April 30, 2008
If Only It Were Paint-by-Numbers
Earlier today, I posted about the trouble Internet marketers get into by NOT being able to apply solutions to their own business and paralyzing themselves in desiring a paint-by-numbers solution to everything. I’ve just been hit with another example of this crazy phenomenon.
(Ahem, if online business was paint by numbers, we could all be dot-com millionaires 
)
I often have people tell me that they feel a bit overwhelmed by the information I provide because:
“I’m a physical product seller and I feel like your information is more targeted to intangible products.”
…and then recently, I had someone else tell me the opposite. They felt my information is more relevant to the product seller and were having trouble seeing how my stuff applied to affiliate marketers.
Aye, aye, aye. I can’t win, can I?
Personally, I think I’m pretty even-handed when I create my reports, audios, courses, etc. I give examples from the physical product world, for affiliate marketers and for information marketers. But you know what? If someone doesn’t want to see that and use a little of the imagination that Chele astutely proclaimed people are lacking, I don’t know what else I can do.
But please don’t think I’m just sitting here trying to defend myself. THAT is not the point of this rant.
If my information really isn’t relevant to someone, then that is just fine. But I believe these people come lamenting to me because they want me to COMPLETE every little piece of the puzzle for them, instead of them making their own decisions. If they found my information totally valueless, they would just move on.
But something makes them stay.
They just can’t or won’t complete the puzzle for themselves. I’m sorry, but no one can hold your hand the whole way through your unique business.
In the end, I’d like people to keep two important things in mind:
If you want to maximize your online income, never put yourself into one type of seller.
Every physical product seller can be using affiliate marketing techniques to generate traffic and gather new customers (think content-marketing, blogging, offering additional products to your customers, etc). They can get more customers by putting on an information product marketer hat (whether they sell the information, offer it as bonuses with products or give it away as a lead-generator). Allowing yourself to be pigeon-holed limits your options.
This is marketing, folks…and much of it applies, no matter what you’re doing.
Copywriting is copywriting. Article marketing is article marketing. Outsourcing is outsourcing. Sure, there are different things to consider when it comes to your own unique target market and product line — but that is something YOU need to understand about your own market and apply accordingly, no matter what techniques you are using to market your business.
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Good reminder, Alice. It all goes along with thinking outside the box, something we must train ourselves - and remind ourselves - to do.
I was one of those physical product sellers that was really frustrated at first because I felt so alone. Much of what I was reading didn’t seem to apply to my business. But something made me stay around. I knew there were things that I needed to figure out (and still do!)
Mailing lists, blogs, creating content, SEO, knowing your customers, building relationships, PPC marketing …all of that matters no matter what business you are in. The key to a successful business is to surround yourself with people that will help you complete your own puzzle and inspire your dreams.
Want to use me as an example? Since hanging around this crowd we have increased our monthly sales 2000%. And no, that is not a typo.
Very sweet results, Treece. Thanks for sharing that!
I wish that I had been better educated about internet marketing and online business alternatives when I started my physical products online biz 7 years ago, I would have made some major changes in the way I set up.
I have just in the past year started adding affiliate links and my own info products and have just scratched the surface. This month they accounted for over 1/4 of my income from that biz. Granted, physical sales where low and affiliate high compared to average months, but I am hoping that it is a trend, and will be definitely building on incorporating more online methods into this business.
Ironically, it does much better than my strictly info/affiliate biz does which I’ve been working much harder on the past year as well, although I’m seeing improvement on it as I build. I think that having a component of physical products gives some credibility, or maybe it’s the market.
G’Day Alice, paint-by-numbers would be great wouldn’t it. One of the problems I have had with my marketing efforts is the lack of mentoring, lack of relatively local meetings or seminars, lack of other successful internet marketers in my area.
I lived in a country area of Australia, the nearest city was 500km away, the town I lived in had 6 houses and 23 people.
I have since moved to that city so things may improve. I have also joined an internet marketing Intern program which is teaching me how to use different methods and tools to market.
I think I am learning ;-).
I’m plugging your blog into my favourites.
Regards
Bulls-eye! You hit right smack in the center.
I was talking about you with a friend yesterday, telling her how much I admire your marketing talents (skills) and how you “press” through clearly with compelling information - not affected by everything else going on. You remain focused on the needs of your readers by providing great content on your blog and the reports you practically give away
I’m not a “one type of seller” either… although I’ve struggled with those who say it isn’t possible… I periodically see the results that say otherwise.
The more I read, the more I learn. “Line upon line, precept upon precept…” I get it
Kudos Mama Alice!
I think your info is very relevant for any type of internet business & I think you are very generous to provide so much free info to us. Thanks for being such a sweetie!