In this article I thought I’d take a look back at what has worked for me in internet marketing last year.
There are many small things I’ve left out of this list, such as being yourself, making connections, having fun, and taking bold action, just to name a few.
I still remember when I started in 2007, naively thinking that I would start a website, and that people would come, and the money would follow.
It took me two years to realize that nothing was going to happen by itself. Ironically enough, I thought that if my website just became a bit older, everything would be fine.
But I ended up realizing that I had picked one of the toughest niches out there, and my keywords were horrible. I was up against companies that were spending millions in online search.
Not good.
With all that said, let’s take a look at what really worked in internet marketing and continues to work.
1. Article Marketing
As you may or may not know, after I created my second website (one of my most successful), I started dabbling seriously in article marketing.
I did it full-time, and wrote up to 20 articles a day, promoting a company who’s products I’ve been using for almost two years now.
Long story short, I stopped writing articles for this particular affiliate program about 8-9 months ago, and my income has gone up over 30% since.
The reason is because this is a lifetime affiliate program, which means that I get a commission every time a customer returns, which happens quite a lot because of the high quality of the products.
Article marketing is fantastic, but it does take a lot of work, like anything else. If you’re interested, I wrote an article marketing guide on the subject that shows you exactly how it’s done.
2. Guest Blogging
I built this blog with guest blogging. It also helped that a lot of nice people linked to me because they liked my content, but it all started by getting the word out there.
Guest blogging worked in 2010, and it will continue to work for many years to come.
It will probably get more popular as more and more people catch on, but the truth of the matter is that great blogs won’t publish bad content, so there’s always room for someone who can write.
If you only use one strategy this year to promote your blog, website, or business, let it be guest blogging.
3. E-Mail Marketing
In early 2010, e-mail marketing was a beast I had to get a handle on.
I had no idea what to do, where to look, or who to learn from. But I finally found Lexi, who fantastically enough offers an e-mail marketing consultation package.
I bought it without hesitation. Now, I had no prior dealings with Lexi, but I used my spidey-senses, and my intuition said she passed the test.
I’ve since used e-mail marketing very successfully to earn money from affiliate campaigns, launch my own products, and even ask my newsletter subscribers what they need and want.
4. Keyword Research
Ah, keyword research. It remains a mystery to many, but once it clicks, it’s really simple, and extremely powerful.
I talked about keyword research briefly in lessons learned from my first year of blogging, where I explained that you should pick a main keyword for your blog, along with related keywords to get you started.
I use keyword research when I build my niche sites. I used it in my article marketing, and I will use it as I expand this blog.
It’s paramount to anything I do online, because it shows me where the demand is and what language the market is using. It’s not something you rely 100% on, but it is an important tool in your arsenal.
The keyword research tool I use – and recommend – is Market Samurai. It’s not free, but if you’re serious about making stuff happen online, then it’s an investment that will pay you back many times over.
5. Information Products
Creating your own ebooks, courses, and programs can be scary, especially if you’re thinking about creating your first one.
If you’re on your first, then what you want to do is build an audience if you don’t already know where the demand is, and then ask them what problems they have.
Then solve ONE problem. Create a small product, and sell it for $7-17. If it sells you can build on it (add more value) and increase the price.
I created both Passionate Living and Article Marketing Traffic Booster last year, and they’ve both been bought by hundreds of people.
Information products can be great passive income opportunities and they help in boosting your authority.
Takeaway
The fundamentals continue to work. There are still no magic bullets or incredible secrets that will catapult you into stardom.
It takes hard work, persistence, and focus.
Now I’m curious: what worked for you in 2010, and what will you be doing more of in 2011?
{ 18 comments }
Hi Henri thanks for this report. I’m getting into article marketing for some affiliate sites I have set up, and am testing it on a few other things as well. My guest posting is going through the roof, and I’ve been lucky to get on some blogs I really admire.
I really l like your idea of selling one problem/one solution videos and ebooks for $7-$17. I’ve been thinking you have got to deliver something much larger even going to price points of $47. With so much stuff out there a good price can be the point of differentiation. I’ve gotten some really solid info products lately that taught be at least one thing for like $17 so I think I’ll have to go that route.
Thanks for the ideas.
Hey Robert,
Nice work on the guest posting!
I’m all for anything that gets you to take action. If a $47 product gets you paralyzed, then produce something that is simple and that you can get out there, then build from there.
Article marketing gave me huge confidence that I can actually write stuff if I want to and it has helped to overcome the barrier of starting my blog.
I’m looking forward to work extensively with steps 2,3 and 5 this year, since I believe that they will enable me to grow my site, but also my online earnings.
Good stuff, Timo. Keep on rocking and if you ever have any questions, you know where to reach me!
My blogging endeavors are only on a part time basis at this point. I work two jobs, and am a single parent so time is somewhat limited.
What worked for me last year was finding a niche that I am passionate about. Something I enjoy, and knowledgeable about through experience.
What didn’t work for me was getting locked into inertia- analyzing things to pieces, expecting immediate results. This year my intention is to keep at it, I have each action step laid out on a checklist.
I did very little article martketing last year, and I feel I would have received far greater results, if i had done so. So I am taking the lesson and moving forward with it.
Thank you for sharing your tips.
If you have a specific goal with article marketing, you’ll do even better, such as promoting an affiliate product you really like on your website/blog.
I fear something that never goes away is the analyzing, overwhelming nature of doing your own thing.
Once you befriend those feelings and just take action, cool stuff happens.
- “I still remember when I started in 2007, naively thinking that I would start a website, and that people would come, and the money would follow.”
Excellent, I think we have all been there.
It’s almost required for success!
Hey Henri, Thank you very much for the shout out in your post! You bet email marketing works, especially if you’re doing it correctly. Thanks also for sharing your wisdom and more power to you in 2011
Thank you, Lexi, and thanks for rockin’ it!
Hey Henri,
It’s great to hear about what worked well for you during the past year. I’m just getting started in internet marketing so I’m sure I have a long road ahead. I’ve started a few small websites but have not seen any traffic or sales just yet.
In regards to guest posting, do you think it can work for affiliate sites and how would we approach this? I don’t see myself blogging in the near future, so I’m not sure if it would apply to me. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this as I do think guest posting is the one of the best tactics to increasing traffic and links to a site.
Thanks for the tips!
I can’t see why guest posting wouldn’t work for affiliate sites. Contact bloggers and website owners as usual and see what happens. Although you should remember that if your site looks too affiliate-y, many webmasters may not want a guest post from you because it means they will have to send their readers to a site with no value.
So build a good website – even if it is an affiliate website – and get going!
Henri~I so enjoy your gently inspiring posts. I always feel encouraged by your teachings and they give me a sense of peace and confidence. Just wanted to thank you for that.
Jean
Thanks for letting me know, Jean.
Keep rocking!
Article marketing and guest blogging are going to be two areas of focus for the near-term. Mainly because I find them fun and they are “giving” or contributing actions rather than working in a vacuum on my own site!
If they’re fun you’ll be more likely to take action. Sounds good to me!
Henri, this article couldn’t have come at a better time for me! I’m in the process of launching and developing (simultaneously, of course) my first online information product, and am working hard to promote it. I think the tip about doing what’s fun in order to be more likely to take action is spot on. Fun, coupled with persistence & patience – a winning combination. Thanks for the inspiration!
Nice! I definitely agree. Hope it goes well!
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