then submit that as a long-form post on your business site, and then take snippets to share on social.
There are a million ways to get traffic once you have content.
If you suck at creating content then hire someone to do it for you. Or, try out one of the AI content platforms. You could hand over the content creation to your in-house team, too!
Things get easier once you’ve got traffic coming in.
You’ll start seeing what people enjoy based on traffic stats. You can then take those insights and produce more of what they want. Rinse and repeat.
How do I build a list?
List building is one of the most important things you can build as a business operator.
Why?
Well – the list is yours to keep even if you take a hit to your website or don’t have the money to pay for advertising. It’s your direct access to your community and buyers.
List building is pretty easy to do, too:
- Sign up for an email marketing service
- Setup the basics of your list
- Add the opt-in to your site
Freebies will increase the chances of visitors opting into your list.
Try creating a freebie from some of your best pieces of content. Or, create something complementary to the main stuff you’re promoting. This will get people interested in both what you’re doing and the higher-end stuff you’re offering at a premium.
And like traffic generation…
List building is all about delivering great content.
Treasure your list and treat subscribers right. Deliver stuff that really knocks their socks off, or at least keep them in the loop with what you’re doing – they ARE fans, after all.
What’s the toughest part about starting?
A lot of people have questions about the setbacks and hurdles they’ll likely bump into when getting started. Knowing about them will turn what seems to be a mountain into a molehill.
The most common hurdles are:
Money – You don’t need a bankroll to start but it certainly helps! If you’re strapped for cash then explore low-cost solutions whether that’s DIYing more things or tapping into existing resources. If you’ve got access to capital then tap into it whether that’s business loans, venture capital, or leveraging a side gig to pay for things.
Direction – The product you choose ( mentioned earlier) will make or break you. However, don’t get too wrapped up in the product because this can change as you go. Instead, focus on learning the business systems + creating connections with people. This way you can pivot if needed, but then you’re also equipped with the knowledge & expertise to be great at whatever you want to do.
Time – How you delegate your time for productivity is crucial. There are many distractions – you need to put on blinders so they don’t become a setback. The best advice we could give is to block out time to fully commit to what you’re doing. Deep work. Really get into it, without having tons of extra screens and notifications vying for your attention.
How long does it take?
You’d be a fool to think things happen overnight.
So…
It will take as long as it needs.
The important thing is that you’re constantly improving along the way. In doing so, it won’t feel like a time-sink. Instead, it will feel like a process. A journey. You’re getting there, and you’re becoming not just better at business but a better person, too.
Closing Thoughts
You’ve got lots of questions about digital marketing.
That’s good.
It means you’re still interested and got a spark to keep at all this. Use that momentum and keep learning as much as you can. But also…
Don’t dwell on the information.
Use it.
Find a way to inject what you’ve learned into what you’re doing TODAY. And then repeat that every day after. Always trying something new, and developing yourself along the way.
