So, Why Social Media?  Here are some of the reasons why Social Media is a giant marketplace. Research has shown that nearly 23% of people’s time is being spent on Social Media sites or apps.  Email is declining because of the massive shift into Social Media.  In fact, email is has experienced a 28% decline in its overall use with this massive surge with Facebook, Twitter and other networks on the rise.

Friends, families, and businesses are communicating on their Social Media networks now and it is instant.  With today’s cell phone technology and the numerous “apps” the Social Media is always with us right in our purse or pocket.
 
A report put out by The Neilsen Company in August 2010 showed that Social Media usage was up 43% than just a year ago.  If you include blogging, email and instant messaging we are spending about 36% of our entire day trying to stay connected.  Now, just to make it very clear on how big a shift we are talking about, 36% of our total time is spent staying connected to our world and 64% of that connected time is on Social Media networks… Totaling 23% of our day. 

As an advertiser wouldn’t you want that kind of attention? Of course you would. That’s why the companies that are already using this technology, and doing it well, are having such an increase in their online campaigns.  You online strategy is not a luxury anymore.  It is where you should be putting the bulk of your marketing budget so that you can keep up with the consumers and potential clients.

These trends have the business world on a shift of how they communicate with their customers and get feedback from them as well.  Business has always been about how well you have maintained your “list”.  Before the internet it was your “mailing list”, addresses so you could send out letters, postcards, etc.  Then came the power of the internet and email and so we built an “email list”.  This allowed us to capture an email address and send out updates or a newsletter to our followers.  Now the “list” is moving to how many followers you have on your Social Media networks and blog.  They are seeking your information and if you aren’t giving it to them they will find someone who is.

This shift is allowing tremendous growth in online marketing.  The strategy is going to be unique for each industry and company, but the purpose is to keep your company in front of them when they want you to.  That way when they are ready you are on their mind.  Staying in front of the most amount of eyeballs is not on billboards, TV, print, or email.  The revolution is Social Media and services that allow you to be in front of your customer via cell phone.

This weeks lesson is not uber revealing, but it is one that will take you a long way when purchasing dicisions become tough.

Week 2:”You Get What You Pay For”

My prother tells me, “You pay for what you get!”…Isn’t that always the case? I lay down the money and they give me the goods, whether it is a little money or a lot, I’m paying.

But the idea “you get what you pay for” is different. There is QUALITY incorporated into the transaction. So, 1 topic where this is very prevalent is shoes! I have been getting back into basketball lately and we play pick-up every Wednesday and Thursday night.

My shoes have become a concern! The “old” ones that were great, finally gave way. They were comfortable, easy to get on, and I could where any kind of socks with them. The failure was a hole in the toe and that doesn’t work so well for athletic movement back and forth.

So, my choices were to use some discount newer ones I got on clearance a whlie back or go with really old ones from years ago. Choice… newer discounts. Wrong choice! They gave me a blister on my left achilies 1/2 hour in. Then I switched to the really old ones thinking that would solve my problems. Wrong choice again! Dime size blister on my right arch. Just incase you were wondering, those hurt extra bad because they are on the tender part of your foot where there are not layers of skin to protect it.

Anyways, I am going to have a better shoe experience in the future and “get what I pay for”. The deeper underlying lesson is that some things acutally merit spending more money on them in the long run. By doing so you can avoid pain, suffering, having to acually spend even more than you should have the 1st time, and having to waste all the time going through a bad decision.

This philosophy can apply to most things, including the business world. We are riddled with choices to buy services that seem “cheap” or offer way to much for what appears to be a low price. Of these marketing strategies beware and proceed with caution when something looks “too good to be true”. There are however exceptions to the rule which are rare, and you can decide on your own what those are, but I strongly believe when it’s all said and done, “you get what you pay for”.

Consulting Categories & Pricing

To make money online many people jump right in before they are properly prepared. You know that to be a rocket scientist, a doctor, a brick layer, a construction worker, an office worker, a teacher there are prerequisites, things you must learn, before you can be successful, you don’t just jump right in unprepared.

The same applies to the Internet marketing industry even though there are unsavory people out there who’d have you believe it’s a “Walk in the Park” and requires no more than the belief that you can just do it.

And I’ll have to admit, it is a walk in the park compared to what you have to put up with in the working world punching a clock being a subordinate to someone who does not have your interests in mind, but there are still rules you have to follow and pitfalls you must avoid to actually make Internet marketing work for you.

Most people will not make a dime online and yet there are others who will make more in one month than most people make in a whole year. Why is that?

My answer begins with the age-old chicken or egg question, “what comes first the chicken or the egg”? Personally I vote for, well never mind, each argument you or I make comes back to the same old conclusion – I have no clue and I don’t think many of us do either.

But one thing I do have a clue about and know for sure is that to make money online you must first have Passion for the company products and/or service of any Internet business from which you expect to make money.

Passion in this sense simply means that you’ve researched and like the company and products or services. It is then that you translate that like (or Passion) into the education, excitement and work that usually accompany Passion.

I will have to say that many online entrepreneurs are so good at what they do that they ignore passion because they can sell anything. But I’m concerned about those of you who are not so knowledgeable at working an online business successfully.

Now, I’m not trying to make anyone believe that Passion is the only thing necessary. Because to be successful you must also have a good website, good marketing, widespread advertising, company support, effective keywords, and etc. Those things are often learned from the company you join – but sidestep Passion and you reduce your chances for success dramatically.

It therefore follows that, if you have no Passion for the company and the products and services provided by that company, again, you won’t attempt to do the work you are being taught.

Internet marketing work is typically not all that difficult or time consuming but it does take motivation caused by Passion to get you off and running with a sustained effort so that you won’t stumble.

You have a great resource in the Internet search engines to search about the Internet Marketing industry for business opportunities, USE IT!

Your research should uncover a company that you like and have confidence in. It should be solid, founded on great principles, and easy to understand with great products and services that are sell-able for which you can have Passion. If you don’t find it move on,
You can find the right opportunity containing the attributes identified above.

Comments like, well, that one sounds good and the compensation plan is excellent so I guess I’ll start that business – does not sound like a decision based on anything near Passion. And remember when you hear that an Internet “guru” does that, don’t be tempted, because as I said earlier they are experienced and can sell just about anything, without being Passionate about the company products and services.

Note: By the way it’s your goal to get to the point where you can sell about anything online. That end skill and goal is a worthy one indeed.

Remember, there are other steps you must make before you step into Internet Marketing but if you don’t first find the right company products and services to be passionate about, all of those other steps may just cause you a lot of frustration instead of bringing you great success.

Not being Passionate about a company and products and services that has market proof that it will sell is a pitfall you simply must avoid.