Who Is Internet Marketing Boomer’s Target Market?

Continuing with my Cross Blog Conversation with Kelly McCausey at Sparkplugging WAHM 2.0 after reading her response to my questions to her here, I will now attempt to answer her questions to me:

What have you been thinking about in the last week or so since your last post? How will you be tightening your market and what is helping you to make these decisions?

Oh boy Kelly, I sure opened the door for that one didn’t I?

To be quite honest, I haven’t come to a hard and fast conclusion. I’m having a hard time with this and I think that’s perfectly appropriate. It’s not an easy decision and it shouldn’t be.

In your post you said:

I find that many people who get exposed to the same message about focusing in on one target market are afraid to truly focus.  They don’t want to ‘exclude anyone’.  They are more comfortable targeting a demographic.  The problem with that is that it is hard for a solopreneur to monetize a demographic.

Well, that’s me. I find myself not wanting to exclude anyone and I know I need to get away from that mindset, so that’s where I am. But I have made a few decisions.

I sat down with Brent and we talked about who visits our site, who we want to visit our site, and how to capitalize on the visitors we end up with. We decided that Internet Marketing Boomer really is MY site, not Brent’s, because he just doesn’t have time to work on it. So, we’re going to change the site to not include him.

Now, it’s up to me to decide where to go with the site and I feel my strengths lie in working with people who are new to internet marketing. I’m also strong with the visual and simple technical aspects of setting up websites.

I was listening to an interview that Willie Crawford did with Craig Perrine about breaking into the inner circle of internet marketing. It was apparent in the interview that Willie doesn’t think that anyone who is fairly new or doesn’t make any money at internet marketing should be teaching the skills. However, Craig seemed to think that it’s okay as long as the people being taught are a couple of steps behind the teacher.

I agree with Willie to an extent but really resonated with what Craig said. I’ve been studying internet marketing for ten years. I actually made a great living in the late 90’s selling a product to a niche market by email marketing to my list of 20,000. However, after that venture ended and I went back to a traditional job, the internet became saturated with “internet marketing gurus.”  This caused the “make money online” market on the internet to mature and now it’s hard to re-enter after being absent for so long. There are so many techniques and tactics being used today that are very sophisticated and until I can get up to speed and actually use these newer tactics, I feel like a newbie again.

On the other hand, I do have lots of experience and tons (I mean tons!!!) of training. I’ve purchased all the programs that are supposed to teach you how to make a million on the internet and I’ve actually studied them. I know how to set up a site and drive traffic to it. I understand marketing. I know how to email market. I can write. I have time. And lastly, I’m not desperate, I have a job that will hopefully last until I’m ready to leave it.

So…I feel I’m capable of teaching this stuff, at least at the “getting started” level (I don’t care what Willie thinks). I’ve just not been here long enough to have the traffic I need, much less the trust I need from my readers, to make a full time living.

But my time will come, I’m certain of it.

Why am I certain?

Because I’m putting in the work (oh Lord, am I putting in the work) and I’m continuously upgrading my knowledge. I’m a member at mentor sites like MomMasterminds, Traffic Secrets 2.0, and The Internet Marketing Inner Circle. I’m actually TAKING ACTION. I’m doing what I need to do to get to where I want to be. And I just know it will happen, I can feel it.

And you know what? I also know, if the people who are just a couple of steps behind me, if they follow my journey and take action to stay up with me, they will find success as well.

So, back to your original question, how am I tightening my market?

1. First, instead of marketing TO boomers, I’m going to market AS a boomer. My voice will be from the perspective of looking towards and getting close to our later years. I’m going to talk about things like, building assets, finding what we want to do, making a living doing something that’s meaningful to us, leaving a legacy for our children and even helping our children find a meaningful career by using internet marketing skills. I’m just going to change the perspective of what I talk about.
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2. Next, I’m going to narrow my focus to include only those who are new to internet marketing. I’m not going to narrow the age group, I will just narrow the recommendations and teaching to beginner level and build from there. And as I learn and grow more knowledgeable in the techniques and tactics of internet marketing, so will my readers and followers.
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3. Next, I want to be sure to treat all my readers and followers with great respect. I want them to know I care about them. I’m hoping this will come across in my writing and I think I’ll be able keep this mindset because I’m not desperate to make money. Since I’m working a job, I know the struggle of trying to build a business while maintaining a career. I also know what it’s like to be a newbie and I’ll be empathic to that and will help in every way I can.
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4. Lastly, at a later date, I’ll go back and try to re-focus. Right now, I know I’m aiming at a market that‘s probably a bit too broad, maybe even too broad to bring success. But I see this as a process and as I proceed and grow, I will be able to identify my market by those who find my work interesting and useful. Until that time, I don’t want to define too tightly.

Kelly, you could almost use this CBC as a case-study for what it’s like to be a new internet marketer. Your questions are insightful coming from a voice of experience and probing enough to make me THINK. To me, this CBC feels a bit like I’ve been through a series of coaching sessions. I’m sure your ability to do this is why you’re able to be a coach and a good one from what I hear.

What was it that allowed you to tell yourself, “I know enough about internet marketing to teach others how to do it.” What gave you the confidence to actually act on your special abilities? Do you find that fear of what others will think is often the main factor that holds us back?  How does a newbie find the confidence that will allow him or her to take action?

Looking forward to your response.

Cheers!

Reba

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CBC Kelly: Choosing A Niche Market & Teaching In The Manner The Market Wants To Learn

Continuing with my Cross Blog Conversation with Kelly McCausey at Sparkplugging WAHM 2.0 after reading her response to my questions to her here, I now have a bit to say and will attempt to answer her questions to me:

Do you see yourself as a Master Translator for the Baby Boomer crowd? How do you think being a Boomer affects how someone wants to learn about making an income on the internet?

First I want to respond to Kelly’s post about specialized learning. She totally steered me away from my rant about the internet marketing gurus and the email overload I’m experiencing (see my last post in this CBC)…and that’s a good thing. I was just in fit about the whole situation. However, having had some time to reflect, having unsubscribed to some lists, and totally relooking at the information I receive from the gurus, actually there’s a lot of good info there. So, totally cutting them out of my learning experience isn’t in the best interest of either my readers or myself. Plus, at least it keeps me up to date about the market, how it’s progressing, and what’s new. That allows me to report that information here on my website.

Having said that, Kelly is so right about how there is an entirely different layer of people who want to learn in a different manner than what the gurus offer. They want closer contact with their trainer. They want small chunks of information so it’s easier to manage and afford. They want a “small school” experience verses “big state university” education.

That’s where I think I want to fit in for my niche. I don’t want to be a “big guru celebrity”. I don’t want to do presentations in front of 100s, if not 1000s of people. I don’t want a big staff and big launches. I want to help a lot of people, but in a “boutique” kind of way. And to be successful, I need to find the people who want to learn in that manner.

And that leads to Kelly’s questions for me:

Do you see yourself as a Master Translator for the Baby Boomer crowd? How do you think being a Boomer affects how someone wants to learn about making an income on the internet?

Kelly, I can’t say I’m a Master Translator for the Baby Boomer crowd, not that I don’t want to become one, but I’m having a hard time finding my “groove”. I’m finding the Baby Boomer crowd to be a bit massive and it spans over a huge age range. For that reason, I’m starting to think that having Baby Boomers as my target market won’t work because it’s too large and diverse.

And actually, if I speak honestly, I’d have to admit that I errored in choosing Baby Boomers as a niche. You see, they really are not a niche, they are a demographic, and just because they are in the same demographic does not mean they have the same interests. Because their interests are so diverse, it’s hard to write to them, it’s hard to market to them, it’s hard to do anything specifically for a Baby Boomer. I need to find a niche within the demographic so I know who I’m talking to when I write, teach, and try to sell to them. And that’s a lesson anyone reading the article must consider when choosing their niche.

Answering your question about whether I think being a Baby Boomer affects how they want to learn, probably not since being a Baby Boomer doesn’t really change how a person wants to learn. There may be some characteristics of being a Baby Boomer that would lead me to believe that a “boutique” learning experience would be preferential for the demographic but I can’t say that for certain. Because the demographic is composed of so many interests, ages, income levels, etc., there’s really no way to tell and any conclusion I would draw would be an assumption. So again, I’ve chosen a demographic, not a niche and that is something I need to correct if I ever want to find success.

So, lots of self-revelation going on here. I’m actually going to have to sit down and figure out how to tighten the focus of the site, while keeping in mind that I want to maintain a “boutique” or “Master Translator” method to my information presentation.

Kelly, was there a point in time that you realized you needed to “tighten” your focus or that you realized you had chosen a demographic instead of a niche? If so, what occurred that helped you realize you needed to make a change and how did you go about making that change? If not, are you just that smart or did you just get lucky? LOL No really, I’d love to hear your comments about how people sometimes “get it wrong” and how an evolution needs to take place before they are able to make a success of their business.

Looking forward to your response.

Ciao!

Reba

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CBC Kelly: Are All Who Portray Themselves As Successful Really So?

Continuing with my Cross Blog Conversation with Kelly McCausey at Sparkplugging WAHM 2.0 after she answered my questions to her here, I’m now going to attempt to answer…

Do you ever look at someone who calls themselves successful and think ‘eh…they don’t seem all that successful to me.’? What creates the disconnect between what someone thinks about themselves and what others see? What do you see that seems to make their self statements unbelievable?

You know Kelly, your question comes at a time when I’m starting to scrutinize who and what I want to promote on my website and at the forefront of my mind are all the ’so called’ internet marketing gurus. ‘Fake it ’til you make it’ seems to be the mantra of the times for these people and for that and other reasons I won’t get into right now, I’m starting to get really picky in who and what I promote. And Kelly, the reason I have to do this goes right back to the heart of your question.

I’m sure many internet marketers feel that in order to compete in a competitive industry they have to ‘fake it ’til they make it’. And I agree that a certain level of confidence is necessary for a small business to survive, but when I get 15-20 emails from one marketer in a week about his new launch, I begin to wonder if the ’scarcity tactic’ he’s trying to employ is truth or fiction. And what about when they come back after the stated closing date and re-open the offer? What am I to think but that they didn’t sell enough the first time around? The way they treat their list, it’s a wonder they make any sales at all.

For the last few years I’ve been working a day job and haven’t been entrenched in the internet marketing scene until I started this website. Now that I’ve been at it for a few months I am blown away at the incestuous nature of the people who lead this industry. The arrogant portrayal of themselves and their million dollar launches after they and all their friends (always the same group) bombard my email box is getting to be quite annoying. Can you believe I had 30 emails in a ten day span from one marketer with 10 of those emails coming on one day? Not to mention all his “friend’s” emails promoting the same product launch? Geesh. I’m sorry, I’m starting to rant, but it’s really starting to get to me.

I read a fantastic blog post by Rick Butts the other day titled “I Am Joe’s Email List – An Open Letter To Internet Marketers” and I guess that’s what got me started thinking. The post was from last summer but like I said, I’m just now getting back into the industry, so please forgive me if it’s a post ‘everyone’ has already read.

Now, having said all that, I do want to add that I’m not talking about ALL the top people in this industry, I still find a few that honestly give great information along with a few offers here and there. These people and their products are the ones I will continue to promote. And if you look through my site I don’t think you’re going to find any offers from the “idiot emailing gurus”, at least not recently.

So anyway, back to your questions, how can I tell the difference between someone who’s really successful and someone who’s faking? What gives them away? I don’t know that I can always tell the difference, especially when it’s someone who’s been faking for a long time. When little clues come across like I mentioned above I tend to wonder, but really there’s no way to know for sure. I just hope that ultimately honesty will prevail.

But you know, to quite honest, I really don’t care if someone’s ‘fakin’ it ’til they make,’ it just doesn’t matter. If their product is good and worth the money they ask for it, let ‘um fake it. Just don’t act like an email idiot. Give me good information along side the offers. Give me a reason to look forward to hearing from you. And you know, I think there are some people out there that fit that bill, and those are the people I’m going to continue promoting.

Kelly, I guess my answer turned into a bit of a rant, I’m sorry about that. I hope I actually answered your question.  So now, my question for you. Do you think the online community is hungry for offerings that are more “boutique” in nature? Can an affiliate marketer make a success of themselves without the “idiot emailing gurus” by marketing great products by writers and teachers that are not part of the “internet marketing guru inner circle”?

Looking forward to your response Kelly!

Reba

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Cross Blog Converstation: Kelly McCausey

I have to be honest, when Kelly McCausey asked me to have a CBC on Twitter last night, I didn’t know what she was talking about. But, after asking Kelly (yeah, I felt a bit unplugged) and reading a bit on Kelly’s blog, WAHM 2.0 at SparkPlugging, I figured it out and I was so glad she asked. Be sure to follow Kelly on Twitter, she may just ask you to have a CBC!

For those of you who don’t know what a Cross Blog Conversation is, just click the link, Kelly has a great post on her WahmTalkRadio blog that explains it very well. Basically, Kelly and I are going to have a conversation and you will need to go to each of our respective blogs to follow it. She started it today with her post about How long it takes to be a Success on the Internet.

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Oh Kelly, you would have to ask the two hardest questions for me to answer, ‘How do we define Success?’ and ‘How often has your definition of success been changed?’.

I started on the internet about ten years ago. I was so proud that I had taught myself FrontPage97 that I just had to show-off my skills and do a website for my daughter’s cheerleading team. That blossomed into a web design business I did for a couple of years. I made about $30k a year from that but it didn’t satisfy me, I was still working for other people selling my time by the hour. That business model just didn’t work for me.

Next I started selling stuffed animals to gift basket companies. I opened it as a division of a company Brent and I already had for, at that time, five years. That was a mistake because my little internet company became very popular doing over $600k a year in sales. However, the other company was going belly-up and dragged my gift basket company down with it.

So Kelly, I feel like both those ventures could be defined as successful because at that time they helped support my family. However, I’m not quite sure they would fulfill my definition of success today, as they gave me the money I needed but didn’t give me a complete sense of happiness.

You see, today my definition of success includes not only earning the amount of money I’ve defined as my goal, but the day-to-day work must also give me a sense of fulfillment, satisfaction, and achievement, along with flexibility and freedom. I currently have a day job that fulfills the monetary and achievement portion of the formula, but flexibility and freedom is missing and that’s why I’m so desperately trying to make my online business work.

This morning I read a report by Dr. Mani called “How Long Does Success Take?“. In that report Dr. Mani talks about how it took him eight years online before he was able to consider his online work a success. He also talks about planning for success, having inspirations, making the choice to succeed, how your dreams will be tested, using mentors, and learning from success. One thing he said really resonated with me when I reflect over the last five years of trying to succeed with an online business:

Imagine driving in a car to a place you want to go, and the road gets
bumpy. What do you do?

You could stop, get out of the car, and curse your bad luck.

You could turn your car around and go back to the smooth, quiet road to
nowhere.

Or…

You could keep going on, determined to get where you’re going –
and knowing things will get better when you reach there.

Not just keep going, but actually ENJOY the ride. And even be thankful
that you’ve got a car, and that you know the way!

I know what I’ve done. I’ve either gotten out of the car and cursed, or more often, turned around and took the smooth highway. And if I’m honest with myself, that’s why I have a day job…the cushy paycheck every two weeks, four weeks of vaca, 401k, heath bennies, a close commute, and a really nice boss.

But the real question is, “Am I truly happy?”

Well you could probably ask Brent when I’m walking out the door at 8:00 a.m. after being up till 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. after a trip to watch our daughter play college volleyball (she’s 3 hours away, we go anyway, even on work nights). I really want my flexibility. I don’t want to be accountable to anyone but myself and until I have that, I cannot consider myself successful again.

So, here I stand again, at a cross roads with this fairly new website wondering if it will really ever make any money. Should I just give it up and take the smooth highway, continuing to work my cushy job hoping to eventually work my way up the ladder a little bit higher, or should I stay on the bumpy road and keep doing what I know I’ve gotta do to make this online gig a success, even if it takes eight years?

All I can say is, I’m so tired of that damn smooth highway! I need a little bumps to keep me young!

Kelly, you’ve known me for a long time and you’ve seen me flip flop from thing to thing. Let me ask you, ‘How long does it take to become successful online?‘ and ‘What’s it going to take to get there?‘

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