Digital Marketing

So you want to make money online, you want to highlight your cause or get noticed for your creative pursuits. You have heard the internet is a money-making phenomenon is full of success stories of people who have made hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single weekend and you want in. You want financial freedom or to get your business making more sales 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Great so what have you got to sell?? What do you have to offer? What is your unique value offering?

That’s right what is your product? The first rule of making money online is that you have to have something to sell or a service to offer, a cause or group to sign up to. It might sound daft but it’s true. There is no end of companies and websites out there that promise you that they will make you rich by selling nothing, yes nothing, if only you keep watching their YouTube video filmed at a fake mansion on a green screen. They will tell you that all you need to do is sign up to their scheme for $49 a month or more and that you can make a living from this if you just follow their marketing plans and sell their system of selling nothing to more people like you online this will make you rich, basically online pyramid schemes. They litter their pages with stories of people who have attained financial freedom by following their schemes. The truth is that the only people who really make money off these schemes are the people who start them. There is no way of verifying their stories of the people who have made the success of their systems some may be genuine but I would bet more than half are not.

So yes, the first rule of marketing on the internet is having something to sell or a service to offer. If you do not already have something to offer do some research find a supplier or someone you can become a reseller of their product for and then look at the market and how competitive it is and make an informed decision.

Do some market research

If you have a product in mind, service in mind or even a cause look at the market. Look at how competitive it is. Figure out whether or not it is a swamped market or is the product offering or angle unique. If it is unique to ask yourself why it is unique on the internet. Chances are that if there is a market for it then it will be on the internet somewhere. If there isn’t there won’t. Of course, you could be the exception to that rule buy. If you can’t find anyone else selling a similar product or service then ask yourself why. Is your product that unique and new on the market that the market hasn’t yet developed if so you may be onto a winner.

Alternatively, you might be on to a loser. If you can’t find it on the internet there may be no market for it. The best thing to do is to do some research and find out if there are any reviews for products, services or the viewpoint you are looking to offer. The internet can be a brutally honest place at times and if a product sucks there will be reviews out there telling the world so. Do your research and see where the product fits.

The market may also be swamped. But don’t let this put you off. On the internet, there is always room for one more. There is always room for more business. If in doubt specialise your product or service in some way. Or try and find where you fit in the market and what your unique selling points are. Is your product cheaper, better quality, do you offer better customer service, where do you fit in with your competitors?

Do not let people put you off by telling you the market is swamped. In the words of Sir Richard Branson “Screw it, let’s do it.” I have seen lots of my clients and associates make money, very good money in so-called swamped markets. The difference they offer is finding a hook. An area to specialise in or they have marketed their product better.  When I started my business I was probably entering one of the most swamped markets in the world, SEO, internet marketing. But I specialised and I offered something different from my competitors, free advice and support to get them to the top of the search engines and internet portals whether they use my services or not. Why did I offer this service? Simple I wanted to stand out and get noticed. It was my hook for getting people in. I offered, and still do when people approach me for internet marketing, honest free advice and if they liked what I had to say and they liked my price they might employ my services.  Now I have developed further skills and market the speciality of digital and direct behavioural marketing. I am refining my offer and developing my product in writing this free content.

You need to have a product, service of cause and know where you fit in the market. You may already have your product or service that you have been providing for years but still, on the internet do the research and find out whom your competitors are. Remember that your competitors offline may be different to those you have online. Do as much research as you can and where you might stand out for the right reasons. Be competitive in price, quality and customer experience and remember you can’t make money from nothing no matter what people may tell you.

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bruce mars

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