Sunday, March 1, 2009

7 Excellent Ways to Fail at Internet Marketing and How to Avoid Them

In a career field that is difficult at best, you would think that those trying to start an Internet marketing career would use some common sense.

Unfortunately, many of those same people torpedo their dreams without even realizing that they are doing so. This brought to mind some of the ways Internet marketer want-to-be's can destroy their chances for success. Do you recognize yourself in the following ways to guarantee failure of your Internet marketing career?
  • Spend all your time on the Internet surfing to find the very best marketing program available.
    Reality: Researching is great, but there comes a time to implement what you learn.
  • Buy every Internet marketing guru's e-book that you can find.
    Reality: After a while, you will realize that many of these so-called gurus are selling re-packaged information that is exactly like what many others are selling. Often, these e-books are outdated, providing you with information that, at best, is no longer current, at worst, no longer works.
  • Copy word-for-word and picture-for-picture what another (hopefully successful) Internet marketer is doing in their sales offerings.
  • Reality: While the methods and techniques may be good, copying exactly another's work is an infringement of copyright, the lazy way to do marketing, and quite illegal. Use the techniques, but use them on different products. Learning from them is ok, direct copying is not.
  • Spend all your time reading about how to succeed in Internet marketing.
    Reality: Eventually, you just have to do it. Otherwise, you will never get anywhere. Your dreams are only possible realities until you put yourself to work and make them happen.
  • Don't plan your work.
    Reality: It has been said, "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail." At the end of the work day, make a list of the top priorities for the following day. When you get up the next day, complete the tasks on your list before surfing or playing solitaire or completing less important activities.
  • Go it alone.
    Reality: Internet marketing is a career choice. As such, there are professionals in the field who can be mentors. Locate a mentor and learn all you can. One way to find a mentor is by searching Internet marketing forums located through a search engine. Another good way to gain support is by joining an Internet marketing training program, such as Bring the Fresh.
  • Go in too many directions at once.
    Reality: There are multiple methods and ways to earn a living through Internet marketing. Each Internet marketing guru has his or her own 'best' methods. You can spend years researching every single method of earning money online, or you can choose one or two that seem to make the most sense to you and get busy. As in any endeavor, you will not succeed if you don't set yourself a path and walk it consistently.
The problem in Internet marketing is not the lack of information or the unwillingness of the elite to share their knowledge (albeit some expect you to pay for their knowledge). The problem is that there is too much information--so much that it is overwhelming to the neophyte marketer.

Find a method that you can work and work it--ignore all the other methods available to you until you are successful in that method. Then, if you want to, learn how to work another method. Find a fountain of quality information and drink deeply. Once your mind is refreshed, set your goals, and use what you have learned to make them happen.

Image Credit: Linda Sue

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