Starting out can be hard, but don't despair

One of the biggest challenges to starting out in the social media or digital marketing world is the difficulty of getting your foot in the door.

It can often feel when you are first starting out that you have an insurmountable job ahead of you. The fact of the matter is no matter what you have been promised it is a long, often difficult journey to success.

The internet no more offers instant success or success for little to no work than any other industry does. So if you want a chance at instant cash while you do nothing to gain your goals then you are best to try the lottery.

If on the other hand you really do put the work in, do your research and keep your eyes on the prize then there is no reason at all that you can't make it big online.

The keys to digital marketing are really no different from more traditional industries, in fact the only real difference is in the amazing array of choices that going digital opens up to you.
Make sure you get the right information. Make sure you get the right tools for the job. Understand your market and get help from those that have gone before.

Remember even if you want to change the world you need to start by knowing how the world works now.

What Kind Of Education Do You Want?

We have all heard that information is money, but do we really understand what that means? Why is it that some people seem to make money at everything they do and the rest of us seem to simply stumble along making enough to pay rent or the mortgage?

The answer is information. Those we think of as entrepreneurs are not any smarter, nor are they any luckier than the rest of us but they do have something most of us don't. They seek information. They drink in new knowledge. They open their minds to the changing economy and society around them.
Ask any successful entrepreneur what sets them apart and I am sure several words will come up again and again. Words like drive, passion, need and determination. While all of these words describe the personality of the successful they still could not become successful without the knowing how to.

Education is an often forgotten side to entrepreneurship. Many of the greatest successes in our history have been made by people we could well think of as "under-educated" but that is I believe an unfair label. It is true that people such as Bill Gates, Richard Branson and many others including those as far back as Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie were not what would traditionally be called well educated. That however depends on what education means to you.

The traditional school and especially university education systems are proving incapable of keeping up with technology. They do not seem to be capable of teaching the skills and mindsets needed for this digital age.

When many young people are putting themselves into crippling debt to pay for an education that not only doesn't guarantee them a good job, but which actually now almost guarantees them a bad one* we know we are in troubled times.

So what is the solution? How do great entrepreneurs make it big? They still make sure they are educated they just choose a different more hands on form of education. They learn to use the tools they need to make themselves great. Take for example an online learning course such as this one. It costs no more than a college degree but instead of four years learning something that will have little impact on your job in the future it teaches you a wide range of skills you can apply to an even wider range of possible income streams.

I believe Alan Watts said it best:

You see the internet should offer us more choice not less. We should be broadening our horizons and seeking to better ourselves not plodding along blindly at the same desk job we hate for years. We should be making the future better doing what we love and sharing what interests us.

No matter what you want to sell, no matter what you are interested in someone else will be too so why not make yourself and the world a more vibrant knowledgeable place?
It is up to us to choose our future, and you only get one life, so make it count.

10 Things You Really Need To Know: Twitter Edition.

1. Your First Tweet:

     One of the first things people often worry about when starting a twitter account, whether it is a personal or a business account, is what their opening message will be. Honestly though unless you have bought followers or have been lurking and following for a while (see below) you should realise that really very few people will be listening. If you have something snappy to say go for it otherwise why not simply introduce yourself or say hello to the world that is Twitter.

2. Lurking is not a sin:

     No matter how or what you do on Twitter it is often best to watch and listen before you speak. Spend a little time seeing how others do it and getting a feeling for the kind of things you like to see and the kind of things you don't . Remember when marketing, or even when just looking to be social, you are looking to attract like minded people. Even once you've dipped your toes in the murky depths don't feel beholden to answer every tweet or comment on every passing piece of news. There is simply too much going on and making a few well considered and well aimed comments is usually far more rewarding than blasting and trolling your way to a bigger audience.

3. If you like it Retweet it:

     As they say sharing is caring and on Twitter a retweet can be a golden gift. Many feel that retweeting things especially when tweeting for business is akin to giving the competition a hand up but if the content or the message is good it can gain you just as much as the OP (original poster). Retweeting also goes a long way to building  a lasting and profitable relationship whether with followers or with competitors. Remember Twitter loves Karma and if you scratch someone's back they may very well scratch yours. Remember with such a huge audience visibility is key.

4. Following people doesn't make you a stalker:

     Really the whole point of Twitter, and one of it's major plusses when used for business, is that it allows people to listen to what they like to hear. This goes for you as much as anyone else and even if you don't know who someone is if you like what they say or they inspire you don't hesitate to follow them. Besides following someone is something of a compliment and if you think about it you want people, even people you don't know, following you don't you? The same goes for everyone being followed isn't creepy it just means you are doing it right.

5. Follows are just an introduction:

     When you follow someone you are telling them you like what they have to say or you are interested in their take on the world. What it doesn't mean though is that you are suddenly BFFs. Think about the fact that most people on Twitter are following and are followed by thousands if not tens or hundreds of thousands of people. Following someone gives you access to their tweets and being followed means someone is keeping an ear out for you but that's it. Don't go hunting your followers and hounding them and don't be expecting special treatment or recognition from someone else just because you followed them.

6. Your followers want to hear you:

     Having said all of the above most of your followers, if you have gathered them in the right ways, do want to hear what you are saying and do want to get involved. Keep them interested and keep them on the hook. The best way to do this is by providing them with great content, something to get involved with you about and above all keep it real. Good followers, the ones you really want, followed you because they feel the way you do about key topics so be honest and be yourself. Never go out of your way to avoid contentious subjects but at the same time don't go out of your way to be "edgy" or extremist either.

7. People will judge you but don't let it worry you:

     Just like in real life people are going to pass judgment on you. Whether they dislike something you said or disagree with a cause you have championed they can and often will start an argument or make a comment about you. If you are being true to yourself and to your followers though this really shouldn't stress you out too much. As they say any publicity is good publicity and you'd be surprised how willing like minded souls are to come to your rescue. besides the fact that it makes for great visibility when it happens it opens the door to great discussions and helps people to really get to know what you stand for.

8. You can't please all the people all the time:

     Following on from the above point people are going to unfollow you. It is going to happen. Sometimes they forget why they followed you, sometimes they dislike something you say and sometimes they just feel like it. Don't stress though unfollows are a natural part of Twitter and you will always find you gain more followers than unfollowers if you keep going and keep providing people with a reason to listen.

9. Share the success of others:

     Giving someone a pat on the back by telling them (and all your own followers) that you like what they did or what they said goes a ong way to making your account "real". A whole lot of people simply spam their own ideas and business material or retweet everything, but making personal, thoughtful and helpful comments single you out as a real person with real views and that makes you much, much more approachable.

10. Bring it to Twitter:

     Adding to that again, if you see something you like elsewhere on the internet bring it back to Twitter to share and don't forget to thank the author if you can find their account. Things that make for great sharing on Twitter are videos, blogs and great webpages. Gathering all of these resources on your own Twitter feed is a great way to engage whoever created them as well as a way to provide value to your own followers too.

For more go to The Online Business Expert

Every Single Minute

Canva Review - Using Canva to Create Awesome Infographics

Creating Infographics is a great way to get noticed and to get more social media attention. People love great graphics and easy to understand information. Infographics give you the best of both worlds and allow you to create shareable, linkable content that provides value to your followers.

Don't forget to visit us at The Online Business Expert for more.

Using Powerpoint for Slideshare - How to upload your powerpoint presentations...

 

Head over to The Online Business Expert for more and don't forget to get in touch with us.

Stubborn, Passionate, Adaptable: Don't let fear clip your wings

     One of the greatest things about being an online entrepreneur is the freedom it gives you. Whether you are in online marketing, SEO, lifestyle guidance or any of a number of other relatively new and fast growing industries you have a huge amount of choice in where and how you do business.

In fact most digital entrepreneurs have no set place from which they work or set time at which they have to get that work done. As I am writing this for example I am sitting sipping coffee in my backyard on a surprisingly mild autumn evening.

     For many of us the choice to leave a career that was if nothing else a steady job that paid the bills was a hard one. It is a natural fear to leave behind a steady income, even if it is a job you have come to despise, for a less certain one that offers you more money and far more importantly, more freedom to choose the direction and style of your own life.

     The reason why people decide to make, what for most seems an irrational choice, varies greatly from individual to individual but from talking to others who have ditched the desk and are now building businesses and income streams from wherever they can get wifi I think there is one key theme that ties us all together.

     Unhappiness. Of all the people who I know that have made it in this industry I am yet to meet someone that says when asked about their previous job or life "Yeah, I loved it, it was great". In fact most people have a kind of burning dread of the life they used to have and in many it is that fear of falling back to earth, or maybe rock bottom for some, that keeps them hungry for success.

     Of course, not everyone is cut out for this kind of life. Those who do fly and who refuse to end up crawling back to their nine to five have a few traits in common that make them continue to climb and be successful when so many others have fallen by the wayside.

     Stubborn. The first trait I think that is a must have has got to be stubbornness. I am yet to meet a successful online entrepreneur who isn't as stubborn as the proverbial mule. Here though it is important I draw a distinction, stubborn is good, arrogant is not. Those that are stubborn are the ones that persevere no matter how hard it gets. Stubborn are the people who refuse to listen when friends and family tell them they will never make it and maybe they should ask their old boss for that job back. Those that are arrogant though refuse to take help when it is offered and this can be a deadly mistake.

     Passionate. Having, as I am sure we all have, worked with people who see a job as a pay check as well as those that see their job, no matter what it is, as a crusade and a lifelong passion it is easy to see the difference. There are a vast and every growing number of people trying to sell you something online. What separates them into two groups though is passion. Those without it will sell any tuppeny trinket to anyone without a second thought while those with it match seller to buyer and are proud to provide a service rather than spraying spam and hoping something sticks.

     Adaptable. The last trait that is a must have for the true digital entrepreneur is adaptability. The internet moves fast and the rules and strategies are forever changing. One day you have a great ad running on Facebook the next it gets pulled down for no apparent reason and you are staring at having an account blocked. For most people this sounds like a nightmare but for us this is the daily dance, the area where we let our talents shine and the area where all three of these traits come together to create the perfect storm.

     So why tell you all of this? Well we need more, more entrepreneurs more people considered a little crazy by friends and family, more people fed up of a boring life where the biggest choice you get all day is decaf or regular.

     You see almost two and a half billion people get online every single day, and the forecast shows that by 2020 that figure will reach somewhere close to five billion. This means that the Internet provides an effectively limitless source of potential customers and clients for us. With this in mind it is easy to see where the profits can be, and are already, being made.

     So why share? I'm going to be honest, online income or not, I'd be a millionaire already if I got a pound for every time someone has asked that. So let me put it simply. For internet entrepreneurship to survive and thrive we need good people to guide it. People who have empathy and passion, people who want to help make online marketing, lifestyle advice, social media and all the other joys of the internet safe and enjoyable for themselves and their kids.

One big difference between a digital business and a physical one is that the internet provides far more opportunity to spread good products and information but it also has the ability to push bad information and products just as easily if not more so. As Uncle Ben said "with great power comes great responsibility".

     So here you stand, and if you've come this far then maybe you too are ready to make the jump. To take that first step out of the nest and learn as we  all must how to flap your wings and fly. It won't be easy, but then nothing worth having ever was. The only difference is that unlike that little bird there is no need for you to go it alone.

     Already there is a community of experts, of professionals, who have taken the leap first. They can't guarantee you a soft spot to land on but they can at least be with you on your journey and show you how it works.

     So, if you are ready to take a chance then come and join us and let us show you how to truly get the best out of yourself and how to make a real change in yourself and in your life.

Find us at The Online Business Expert or you can get our 7 day video seriesand orientation webinar.

Opportunities And Challenges Facing Retailers In 2015 And Beyond

Over the last few years, many brands have begun using social media to market their products, to talk to their customers and even to make decisions about their merchandising. Some have also found growing ROI in selling and advertising products/services on social media sites.

     As more and more big businesses join the social marketing revolution social media sites have answered the call and have started to provide viable sales funnels built into their platforms. With the  recent launch of shopping functionality across multiple social media platforms we are seeing a major shift in the way traditional businesses are viewing and using marketing systems. Examples of this include Twitter and Facebook adding buy buttons and the inclusion of Curalate’s Like2Buy platform for Instagram. What all of this points to is an increase in the "shoppability" of social media.

     Some of the major retailers already getting involved in the trend of social shopping include some notable names like Target and Nordstrom , both of which have made the decision to utilize the Like2Buy platform on Instagram. Whilst brands such as Burberry and Home Depot have been actively testing performance on Twitter using the buy button system.

     By allowing businesses to not only advertise more openly but also to provide a sales funnel on their sites, many social media platforms are gaining an even more varied functionality by increasing traffic and reducing the traffic which leaves the site to buy items directly on a company's webpage.

     Another change ushered in by the socialization of online marketing is that companies must be more aware of their Corporate Social Responsibilities. As consumers become more capable of promoting or punishing brands directly where their sales pitches are made mistakes made on social media in terms of customer service, environmental protection and moral/ethical business practices become more costly and far more open to public scrutiny. To prove that consumers faced with a wider global choice of goods suppliers have begun to make this change we only need to look at things such as a  survey done by Cone Communications and Echo Research which showed that 87% of global consumers take such factors into consideration when thinking about making a purchase.

     To meet this need it is only to be expected that more businesses will launch ethical and good deed initiatives. Some retailers have managed to pull off social media coups by providing further value or by limiting themselves to more open and honest practices. By doing so they gain instant and lasting draw on social media sites where moral, social, economic and environmental issues are now a daily topic of conversation for many users.

     With so many consumers taking a more active interest in global and moral issues it makes sense for businesses to begin to engage those users with solutions or at the very least some movement towards easing these issues. As buyers these users find value being added to any product they choose to purchase in being able to feel good about making some sort of difference. This is a marked difference from companies trying to introduce value by providing loyalty points or free gifts with purchases.

     Another large change in the way businesses think about technology is the growing awareness that usage and experimentation in new technology is a must to ensure their continued survival and growth. To this end more and more businesses are beginning to experiment with and adopt new advancements in technology and new market opportunities presented by the growth of online shopping. The main aims here for businesses are not only to gain a larger following and a more loyal customer base but also to provide easier and more attractive methods for their customers to engage with them and to purchase products from them. By increasing the ease with which purchasers can buy a product and have it delivered to them businesses are taking a huge leap forward into the domain of products on demand. 

     To achieve this end many companies are pushing ahead with a range of technologies designed to  remove the need for a physical cash register. With cloud based point of sale systems proving that they can outperform physical registers in performance, functionality and looks as well as increasing speed and availability of customer support an increasing number sellers are beginning to recognize their value.

     Another boon for businesses big and small from working with online sales is the increased availability and reduced costs of accurate consumer data. With a wider range of information available and easier ways to condense and examine this information retailers can be far more targeted than ever before. Not only does this data provide accurate and timely information about customers it can also show businesses where their marketing efforts are having the most, or least effect. By using this information wisely companies can provide a more customized and effective service to their targeted audience.

     An obvious down side to all of this data collection is that sifting through it to find relevant trends and information can be time consuming and difficult. There are however many systems continuously being developed specifically to assist with identifying key data points and understanding the relevance and usability of ongoing or emerging trends. Being able to assess the interests and online habits of consumers gives businesses a decided advantage when designing new campaigns and products.

     Some of the advantages offered by gathering and assessing big data are the ability to know when customers are most likely to be online and when they are most likely to be open to buying a product.  Tying this in with information on what products they have previously bought or viewed allows retailers to be highly targeted in their marketing and follow up.

     One of the end goals that seems closer than ever is for retailers to be able to provide completely individualized shopping experiences in real time across multiple platforms for every potential client. At the moment this is beyond the ability of even the best big data analysis systems but we are most definitely moving very quickly into an era where this is a possibility.

     Even greater in recent growth than other sectors of the online market are those engaging their audience through mobile devices. With the staggering growth in mobile technology over the last few years going hand in hand with the availability of wireless networks almost everywhere mobile data has become a real game changer. This means that tech savvy companies are more and more delving into apps and web delivery systems that are targeted at or constructed for mobile device users.

     Another key move in mobile marketing is the ability for customers to shop, pay and collect loyalty or store bonuses with mobile apps. Even physical stores can provide a platform for mobile interactivity. With physical point of sale technology merging seamlessly into the general level of big data being obtained by the company in question.

     Many of the businesses that will prove to be most effective going forward will be those who are capable of embracing omnichannel strategies. Being able to reach customers across multiple platforms both physical and digital as well as being able to target them on social media and through highly targeted ad systems will provide huge value to brands who are able to diversify and embrace new technologies as they arise.

     So what are the real takeaways from all of this? Companies who wish to thrive in modern markets need to be supremely adaptive and capable of working fluidly across multiple platforms. Combining this with effective use of big data and a strong social media presence will provide the best success rate moving forward. Last but certainly not least is the rising importance of good customer service and experience across all platforms and a drive to provide environmental, ethical and social value to transactions over traditional incentives.

Simple Lead Capture Review and tutorial

Part 2 of our Online Business Expert Marketing Tutorials is here:

Today we take you through a quick review and tutorial of another piece of great software designed to make digital marketing much easier and quicker. If you like the look of the Simple Lead Capture you can grab a link to the site here and check it out for yourself.