There is so much good teaching out there about techniques and different ways to make money online. However, there is very little said about how to build a business. For instance, if I wanted to start an affiliate marketing business and I needed to make $100k/year to start, what would that business look like? I am looking for a generic overview, not specific sites or proof. Most business books will tell you to start with a business plan. What does that look like for an internet marketing business?
Most mid-level internet marketers are earning at right about the 6-figure mark. I would venture to guess that a very small percentage actually have a business plan. I dont mind to admit I tend to fly by the seat of my pants. I'm a super affiliate myself, and have been doing it for well over a decade...
I am sure there is quite a gamut and I am also sure it depends on how hard you want to work at it and what your dedication level is. I am very new and have not made much, but I'm learning!
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to your question. Every successful affiliate marketer, and online marketer in general for that matter, has a different type of model. Some focus on SEO, some on CPA, others on PPC and landing pages, and we all have our success with our unique combination.
I know that makes it difficult for new people entering into online business, looking for a blueprint or a model. But it is a business, not a job or franchise where things ARE laid out for you. And as you know, almost any small business is unique to the person who created it.
For learning, find people who are doing what you want to be doing, and follow them closely. As much what they say, as what they DO (true leaders lead by example). There is a lot of junk on the 'net - such as ebooks written by people who don't actually make a living doing what they teach in their ebook, etc. Beware of those folks - and stick to figuring out what's working for the people you know are running a solid business model.
Ok let me ask this a different way. If I took away all of your business, connections and websites, but left you with just your experience. And I said that you could not build a new business in any of your current niches, how long would it take you to rebuild a business to the level you have today, and what would that business look like. How many different websites/blogs would you need to establish, how many different products would you need to produce, what level of time commitment would it take? I am not looking for a one size fits all response, I am here at your website trying to understand what makes you successful.
thanks,
tom
ps: I chose you from your participation in IMTW and how you handled yourself and the fact that you actually participate in your forum and care about your customers. To me that is what separates you from most of the rest of the IM world. I like the 30DC as a model but it fails to provide the sort of business building overview that I am looking for and its really hard to get Ed's attention because it is so big. I am going to listen to tonights webinar where he sounds like he might answer some of my questions.
I actually do that all the time, as I start in new niches under pen names. Names that have no connections, so I basically start with my experience only. Everyone's method will be different, but I'll answer the question as it was asked - how *I* do it.
I start with one niche, and one website. Work non-stop to develop and market the site. Use SEO following the model outlined at http://www.seofaststart.com (free SEO guide by Dan Thies). Targeting longtail, and getting relevant inbound links, I would see sales start to trickle in within a few short weeks of the site being live.
Set up a mailing list of course, with a warm follow-up series to connect with my new visitors and start building on that relationship.
I would set up social media profiles for that name, join niche discussion forums under that name, subscribe to & reply at top blogs in my niche, and start interacting with my target market - and with the market leaders in my niche.
Next, publish & submit articles and short reports on my topics. Also do guest posts on B-list blogs.
Pour my heart into manual marketing until the search engine rankings kicked in and started delivering consistent targeted traffic to my web pages.
Only when everything is set up, working beautifully, as automated as humanly possible... would I look at starting a 2nd site/project.
What does success look like?
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