Tag: Digital Marketing

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Why you need to offend people more often

Ok, so I don’t mean “christ your bum looks massive in that dress” or “god you’re ugly” type of offensive. That would just be plain rude.

Someone in one of the Facebook groups I’m in, posted an apology for a comment they’d made. I didn’t actually see the comment, nor did I mind or indeed care if she’d actually offended anyone, but it did get me thinking.

I love this quote from Dan Kennedy; another digital marketing, all time legend (note: don’t try to shorten the word legend unless you insert a d and e on the end or it just becomes leg!)

“If you haven’t offended someone by noon each day, then you aren’t marketing hard enough” ~ Dan Kennedy.

I see so many people online apologising for something offensive they’ve supposedly said and in the next breath, trying to promote something or other and moaning that nobody is following them (maybe what they’re saying, just ain’t that interesting).

Surely though that is the point here.

Dan Kennedy is so right. People don’t want to read, boring, vanilla, tripe about nothing in particular (I realise, I’m now opening the floodgates. I should be so lucky to have enough readers)

There’s a reason people either love or Hate Donald Trump (Love the hair, hate the message), or love or hate big bottoms (Clearly today is a bottom day!). It’s called “The power of polarity”, which I first read about in Russell Brunson’s book, Dotcom Secrets (I know, I know, I just luuuuuv him). Actually coincidentally, Dan Kennedy wrote the foreword for it!

In the book Russell (of course, we’re on first name terms) introduces the concept of “The Attractive Character”, which is something you need to become if you want to grow your movement online and have people following you.

He goes on to say, that, something people, very often struggle with when communicating with an audience, is trying not to offend anyone.

The trouble with this approach though, is that you then become bland. Instead of voicing your real opinion and risk offending someone, you start to become a watered down version of yourself by only sharing safe stuff that everyone will enjoy.

The big problem with this approach is that being neutral IS BORING (hello is anyone there!?)

The lesson here is, when you try to reach everyone, you will end up reaching no one.

Instead, to become an “Attractive Character” you need to share who you really are with your audience. This is something that will become easier as you start to publish more often. null

When I first started out I would spend way too much time thinking things through, worrying about what people would think. I remember the first blog post I wrote, which was very short and well, nice. I worried so much about publishing it, putting myself out there, would people like it?

Now I don’t think about writing for other people. Sure I want people to read it, but I write for myself first and then if people find it and enjoy it, then that’s a great bonus.

If you are neural, no one will hate you, but no one will know who you are either.

You will never be able to please everyone, but you’ll be able to delight some people and it’s far more interesting and appealing to read an actual opinion on something, even if I don’t agree with it.

Being polarizing can be a scary prospect. Nobody really wants to be unpopular, but simply being yourself will inevitably mean that some people will not like you, and will disagree with your views. Once you put yourself and your views out there, people will start to comment and disagree with you. There is a great book called “The courage to be disliked“. The Japanese phenomenon that shows you how to free yourself, change your life and achieve real happiness.

If you’re trying to please everyone, it’s time to step outside what’s comfortable and start sharing what you really think. It’s time to start offending people a bit more.

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect”. – Mark Twain

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My Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Start Affiliate Marketing in 2019

Affiliate Marketing

#1 No need to invest time or money in creating physical product

Having started my online journey selling on Amazon FBA, I know how much work is involved in creating and selling physical products.

With Affiliate Marketing  you simply promote other people’s products and services.

You’re the marketer, not the  creator. Someone else has already done the hard work in creating the product, so you don’t have to invest the time and effort to create something to sell. You can begin making money as an affiliate as soon as you have a platform to sell products.

#2 All you need is a laptop and an internet connection

The great thing about Affiliate Marketing is that all you need to work is a laptop and an   Internet connection. There’s no need for an office, factory, shop or market stall or even an online shop. You don’t even need to make phone calls, so don’t need a phone.

Yes Affiliate Marketing is one of the few business models that can offer you the “Laptop Lifestyle” that everyone these days is searching for.

You can work at home at your kitchen table, at a cafe on the beach or in your garden, it really is up to you. As long as you have an internet connect and a device (you can use a mobile phone, but it will be more challenging), then you can work pretty much anywhere.

#3 You get to be your own boss & be totally in control of your own business & income

You’re in charge of your own destiny now. You answer only to yourself. You get to create and shape your career on your own terms!

Now that is a great feeling isn’t it?

I will never forget the first time I realised I had nobody to answer to. Yes it can be scary, but it’s incredibly empowering at the same time.

You’re also in control of how you promote products and also choose which products to promote. If you want long term success, you should choose only products that you believe in. Work only with brands you respect, promoting products that you personally value. Not only is this the ethical thing to do, but it makes it much more efficient.

#4 You don’t need an expensive website

It is possible to create a simple 2 page landing page, using landing page software (I use and recommend Clickfunnels), but there are other landing page softwares available. Alternatively you can start with a simple WordPress site.

#5 There are virtually no start up costs

You can start Affiliate Marketing on a shoe string, with as little as $100. That will cover the cost of a website and web hosting. You can do it for less, but I don’t recommend it.

There are lots of options for free applications and helpful tools that are free and you can also drive traffic using the free traffic sources available, like Instagram and Facebook, but whatever you do, don’t spam people with your affiliate links or you’ll get banned and you’ll have no friends.

#4 The freedom to work where and when you want

Because Affiliate Marketing is an online business model and it’s truly global, there are no set office hours or shop opening times. You can work anywhere at any time. Affiliate Marketing is one of the few business models that can give you complete time and location freedom.

Say goodbye to your long commute to work and being stuck in traffic or on public transport. Now you get to work from home or from anywhere in the world for that matter! It’s now entirely your choice.

#5 It is a completely scalable business with no limit to how much you can earn

The more effort you put in (and the smarter you work), the more you can earn. It’s as simple as that.

Also whilst it might take a bit of time to get going, growth with an Affiliate Marketing business will not be linear. With consistent daily actions, your business will gather momentum and snowball and your sales will grow and grow and GROW.

#6 Your business doesn’t rely on selling to your friends and family.

The world is now your market place. You don’t have to rely on selling to your friends and family or have to recruit people, so that you can make money. Affiliate Marketing is not to be confused with MLM or Network Marketing.

#7 No employees (or annoying work colleagues)

It is possible to create a million dollar Affiliate Marketing business on your own without any staff. You won’t have the hassle of employing and managing people (although I would suggest you use freelancers, so that you can outsource some of the tasks as you grow your affiliate business).

You also won’t have to put up with working with people you don’t get on with (or find annoying). No more pointless meetings or petty office rules about milk blah. No more silly office politics .

#8 You can start your Affiliate Marketing business as your side hustle in your spare time.

Because there are no set times when you have to work, you can work on your affiliate business at any time of the day or night to suit you and your commitments. If you need to keep your full time job to begin with and have Affiliate Marketing as your side hustle, that ‘s ok. It won’t be long before you can quit your 9-5 and work on your business whenever you like.

#9 There is no Sales involved

As an Affiliate Marketer, you’re not actually doing any of the selling yourself. You are a marketer and your job is to put  the creator of the product or service in touch with the buyers. You are effectively the “middle man”.

The creator will do the selling for you; you simply introduce potential buyers.

A word of caution here though, Choose your products carefully as you’ll want to know that the companies you’re promoting offer good products and as importantly, a good after sales service.

#10 You get to help people to solve problems

Being an Affiliate Marketer is an incredibly rewarding job.

When you get to know your market and you can recommend products and services that will truly help your audience, it’s a great feeling.

There is no better job in the world in my opinion, which is why I’m sharing this with you.

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How My Love Affair With Digital Marketing Began

I’m sure you’ve seen the quote “Do What You Love, Love What You Do”. Well I’m happy to say that that is how I feel about Digital Marketing. When you find something you love it really doesn’t feel like work at all.

Don’t get me wrong; there are still times (many, many times), when I am pulling my hair out because I can’t get something “technical” to work (who knew I was a techie). It could literally take me a whole morning trying to work something out, but the joy (and yes it is joyful) of puzzling through something and getting it to work and better still get results for yourself and your client is so worth it.

I sometimes think it’s not so much the work itself, but the fact that I’m challenging myself to learn new things (after 20 years working in the recruitment industry) and that the skills I’m using now every day in Facebook Messenger Marketing are actually helping people. Not helping in a way that Teachers or Doctors help people, but helping small businesses to grow; that to me is worthwhile.

I first started learning about digital marketing in general when I set up an online business making and selling pet supplements on Amazon. I needed to promote my own business and as I wasn’t making a lot of money from it at the time, couldn’t afford to pay someone to do it. I had paid people in the past to promote other businesses, with mixed results over the years.

I started to consume every article and webinar and book on the topic of digital marketing. I became particularly interested in Facebook advertising, despite my 13 year old daughter informing me “mum, nobody uses Facebook; it’s not cool”. Well sweet, it’s still the biggest platform on the planet (2.2 billion monthly active users as at 2018!) and lots of people who have their own businesses, still need and use it.

I got to the point where I needed to invest in myself again, so I did what every budding entrepreneur has to do (according to Russell Brunson, entrepreneur & author of DotComSecrets); I got my purse out and paid for some training. That was THE best investment (since buying my house) that I ever made.

Almost five years later and I now focus almost exclusively on Affiliate Marketing & Facebook Messenger (I don’t like referring to myself a “specialist”, although I’m quite good at it!).

Through my business, Bristol Digital, I now get to work with amazing business owners, creating engaging advertising campaigns that actually work and get them new clients.

I really do “love what I do” and I hope you will as well if we ever get the chance to work together.

Thanks for reading

Sharon Marie xx

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In the interest of transparency, I want to let you know that I occasionally include affiliate links in my posts. I will only include links to products that I have found interesting and useful in my journey and which I believe will be of interest to you on your journey towards a “passive income” lifestyle. If you purchase an item using my affiliate link, I will receive a commission.