Epiphany - IM Success: Keywords, Backlinks, List Building, Bonuses, Video, Adsense

After being in IM for the past couple of years and having success with my original products I had an epiphany today that I've been doing everything wrong.

I've been in small business development for over 20 years but new to IM until a few years ago.

I've bought a ton of products and WSO's and have educated myself on the world of IM.

Even with the success I've had, I now realize how difficult I've made things for myself.

That's what my epiphany was today.

I've read a forest worth of ebooks and reports on: Keywords, Backlinks, List Building, Bonuses, Video, and Adsense.

Until today I didn't really understand with I thought I understood. The real importance of each of each of these.

Keywords: I picked up Market Samurai early on at a great price and with the thought of "I'll be able to use as I go along." I spent a fair amount of time at first with it and used it to ID some keywords. Once I did that I thought I was done. I never really spent the time to master Market Samurai. I just jumped into what I wanted to get out to help people.

I really didn't fully understand the importance of Keywords. Yes, I've read many post and watched a lot of videos but it really didn't sink in until today.

Keywords are the backbone of your IM business.

Backlinks: My eyes kind of glazed over on talk about backlinks. Didn't really see what the fuss was about with Angela and Paul's backlinks and the many other products and information about backlinks.

I saw it as something that I would get around to at some point. Again, my nature is, I've got great products that people need and I just have to get them out there and people will come. A little to idealistic I know.

Again, today the light bulb went on and I now know and understand the importance of backlinks. A little late but at least I get it now for the future.

List Building: Now this I got from the beginning. Having a list is super important. My problem was I wasn't very good at developing a list. So I purchased more info products to learn how. And learn I did, but my list was still abysmal.

What happened today was, I now understand why. The majority of the selling in my career has been on reading people. It was face to face or over the phone sales. I developed the knack of picking up minute details that would lead me to the next phase. I'm a Texas-hold'em player and picking up tells came natural to me in live games, much harder with internet games. Just as it is in IM. A relearning was in-store for me on this. So I'm now really working on how to effectively build a list.

Bonuses: I've had an ideological aversion to bonuses. I've gotten so many worthless bonuses and duplicate products that are given away that I just didn't want to place myself in that same category as so many other marketers. I strongly believed in and still do, in the giving of unadvertised bonuses or giving something to my customers out of the blue that I created. It's so important to me to give the utmost value to customers

I had an aversion to plr, thinking that most of it was not worth sending or giving to my customers. I now have to rethink this. I'm finding there are some really good plr products out there. Still searching for those that are unique and limited and don't cost an arm and a leg. If I can't add value to my customers it's not worth it. Someone my have to talk me down on this one.

Video: I love video, one of my degrees is in film and video. I picked up Easy Video Player as a WSO knowing that at some point I would put it to good use. Well I haven't yet. I just started working on some things with video last night. I've been so intent on getting products out that I just didn't find the time to learn how to do video the way I want. I'm spending the time now.

It goes back, at least for me, of having products that sit on your hardrive and not doing anything with them. Most of us have everything we need to be successful in IM, if we just use them. That's a big IF for a lot of us.

Adsense: Another, my eyes glazed over area. I just wasn't open to it. That's being bluntly honest. I just couldn't see how this could be of any value to me in the beginning. One of those, at some point I'll take a look at. Honestly, I wasn't that interested in figuring out CPC (Cost Per Click.)

I'm now taking another look at how with I'm doing can benefit from using adsense.

I know I've gone much longer than what I had planed. I was somewhat burnt-out for my last product creation and having a hard time getting motivated again. Now after a couple of days of reflection and my epiphany of today, I'm ready to go full steam ahead again.

I have to say that I'm not a techie, I'm a writer and creator of great products, I've spend a year and a half learning so much technical stuff, from wordpress, membership sites, html etc..

I just want to get back to what I love the best. But, there are important things that I have to know in order to do that. It comes down to "Doing what you have to do, in order to do what you want to do."

I think the main thing of my post is; use what you've got and learn in detail what you already have before investing in something new.

Really hope this helps some of you in the same place I've found myself. And hoping for your own Epiphany.

In Gratitude and Success,

Brian