Internet marketing! It's driving me crazy!

by Kathleen Gage The Street Smarts Speaker and Author

I have been involved with the Internet for years. I use the Internet as a primary part of my overall marketing. I absolutely love what is possible because of it. However, it hasn't always been that way.

When I first began my journey into cyberspace I had no idea that this would turn from a casual interest to my livelihood. Not only do I make a great living, I also get to correspond and do business on a global level,  and I am able to help others grow their businesses through the power of the Internet.

Know your market
Primarily; I work with speakers, authors, coaches and consultants who are ready to turn their knowledge into money-making products and services that they can sell by way of the Internet. Not all of my clients sell only from the Internet. However, they do use it as a means to an end to reach their market and generate revenues.

The Internet is not for everyone
Something that has become evident to me is that the Internet is NOT for everyone. You read right. The Internet is not for everyone.

The reality is, some people have no interest in what can be done by strategically using all that is available online. And to the amazement of others, their life works just fine.

Still others don’t have the patience to learn how to most effectively use the Internet.

Others believe they have to do all the work themselves which can quickly lead to burnout.

Get rich quick
While others still believe it’s all about getting rich quick on the Internet. If that's your belief, you may as well quit reading right now. I don't know of anyone who has made a million overnight without a lot of hard work, focused effort and great business sense.

The fact is, the Internet is a means to an end. It is not an end all, be all. As with anything, you have to find what works for you to optimize your time, money and energy invested in the Internet.

Strange as it may seem to those of us who couldn’t imagine doing business without the Internet, there are those people who just don’t use it. Simple as that. They get along quite well without it. 

What are your reasons/excuses?
As far as those who don’t have the patience to learn, there seems little anyone can say to convince them otherwise. The fact is that if some people were to just stick with it, get the right kind of training to minimize their frustration and became very strategic in what they do, they would benefit more than they can imagine. Yet, I have seen it over and over where people hit a wall of learning and then quit, saying, "This Internet stuff isn't for me!"

You're setting yourself up for failure
For those who believe they have to do all the work themselves, this is where burnout is born. I see this frequently with solopreneurs. For some reason they think they have to learn how to design their website, develop their blog, do all the back-end marketing, develop products and services including editing, design, packaging, etc., do their own bookkeeping, etc., all by themselves and still have a life and their sanity.

Get much needed help
The reality is you can outsource or you can go cuckoo. Although you may think you can't afford to, it may actually be that you can't afford not to outsource. I used to believe I couldn't afford to outsource. Truth be told, I was in a constant state of stress, overworked, underpaid and wondering if I would ever make a great living in my business.

Once I realized that there were some aspects of my business I could entrust to others, things drastically changed. For one, I wasn't working 16 - 18 hours a day. And, my profit margins went up considerably. And, I was able to focus on what I do best while providing work for others who truly enjoyed the work I gave them.

Currently, I have 7 people that I outsource to on a regular basis. I couldn’t run my company and generate the revenues I do without their help. Simple as that.

As with anything, before you simply start hiring people to do this, that and the other, you need to know how their efforts will contribute to the bottom line. If you don't, you can quickly generate an incredible amount of debt with nothing to show for it.

What's your plan?
Again, you must be very strategic in who you contract to do what. Otherwise you can waste an incredible amount of time and money thus supporting the belief that you have to do it all yourself.

The fact is, the Internet is an incredible tool and resource that can be very instrumental in you growing your business. However, as with anything that allows you to do this, you have to treat this as a viable part of running your business. When you do, the rewards can be beyond anything you ever imagined.

Kathleen Gage, The Street Smarts Marketer™, is an Internet marketing advisor who works with spiritually aware speakers, authors, coaches and consultants who are ready to turn the knowledge into money-making products and services. Visit http://www.kathleengage.com for free resources to build your online presence and credibility. 

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