Are You Marketing A Product That's Unrealistic For You?
Fact: There are far more people wishing to make substantial
incomes from home over the Internet than there are actually
doing it.
That's an obvious statement to be sure, but why is that true?
One factor often overlooked in my opinion is that many people
make poor selections when choosing what they should sell.
People, more often than not, decide what business to enter
based on emotion, excitement, or other's success. Rarely, do
people take the time to critically analyze what they will be
getting into and whether or not it will be suitable for them.
Now, even if you're already comfortable in what you are doing,
thinking through the following set of questions will be beneficial
to you. Reading through them will undoubtedly either enlighten
you on how to further advance what you're already involved in,
or it will give you the necessary push to change to something
that might work better for you.
Obviously, then, if you are already looking for an online
business opportunity, or looking to change directions, this is for
you.
For the sake of this discussion, we'll talk strictly in products.
However, realize that marketing a business opportunity or a
service is essentially still marketing a product.
Carefully considering all of the following aspects will put you
further ahead than the vast majority of Internet marketers, give
you more flexibility in your marketing plan, and realistically
bring you more success.
1. YOUR OWN BELIEFS
When selecting a product or group of products to market, start
first with your own beliefs. In network marketing it's absolutely
critical to believe, like, and use whatever product your business
offers. Without that belief you'll never have any credibility with
others or convince your downline to make purchases
themselves.
Now, with regards to working auction services this is not nearly
as important. Often, you can work essentially as a middle man
connecting buyers and sellers. In this case, the seller is the one
whose credibility the buyer feeds off of and it's the seller
also who is responsible for any guarantees, refunds, and such.
'Instant' sale mini sites are those specifically designed to solicit
1 of 2 immediate responses out of it's visitors -- buy or leave.
With this type of site, it's not necessary for the visitor to even
know who they are buying from so your personal beliefs are
not as critical. (obviously if you are more personally involved in
the product and the site then your personal beliefs are
important. We could argue about which way works better, but
the point is if you do put your name to something you'd darn
well better be a believer in it yourself otherwise you have no
credibility.)
Personally, I would never market something without first
believing it to be a good product. Often growing a business
can be difficult enough without doubting whether what you are
offering is really worth what you're asking for it or not.
2. CONSIDER YOUR TARGET MARKET
I believe many would-be entrepreneurs fail because they never
NARROWLY consider who their target market is.
Someone marketing a 'work from home' program to 'whoever
wants to work from home' is missing their mark. There's a big
difference between someone working from home to market
their own creations and someone looking to work from home
re-selling others' works.
Answer the following questions when considering what
products you want to sell.
*Who exactly will be interested in this product?
*Is this group large enough to support my business?
*Is this a group I can reach?
*Can I market through others already in contact with them?
*How much competition will I have?
*How well established is my competition?
3. CONSIDER AVAILABLE MARKETING TACTICS
I remember getting excited about a particular product, believing
in it, wanting to share it with others, only to run into a brick wall
as to how to go about doing it.
It happens, and it's very discouraging when it does.
Before you commit to selling a product, you've got to take a
good hard look at how you will go about doing it. Consider
the following:
*Do I already have contacts that will be interested in this?
*Can I establish a routine that will bring my product before
new people consistently enough to make a profit?
*What methods will work to market this product?
Then consider the specifics of each marketing method. For
instance with search engines, how popular are keywords that
will lead to your product? How much competition do those
key words have?
As another example, is there enough information surrounding
your product to allow you to market it by publishing a weekly
ezine?
4. IDENTIFY NECESSARY MARKETING ELEMENTS
Not everyone has what it takes to market each and every
product available online.
Consider your product. Is it a single purchase item or one that
the same customer will buy over and over? Is it a low price
item or on the high end? Are you selling just one product or an
entire group of them?
Some products can be sold 'instantly' while others require more
follow up. Do you have the tools for following up with
potential customers? Do you have what it takes to
lead someone from a single purchase to becoming a repeat
customer or to considering other products? What will all this
entail?
You've got to be honest in whether or not the tactics that you
decide will be effective for marketing a product are ones you
are comfortable -- and knowledgeable enough -- in doing.
5. IDENTIFY YOUR FINANCIAL INPUT AND BUDGET
Here's one that's stopped a lot of us from succeeding. Any
business is going to take some investment. Consider what
you'll have to put into your business BEFORE you start.
I'm not only talking about what it costs to get involved, but
what it will cost you to get product for yourself, and what it will
take as far as advertising.
This, of course, all depends on how you answered the
questions above. However, don't overlook this step. NEVER
assume that you'll have immediate sales that will cover your
future expenses, either -- ESPECIALLY if you are borrowing
money to get started.
You've got to plan for the unexpected and have what it takes to
keep your business going until it can support itself.
IN CONCLUSION
If there's any one thing that's attractive about Internet marketing
it's the excitement it can breed. The idea of contacting so many
people so easily and the thought of getting a lot of sales in a
short period of time is thrilling.
However, this excitement is also dangerous. We all need to
realize that while those things can happen, they do take time
and effort to bring about.
Don't fall for the excitement without taking a good hard look at
what will really be involved in working with the product of your
choice. Take the time needed to examine the market you'll be
jumping into and make sure it's one with good potential and
room for expansion -- AND THAT IT WILL BE SUITABLE
FOR YOU.
With effort, you can achieve success online. Just don't hinder
yourself by trying to work with a product that's not realistic for
your situation -- just because other's were successful with it.
Sure, learn from the success of others. Duplicate their system
IF it will work for you, but NOT just because it worked for
them.
Make your own choices, make your own way, and you WILL
make your own success.
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Would you consider marketing a product with a NARROW
Target Market of 80,000,000 people?
Growing at 45% a week? In a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry?
Better take a look, huh? Like, Now! Go to:
http://www.janglefisheasymusic.com/
Written by Joe Bingham of the NetPlay Marketer
http://www.netplaynewsletters.com
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About the Author
Joe Bingham is the editor of the NetPlay Marketer. The ezine dedicated to giving online marketers the real 'tell it like it is' truth.
http://www.netplaynewsletters.com