Did you know that a well acknowledged statistic is that 97% of people fail while only 3% of people actually succeed and earn a living in internet marketing?   I, personally, think this is changing as internet marketing is emerging from the realm of the techno-wiz kids fueled on caffeine drinks, video games and bad hygiene to a respected addition to any professional business model. As a matter of fact, I can’t name many businesses that would not benefit greatly from internet marketing.

As the IM (internet marketing) industry continues to grow and evolve as a respected profession, early adapter can expect to reap great rewards for their investment in education and personal effort. I think the success ratio will improve as more and more credibility is established. I, personally, am not perplexed by the success ratio as I think success is somewhat subjective and I know the similar statistics for lawyers, sales representatives, small businesses, etc. Indeed the percentages of so-called success are very low.

Success for one may be making an additional $300 per month for savings a couple of hours of work at home or it could mean $millions per month with a lot or again, a couple of hours of work at home per day. Too many variables to compare or determine a standard for success but getting back to the 3%… are you still may wonder how to position yourself as part of the 3% of internet marketing successes?

When you take inventory of those that are successful, and tend to have a presence online, and give you the impression that they are “everywhere”, you will notice a few common denominators that may reveal how to become apart of the 3% (or more) successful Internet Marketing Professionals.

1. They are Consistent in their marketing efforts.

One of the most important aspects of any marketing activity is consistency. It’s very hard to get people to take you seriously when they can’t predict whether you’ll show you or not.  Just like a child that expects a parent to be there to pick them up every day after school, so to0 does your audience expect you to be there daily with new information, referrals, and opinions that keep them coming back for more.

Individual credibility is important and takes time and multiple contacts to establish. In order to sell people on your services or products, you must prove to them that you are someone that they can rely on and can trust. This takes time, good content and consistent delivery. Successful marketers have developed a routine driven by a daily “to do” list and calendar. If you want to be taken seriously, you must be serious about creating content on a regular basis.

If you want to begin performing like the 3%’ers, then you’ll want to begin establishing a calendar of activities and commit to the creation and consistent delivery of content.

2. They understand and know their audience and their needs.

A disturbing known fact about the 97%’ers is that they have no clue who they’re actually marketing to. They may take time to write articles, shoot videos and write blog posts, but 9.9 times out of 10, if you were to ask them who their target market is, they’ll probably decline to answer the question because they simply don’t know!

Allowing for responses to articles, blog posts, or polls and additional comments  from readers is an important way to develop community and get a “pulse” on its needs. Knowing your audience, knowing what their challenges are and how to address them is critical if you truly plan on succeeding. It makes your writing efforts so much easier and allows you to immediately connect your offer with the needs your market has.

3. They have a spirit of continuous learning and are open to collaboration and sharing of information.

The successful internet marketers are always taking courses, attending training webinars, reading about the latest techniques as well as, speaking and conducting training seminars.  They usually have large libraries of trainers, personal development leaders, and marketing gurus. They are curious and hungry for additional knowledge about the industry. 

They know that cooperation is more productive than hoarding secrets and competitive endeavors.

4. They have a diverse marketing portfolio.

Using only one method to market your business is like posting an ad in a newspaper, doing nothing else, and sitting back for months on end hoping that your phone will ring.

You must get out there and begin using diverse marketing methods for your business, incorporating things like Article Marketing, Video Marketing, Writing Squidoo Lenses, Hubpages, Forum Marketing and of course Social Media Marketing. I will say that you don’t want to probably do them all, but pick 2-3 to start out, while creating a consistent plan of action on how you’ll implement them weekly, then begin adding one more as you’ve mastered the others, to gain additional exposure from a new audience!

5. They outsource and delegate!

As your on-line business grows, it is important to consider outsourcing and delegating wherever possible to leverage your time and efforts. With so much to maintain in the Internet Marketing world, one can grow weary and get burned out pretty quickly if they don’t get help with those areas that are extremely time consuming and often very challenging.

The 3%’ers have mastered the art of handing things over to people who are more skilled and trained than they are. The key is in discovering what it is that you do best, and what makes you money and focus solely on those things while handing over the rest.

Outsourcing can be fairly inexpensive, sometimes even averaging around $2 per hour (depending on expertise and location of your contractor). Either way, it’s more affordable than most people realize and should be factored into your monthly expenses as a “necessary expense”.

So, the bottom line is simply this…start small, consistently grow your skills and knowledge so that you have real value to share with others. Be consistent with your activities and stay with it. Remember, Internet Marketing is not about technology, it is about connecting successfully with people. If you do that with sincerity and offering real value, it is only a manner of time. Success will come. To learn more about how to monetize your internet marketing efforts, write info@teresafarrell.com.