A Question of Focus.
As anxious as we are to start making money yesterday, all new marketers still end up spinning their wheels at least a little at first, because as newbies it's impossible for us to know where we want to specialize. And as we all know, in Internet Marketing, specialization is the name of the game. Successful Affiliate Marketing is really the science of understanding and exploiting niches - and the more specific the niche the better the chance one has of making money in it.
But because the danger of being pulled off track is so great, a message I now hear regularly from lots of people is, "Don't get distracted. Pick your niche and marketing method (article writing, PPC, Social Media, etc.), and then stay there! It is only by specializing and focusing on one thing that you will ever be able to succeed"! And while that idea does make some sense, at least when one is just getting started, if taken to the extreme, it can blind us to new markets, new products, and new opportunities that didn't even exist last week.
One of the real benefits of the internet is its "immediacy." Unlike print newspapers of the past that had to "Stop The Presses!" and set up, print, and distribute a new edition if they needed to get out an "Extra," the online versions of today's newspapers can be updated in an instant. Like it or not, we live in a much faster world than our parents did, and if we aren't one of the "early birds" to a new market, then by the time we do show up there just aren't going to be any worms left.
So, what should we do? Do we keep our heads down and continue plugging along promoting buggy whips while others are hyping flying cars? Or do we keep three video feeds open on our desktops at all times lest we miss anything new? The issue of focus seems to work best - as most things do - when handled with common sense and moderation. And though the following suggestions are not new, they have stood the test of time and still work well. I offer them here once more in the hope that if we may have gotten out of the habit of regularly applying them we now dust them off and begin using them again.
1.) Make and use lists. A "to do" list is still the most effective way to keep ourselves focused on the most important tasks we need to get done. Make yours the night before so that it's ready and waiting for you in the morning. Prioritize your tasks from most important to least and then stay with the most important until it's completed. Then go on to the next most important one. If you do that you are guaranteed to always get your most important tasks done.
2.) Make a schedule and then stick to it. If you need to write two articles before lunch then do it. Don't be tempted to start reading e-mail or playing Farmville. But, by the same token, be sure to schedule yourself regular breaks. Everyone needs a little chill time now and again to keep us sharp. Just make sure that that five minutes of Solitaire doesn't turn into five hours instead.
3.) Regularly take time to learn and stay abreast of new developments in your niches as well as those in Internet Marketing generally. (Wheh,... that was a long one...). The amount of new ideas and material that become available each week is daunting. And so too, is the speed with which it is disseminated and applied by your competition. If you fail to keep up you'll be left in the digital dust. Consider this regular research to be your own vital, on-the-job, Continuing Education. Professionals in service related fields (i.e. accounting, medicine, real estate, law, etc) are required by their professional associations to stay abreast of their industries. If we want to be considered professionals - and we are... or at least, we should strive to be - we need to adhere to the same standards of quality and excellence that they do. Because, if we do, then NOTHING can stop us.
Thanks for stopping by. For more ideas visit:www.stevesmarketinmagic.com
"To Your Success!"
Steve
"Space Cowboy"
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