Well, this post could end up turning into a book…who knows, maybe one day that will be my first internet marketing/starting business online ebook, but for now, I wanted to give you all a quick look into how I got started online.
The First Day I Saw The Potential
It was August of 2009 when I was spending my first summer out of college. Quickly realizing that not having a summer vacation was not something I was going to enjoy, I started thinking of what my career goals were. Since I was little, growing up with a dad who was always self-employed, I had always wanted to own my own business. But how could I do that at 22 years old?
I knew a lot about the internet, social media, and other online tools, and started searching Google about ways to make money online. That was the beginning.
If you’ve ever searched anything about making money online, the results are endless. The crappy part is, the results are both good and bad. Well, I spent the next few months sifting through the scams, the bad advice, and a whole bunch of other internet business related websites, and started to really learn about making money online and what approaches someone could take.
That was the beginning.
The First 6 Months And No Movement
Well, I’d like to say that it all clicked right away, I chose the right market, the right product, and the right approach…and started making money and buying expensive cars. But, no. That’s not how it happened. And it’s not how it normally happens. The more you get to know the big internet marketing guys, the more you learn that even they started off slow, stuck it out, built on their own momentum, broadened their networks, and started their journey.
My first 6 months are actually pretty comical when I look back. I started my baseball blog…targeting young ballplayers that I knew I could fit into because I was just 22 years old myself, and fresh off the college ball-field. I created a small membership site with some good articles and videos, and copied a salesletter template I found online. I started learning ever free traffic strategy I could: Search Engine Optimization, Twitter, YouTube, Social Bookmarking, Facebook, Link Building, and so many more…and started making my daily excitement when my blog visits beat the day before. I subtly pitched my membership program for the entire 6 months…and didn’t sell a darn thing. I was frustrated…but I knew I would keep going until I found the answer.
Then, It Hit Me
In April 2010, I was browsing the internet looking for the next guru I could learn from…trying to find the 1 thing that would do it for my business. The funny thing is, this time, I found it. I was introduced to Rian Deiss, a fantastic internet marketer who focussed solely on making sales; the most important aspect of any business. See, I had spent so much time trying to figure out how to send people to my site that I didn’t think about my sales approach. I didn’t even know I needed an approach. I figured, “My content is great, people will have to buy it.”
No. It doesn’t work like that.
I was evaluating my site and my market, and started thinking that maybe it’s time to abandon the market I was targeting: young baseball players. Sure, the younger generation was giving me lots of blog traffic…but there’s one problem: THEY HAVE NO MONEY. They don’t want to buy anything for the most part, so what I was I doing? I decided to switch my messaging over to target their parents and coaches.
I came across a piece of training from Mr. Deiss that talked about Facebook Advertising…I went through the entire thing I implemented that day. I restructured my sales letter copy, my sales funnel, and everything else I could…then started funneling qualified traffic (baseball COACHES and PARENTS) through my funnel. That day I sold 3 copies of my new $27 eBook, “The 10 Step Hitting System.” I made my first dollar online…and from this point on I knew I would never look back.
