Newbie at marketing. Help please?

10 replies
I'm new to the Warrior Forum and so I just wanted to say 'hi!'. (:

Since I went on to make a thread, how about teaching me how to start an internet business? It's so confusing!

I have some Sales rep experience and was an ex-journalist. I would certainly like to make a consistent revenue on the Internet. Clicked some threads before making this and everything went blank. Literally pop.

I also got past the technical stuff like Wordpress installs and domain purchases-did it for a coulture blog, and pretty familiar when finding news-worthy articles on the web.

So... here are the routes I found available with ample research! Which ones are the most recommended for a consistent and decent income?

a) A monetized blog
b) Selling a product
c) Selling a service
d) e-Commerce/blogshops

I have some friends who do monetized blogs but they earn like $10 a day - that's not really what I'm looking for. Any ideas, people? (:

Nat
#burns #fingers #internet #marketing #statistics #toast
  • Profile picture of the author natalielyons
    bump.

    Any advice here?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5427760].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Al amin
    Hy, at first welcome to this forum. In this forum you will get so many people to help you to make money online.

    From your words I have got the idea that you want some consistent and decent income online. And you have listed some ways to make money online. To be honest all of those are equally great ways to make money online.

    You just have to find which one works best for you. Suppose you have a great hand of writing. So you can easily build a blog around the topic you like most. Then promote that blog and get some decent visitors, then you will earn decent money from that blog. You can also offer writing service on your blog.

    If you get targeted traffic and if you can make a resourceful blog. You can easily make decent money.

    Let me know if you need anything to know.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5427803].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JayPeete
    Hi and welcome Nat. First of all you are in the right place. The information here is worth its weight in gold but you must be careful not to get overwhelmed because there is a lot here.

    My vote is for product creation. Why? Did you know that there are people here in the Warrior Forum that are launching WSO's (Warrior Special Offers) that are hitting the 6 figure mark in only days? That's right, I said days! Now you won't do that on your first launch but what if after you had a few under your belt you begin making $5,000 per month? Not too bad huh...

    Whatever you decide, stick with it. Don't do like most people and lose focus as quickly as the wind can change direction. That is the difference between the 3% of people that are successful and the other 97% that are not.

    Good luck!

    Jay
    Signature
    What Misunderstood Traffic Source SUCKS In
    3 Million Visitors Daily and Spits Out
    $560.81 Per Day In Commissions?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5427944].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Trevor
    Hello Natalie,

    I would advise you to do product creation. It's a great way to build a list of buyers, which is extremely responsive to your future proposals, because they've already bought something from you. That's why I'm involved in the product creation space. There are many instances of warriors making WSOs and paying their affiliates 100% commissions just to build their list.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5428119].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Peru101
    Hi Nat,

    Welcome to the Warrior Forum!

    First thing I need to tell you: Be careful when posting titles like "Newbie at marketing. Help please?" As this post proves, it's a vague statement, and, because of this, the people who are better able to help you will more likely pass it by. A better title might have been, "Which Online Business Model Is Better for Beginners?" It's much more targeted to the people who can help, and from a glance people will know whether or not they're qualified to answer.

    Now on to your question. . . .

    I always recommend that beginners start like this:
    A) A monetized blog
    B) Selling a service
    C) e-Commerce/blogshops
    D) Selling a product

    This is my reasoning behind the order of business models.

    A) A monetized blog
    By far, this is the easiest to set up and get going. You may not see money immediately, but if you provide value to people, it will come. Of course there is a lot involved before you start buying domain names. You first must:
    --Choose a niche
    --Put it through the profitable niche test
    --Analyze competition
    --Find profitable low-competition keywords
    --Choose a good domain
    --Decide whether you'll have an authority site or a one-product site
    --Set up your blog, including changing theme, nice graphics, good navigation structure, etc.
    --Install analytics tracking
    --Write quality content around your keywords
    --If building a list, sign up to autoresponder service
    make squeeze page/optin form with benefits, free report/software, and follow-up sequence
    --If not, keep writing quality content
    --Monetize with affiliate programs: Google AdSense, CPA, advertizing space, etc.
    --Drive traffic with PPC, PPV, SEO, etc.

    "I have some friends who do monetized blogs but they earn like $10 a day - that's not really what I'm looking for."

    You've stumbled across a misconception. You think just because your friends are earning $10 a day that that's all you'll earn too. Your income is determined largely in part by a lot of factors--profitable niche, profitable keywords, targeted traffic, converting copy, matched product, etc.--but there are lots of people making great money online with monetized blogs. I think Jeff Johnson makes seven figures in affiliate marketing alone. Believe me, if you know what you are doing, there is a lot of money to be made. The internet is only in its infancy, and there's room for everyone.

    In fact, another reason why I recommend that people begin with affiliate marketing is because you don't have to deal with all the headaches that the other options have. With affiliate marketing, you don't have to do or have any of the following:
    --Shipping items
    --Making products
    --Production costs
    --Fees or licenses
    --Employees or merchant accounts
    --Inventory or order processing
    --Customer service

    What's more, affiliate marketing has these positive effects:
    --Minimal setup cost
    --Minimal risk
    --Ability to sell anything
    --Make money while you're asleep or on vacation
    --Global marketplace
    --Work from home

    B) Selling a service
    I chose this next because after a few monetized blogs, (or a really good one that's making passive income!), this is the most logical route. There's a lot more work and responsibility involved, but once you understand and successfully apply the skills of affiliate marketing, they transfer over into whatever business model you'd like to pursue. Of course, you must choose an in-demand service that you are good at. Creating your own service can be very rewarding, especially if it's something you truly enjoy and customers are getting value, but it's not as autopilot as affiliate marketing can be since you are basically paid for the time you work. You will need to provide your customers with good customer service, great deals, and results. Refunds and disputes may arise, and you will have to deal with them professionally. I would build a list so you can keep in touch with your customers and offer them discounts and bonuses for being a loyal subscriber. Still, if you have a good service to offer and you have enough time, this is a great business model.

    C) e-Commerce/blogshops
    It depends on which kind you want to pursue. If you're talking about drop shipping, (where your supplier ships the item after you've sold it to your customer) this might be a good avenue. If you mean buying your products from a wholesaler, keeping them in stock at your home or elsewhere, and then selling them for a profit, this is a bit messier, and why it's third on the list. You have to invest a lot of money before making any. Compared to affiliate marketing, e-Commerce isn't an easy avenue, not when you're just starting out. Here's why:

    --You must find a profitable physical product niche
    --You must research competition sellers
    --You must set up your online store
    --You must research potential wholesalers
    --You must make enough of a profit to be worthwhile

    While I haven't done e-Commerce myself, I've heard that profit margins are often low and/or the niches very competitive.

    D) Selling a product
    I really couldn't decide which one between C and D that I wanted to put last. All have their benefits and cons, but affiliate marketing is by far the easiest to get started. Making a product is much like creating a service, except you must create the product first, and then use a properly set up funnel for it to be really effective, and JV with other people to get out the word. Of course, it's not mandatory to JV, but it can help a lot. If you have a list, once you build up a reputation as someone your subscribers can trust with affiliate marketing, you can provide them your related product and they will be more likely to care about what you have to say. You must manage customer service, refunds, chargebacks, etc., and if your product flops, you've wasted all that time and effort for nothing. But once you know what you're doing, you'll be ahead of the game.

    I hope my post has been helpful for you and will guide you in the right direction. Once again, welcome. No matter what, pick a model and stay focused. Stick with it till it gives you results. And then, after you've mastered those skills, you can move on.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5428128].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author SamuelUherek
      Originally Posted by Peru101 View Post

      Hi Nat,

      Welcome to the Warrior Forum!

      First thing I need to tell you: Be careful when posting titles like "Newbie at marketing. Help please?" As this post proves, it's a vague statement, and, because of this, the people who are better able to help you will more likely pass it by. A better title might have been, "Which Online Business Model Is Better for Beginners?" It's much more targeted to the people who can help, and from a glance people will know whether or not they're qualified to answer.

      Now on to your question. . . .

      I always recommend that beginners start like this:
      A) A monetized blog
      B) Selling a service
      C) e-Commerce/blogshops
      D) Selling a product

      This is my reasoning behind the order of business models.

      A) A monetized blog
      By far, this is the easiest to set up and get going. You may not see money immediately, but if you provide value to people, it will come. Of course there is a lot involved before you start buying domain names. You first must:
      --Choose a niche
      --Put it through the profitable niche test
      --Analyze competition
      --Find profitable low-competition keywords
      --Choose a good domain
      --Decide whether you'll have an authority site or a one-product site
      --Set up your blog, including changing theme, nice graphics, good navigation structure, etc.
      --Install analytics tracking
      --Write quality content around your keywords
      --If building a list, sign up to autoresponder service
      make squeeze page/optin form with benefits, free report/software, and follow-up sequence
      --If not, keep writing quality content
      --Monetize with affiliate programs: Google AdSense, CPA, advertizing space, etc.
      --Drive traffic with PPC, PPV, SEO, etc.

      "I have some friends who do monetized blogs but they earn like $10 a day - that's not really what I'm looking for."

      You've stumbled across a misconception. You think just because your friends are earning $10 a day that that's all you'll earn too. Your income is determined largely in part by a lot of factors--profitable niche, profitable keywords, targeted traffic, converting copy, matched product, etc.--but there are lots of people making great money online with monetized blogs. I think Jeff Johnson makes seven figures in affiliate marketing alone. Believe me, if you know what you are doing, there is a lot of money to be made. The internet is only in its infancy, and there's room for everyone.

      In fact, another reason why I recommend that people begin with affiliate marketing is because you don't have to deal with all the headaches that the other options have. With affiliate marketing, you don't have to do or have any of the following:
      --Shipping items
      --Making products
      --Production costs
      --Fees or licenses
      --Employees or merchant accounts
      --Inventory or order processing
      --Customer service

      What's more, affiliate marketing has these positive effects:
      --Minimal setup cost
      --Minimal risk
      --Ability to sell anything
      --Make money while you're asleep or on vacation
      --Global marketplace
      --Work from home

      B) Selling a service
      I chose this next because after a few monetized blogs, (or a really good one that's making passive income!), this is the most logical route. There's a lot more work and responsibility involved, but once you understand and successfully apply the skills of affiliate marketing, they transfer over into whatever business model you'd like to pursue. Of course, you must choose an in-demand service that you are good at. Creating your own service can be very rewarding, especially if it's something you truly enjoy and customers are getting value, but it's not as autopilot as affiliate marketing can be since you are basically paid for the time you work. You will need to provide your customers with good customer service, great deals, and results. Refunds and disputes may arise, and you will have to deal with them professionally. I would build a list so you can keep in touch with your customers and offer them discounts and bonuses for being a loyal subscriber. Still, if you have a good service to offer and you have enough time, this is a great business model.

      C) e-Commerce/blogshops
      It depends on which kind you want to pursue. If you're talking about drop shipping, (where your supplier ships the item after you've sold it to your customer) this might be a good avenue. If you mean buying your products from a wholesaler, keeping them in stock at your home or elsewhere, and then selling them for a profit, this is a bit messier, and why it's third on the list. You have to invest a lot of money before making any. Compared to affiliate marketing, e-Commerce isn't an easy avenue, not when you're just starting out. Here's why:

      --You must find a profitable physical product niche
      --You must research competition sellers
      --You must set up your online store
      --You must research potential wholesalers
      --You must make enough of a profit to be worthwhile

      While I haven't done e-Commerce myself, I've heard that profit margins are often low and/or the niches very competitive.

      D) Selling a product
      I really couldn't decide which one between C and D that I wanted to put last. All have their benefits and cons, but affiliate marketing is by far the easiest to get started. Making a product is much like creating a service, except you must create the product first, and then use a properly set up funnel for it to be really effective, and JV with other people to get out the word. Of course, it's not mandatory to JV, but it can help a lot. If you have a list, once you build up a reputation as someone your subscribers can trust with affiliate marketing, you can provide them your related product and they will be more likely to care about what you have to say. You must manage customer service, refunds, chargebacks, etc., and if your product flops, you've wasted all that time and effort for nothing. But once you know what you're doing, you'll be ahead of the game.

      I hope my post has been helpful for you and will guide you in the right direction. Once again, welcome. No matter what, pick a model and stay focused. Stick with it till it gives you results. And then, after you've mastered those skills, you can move on.
      natalielyons I would copy and past this post and start form there. Find something that interest you in the above mentioned and that's it. Find out what you want to achieve with it and make a plan that you will stick to.

      Since you are a journalist, you have a big advantage in terms of writing so it should not be problem for you to begin with your own blog. And one more thing to add to the comment above, register a domain name with your name and create a blog for anything what your passion is. Create an article every two days and post it on the blog. This way you will get started at least something while finding the goals and the right methods for earning online.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5428427].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JeffreyBenson
    The first thing you will to think of is where do I get traffic? Once you have identified these sources, then get an affiliate product that converts in your niche, build a squeeze page and start driving traffic to your page redirecting them to the offer you are promoting. It's that simple. Don't let anyone confuse you.

    Here are the steps:

    ==> Chose your traffic sources
    ==> Find a converting products
    ==> Get a squeeze page
    ==> Prepare your autoresponse messages
    ==> Start driving the traffic to your squeeze page

    This helps to build your list fast and with well planned followup system, you'll soon start to see good results.

    This is the model that works.

    Now, where does the traffic comes from?

    There are several ways to get traffic - I am mostly in favour of paid traffic as they bring quicker results - Solo Ads, PPV, PPC, Email Advertising. Go cheap - as cheap as you can when buying these ads. Track and measure your progress and improve on it.

    90% of your time should be spent on getting traffic. Let the follow up do it's job.

    Hope this helps
    Signature
    ***BREAKING NEWS***
    Want Traffic, Leads & Sales Fast?

    Discover Our Exact Method That Generated 264,990 Laser
    Targeted Free Traffic and 41,209 Leads In 3 Months!
    Click Here To Download The Guide Now
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5430520].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mrketing.me
    i'd second FredJones, if you are a journalist at heart go with his advice. that doesn't mean you shouldn't do anything else!, Peru101 had a very elaborate answer, pick something from the list and go with it all the way through, put all effort and focus in it, then, keep it and do more if it works or drop it and start with the next one if it didn't.

    The reason i'm telling you to do what you like at first, is because you will be good at it and enjoy it, while trying to learn and apply new techniques could get you down if it didn't work.

    So, bottom line, Be patient, try things while you do what you are good in to ensure that you keep going

    Best of luck
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5436377].message }}

Trending Topics