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Newbie Problem: Losing money with your online business
Solution: Target a niche market of buyers

If you’re trying (really, honestly trying) to make money online and you’re not, there is only one reason why: “You haven’t learned how to pick and target an online niche buyers..!”

In other words, “You Stink at Picking Marketing Targets”.

Niche research is a little tricky for many (most) beginning marketers. Unfortunately it’s darn near mandatory if you want to make money with an Internet business.

Finding a related group of people who are demonstrating their willingness to spend money online, is the first step to making money with an Internet marketing business. But, it’s not necessarily the first thing the average beginner thinks to do.

You see, very few average people come online looking to make money on the first place. 

Eventually curiosity will get the better of them and they’ll opt-in to some Internet marketer’s list about ’how-to-make-money-online’. Because they are average people, making some extra money appeals to them.

Before you can talk them out of it, they’re seduced into thinking ‘this Internet business thing’ sounds like something I should try out.   

And, there ‘ain’t one thing wrong with that…!

Their problem comes from trying to sell things to the wrong people. There’s probably nothing wrong with what they’re trying to sell. They’re not making sales because they just haven’t did the first step of selling.

The first step to selling is, of course, “Tell your selling story to people who are already buying what you’re selling…”

Remember, our ‘average marketing novice’ has sorta backed into selling online. Odds are they won’t begin trying to make money with a business start-up mindset that tells them to sell what specific groups of people want. Most likely they figure everyone online is a prospect.

Everyone online IS a prospect, IF you approach them with the right offer…

And, therein lurks the genie in the bottle. You can receive the genie’s bountiful bounty when you unlock the riddle of knowing what people are interested in.

Pick a niche market of buyers.

By the time a failing novice suspects everyone online isn’t their prospect, they’re confused because unrelated marketing advice is distorting their ideas about how to discover a group of Internet buyers.

This condition, muddled thinking, is the root cause of their unwarranted fear about discovering a target market. This is the main reason many novices consider niche research difficult, scary and somewhat mythical . Sorta like finding a genie in a bottle.  (FYI: novice equals ‘someone not making money’ with their Internet business.)

I understand that. I  also understand that if you’re at this crossroads of your online business, (not making money) you must get over your fear of finding a healthy list of buyers. I’m convinced that fear is just another word for doubt and confusion.

OK, so you’re confused. Big deal. I’ve been confused since I discovered the opposite sex.

Hm…Sorry about that. Where were we? Oh yeah…Confusion is relieved by an adventure down the path of clarity. Uh, hold up a minute. When did I start talking like I was running for public office?

Here’s what I meant to say: 

If you’re confused about  finding a target market of buyers get help doing it. You don’t have to be a hero. Nothing wrong being a follower sometimes. Because you’re new, look for a simple, start-from-scratch, guide.

A friendly warning about finding help: there are a gaggle of  ‘Niche Marketing Research’ type courses, software and coaching options available. Make sure you understand what they’re offering when you’re comparing them.

If you’re confused by their descriptions, the inner workings of the actual product will probably be too complicated for you to use. 

Stay tuned…

BTW: new subscribers to my email newsletter (OBG) get a free copy of a pretty decent Niche Research report in their second newsletter issue. Perhaps you should join the ‘OBG’ family…

Until next time, may all your failures be lessons learned and your successes make you a better person!
Peace,
Edward “Mr Ed” Thorpe
“He who helps the most people Wins!”

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Are you new to the Internet marketing business field? Does ‘new and confused’ about how to make money online, describe your condition? Listen, I understand.

And, I feel your pain…

When I’m trying to learn something new, I like simplicity, don’t you? Perhaps it’s because I’m just a little distracted anyway, but complexity oftentimes equals confusion to me. And, confusion triggers on my ‘this-sounds-like-I’m-stepping-in-bull-stuff’ defense system.

Plus, confusing information makes me suspect there’s a hidden agenda lurking about the neighborhood I’ve somehow blundered into. And, it may not be in my best interest to hang my hat in these here parts.

For example: Learning How To Start a Part-Time Online Home-Based Business…

Other than sex (at least to someone who ‘ain’t gettin’ any), can you think of any one subject with more confusion and half-truths surrounding it than does Starting An Internet Home Business? Go ahead, think about it…

1-2-3. . . Your thinking time’s up.

Truthfully, most of us face things we don’t fully understand every single day. We know and accept this condition. Because we’re already talking about starting an Internet business, let’s stick to the horse we rode in on, namely…

How the online business ‘how-to’ genre is up to the brim full of widely conflicting information.

There are about a zillion methods to start an online business. Well, maybe not a zillion, but there really are a lot of different methods to make money online.

Because of this diversity, it’s only natural a beginner will often feel dazed and confused. Unfortunately, most beginners will stay confused until they decide on a particular business model to follow. And following it.

An Internet business model could be referring prospects to affiliate informational products. Some successful affiliate marketers operate an online blog to review different affiliate products they’re representing. Review blogs are usually just one tactic used to earn affiliate commission money in this business model.

Another online business model is selling third party advertising. You know, like building content websites and placing Google Adsense ads at prominent spots on your web pages. Some successful third party ad sellers also use online blogs as a business tactic to get clicks which makes them advertising money.

“Say, huh?”

How can two different Internet business models use the same tactic, blogs, to make money? Well, using blogs for different business models, is a simple concept to any experienced online marketer.

For a novice, it’s just more conflicting information about starting an Internet home business.

And that, my friend, is the point: If you’re learning something new, you want simple concepts which somehow link to your present knowledge base. Linkage, or association, is how most of us best learn new tricks.

We also learn best from the bottom up.

For example, I didn’t learn to read words until I was taught the letters of the alphabet. I didn’t learn to write, and publish, series of multiple email messages until I figured out how to write one email message that was focused on one subject.

Successfully learning new things are done in an order.

Order is a progressive process. A reliable process is made up of steps. A step is usually limited to one simple concept linking to something we already know about. Adding multiple concepts to one step makes the step complex.

And, complexity confuses us when we’re trying to learn something new.

If you’re confused about making money online, you’ve probably skipped learning the basics. You can still succeed. But, like the woodsman who doesn’t stop to sharpen his cutting tools, you’ll work harder than you need to…

“Stop doing that…!”

Next time I’ll suggest how you can get out of the rut you’ve unknowingly dug yourself into. Until then, may all your failures be lessons learned and all your successes make you a better person!
Peace,
Edward “Mr Ed” Thorpe
“He who helps the most people Wins!

Comments (1)

You already know how con artists and magicians use misdirection to fake out their audiences. But, did you know that many ’famous’ Internet marketers use the same deception tactics when they, and their good buddies, sell you expensive, and complicated, Online Marketing Plans?

And, oh yeah, I am talking about all those dreary ‘pre-launches’ that rain down upon us average IM’ers, God help us.

Not every IM product sold in this manner is a waste of your time and money. On the other hand, many of them are. Here’s three reasons why you’re better off ignoring 99% of the marketing training offers you’re receiving from other Internet marketers working in the ‘how-to-make-money-online’ niche:

1. I’ve met many of these ‘hot-shot marketers’ and they’re mostly disrespectful of their target market. i.e. you & I. (or is it, you & me…?) Anyway, because they don’t especially care about their prospects, their products & services just have to sell…not actually work or bring value to buyers. (I’m NOT judging anyone. Just stating what I’ve witnessed.)
2. They can get away with their stuff not working because they employed misdirectional marketing tactics to sell it to you on the first place:_ The owner of the product/service being launched comes up with a killer-titled report in pdf, audio, or video. (The more content, the better.)

   _ The owner, and his ordained jv partners, blast out messages to their contact lists that promise the report will reveal the lost marketing secrets used by King Solomon, or used by some other exotic entity. This is a calculated tactic used to evoke curiosity and to lend obscure credibility to their razzle-dazzle marketing tactics.

   _ Generally, you have to sign-up to a contact list to get either the 1st report, or to get future reports. They’ll even promise your sign-up will guarantee you a chance to buy during the special pre-release period that will come before the pre-release sale that is scheduled before the pre-release to the general public, pre- release sale, etc.

   _ In other words, they use greed and scarcity to get you on their list. (After all, they’re going to limit the # sold to only enough to make themselves millionaires…)

   _ The real purpose of  your sign-up is two-fold:
   
   1) they’re going to pound the be-jibbers out of you with pre-selling follow-ups
   2) it locks you into the payline of the jv partner who sent you to them.

   _ And, make no mistake, the email messages, the sales pages and many of the reports are written by skilled copywriters. If you’re remotely interested in the subject, they’re nearly impossible to resist.

   _ Three out of ten people who half-way follow the entire marketing process, going through the different reports, reading the brassy email messages, and listening to the many recognizable marketers recommendations describing the magic of the results promised, end up buying. (According to someone behind the scenes for a bunch of these things.)

3. You buy the expensive thingy. It has so much damn content it has to ship via FedEx. Naturally you paid extra for the shipping & handling. By the time it arrives, your life has moved forward. You have other things on your mind._ The truth of the matter is: Often times, the marketing process has left you jaded and burned out about anything that alludes to the secret marketing scrolls, or however the product was touted.

So what do 8.9 out of 10 buyers do with their expensive new salvation? Yep, they store it away for later use. Stick in a closet. Set it on a shelf. Slide it under a bed. And so on…

So what just happened?

The customer was exposed to sleight-of-hand marketing. Misdirection was used to take the focus from the actual product and focused on the marketing of said product. This process is now classic online marketing strategy. These tactics are so very effective that many well-known Internet marketers don’t particularly care if their stuff works for their customers. Just as long as it’s sellable.

And, it burns me up because it’s wrong.

It’s wrong because nothing of value is added to the common good. Not that I’m altruistic. I’m not one for helping those who are capable of helping themselves, but won’t. I’m more of the ‘teach a man to fish’ kind of guy. I don’t mind sharing. I know there are lots of fish for all of us would be fishermen.

While you’re here, and before I run out of steam and have to go for a walk, or take a long nap, let me give you a link to a free pdf report titled:  “Three Step Online Marketing Plan” provided by a, groan, famous Internet marketer who I have known for 7, 8 years.

The plan isn’t complicated, so no misdirectional marketing ploys are needed to sell it. Plus, it’s free, anyway.

Naturally, inside the report are links to tools and such other relevant programs, that you could possibly use to better implement the 3-step business plan. And, naturally, if you were to purchase something from said links, someone is probably going to make a little commission money.

Probably that someone would be me. (Or, is that I…?)

But then, because this short report will provide you with a clear and honest to goodness online marketing fishing lesson that will help you catch more fish, clicking on the links won’t be a requirement.

And, you don’t have to sign up to a contact list…

You have my personal word on that. Until next time, may all your failures be lessons learned and may your successes make you a better person.  Link To Free PDF Report

Peace,
Edward ”Mr Ed” Thorpe
“He Who Helps The Most People Wins!”