So far today I made a lot of breakthoughs:
1) I updated my LinkedIn profile, added myself to a few companies and groups to follow in the area of affiliate marketing. I will continue doing that.
2) I signed up for a twitter account but still have no clue what I'm supposed to do with it.
3) I met a guy in the city who is into e-Commerce- he's finishing his MBA and is the creator and webmaster of http://www.onlysimchas.com/ - He also is the managing director of http://www.longtailcap.com/ - a business and funding advisement firm for early stage and growth stage companies. He gave me a full hour of his time over bagels. So much information.
Here's What I Learnt Today: (It's a lot so be careful)
1) No company will hire me unless I have a good portfolio and can show what I've accomplished (hence, this blog).
2) There is a magazine called "Wired" (http://www.wired.com/) - that gives up to date stuff about on-line web stuff. There was recently an article titled "The Web is Dead, Long Live the Internet." Because we will always use internet for everything but certain sites are monopolizing the search engines - so we will mainly keep going back to those sites as opposed to surfing through links on the web to get what we want.
3) Google Alerts - google lets you know if someone posted something about you or your website onto the web. You do not need to do searches to find new info being published about you or your site. They alert you.
4) Building Links *** - This seemed very important. There is a forward link: Where you link from your site to another site... But there is also a backward link: where another site has a link to mine!!!!!!!
(i think that is done by me posting and commenting on other sites and putting a link to my blog ...)
5) More about SEO - that there are webcrawlers - the more optimized then show up high in results- it's a science - building links etc...
6) SEM - Search Engine Marketing - where people get their ads to show up on google searches - that's how google makes it's money - people bid to get their ads with certain searches.
7) Ad Networks - which are like an ad agency - they are the middleman - They are interesting - they try to build clients - (companies who want to advertise their products or service) and they try to find publishers (people who have active websites -high traffic - lots of hits per month) to place the ads on their site. There are 3 types of ads: 1) CPA - Cost Per Action - an action is either a sale through that click or someone filling out a form 2) CPC - Cost Per Click - Any time someone clicks on the link 3) CPM- Cost per Mille (thousand) views - not 100% clear on this one but not important for now.
These Ad Networks try to get people to place these types of ads on other websites - they work out a deal with the publisher of the website that they will somehow split the profits of each CP type. They also build technology. Not sure how.
8) Affiliate- Put links on published websites to other companies as a referral program-- Recommended affiliate sites http://www.commissionjunction.com/ and http://www.linkshare.com/.
9) Lead Generation- this he says is a science (and bit of a riskier business) - It works like this:
For Example: You work to provide leads for companies that sell cars. You put an ad up and people who are interested in buying a car click on that ad - then you sell the lead with that person's info to a car dealership - they take the person's info and sell it. So, this is many times dependent on the economy - if people aren't buying cars there aren't as many leads to sell. Also, a lot of people may click and fill out info but then get a car their own way. I still like this idea and would like to pursue it a bit more.
10) Dynamic Content - Is needed to keep people coming to the site. He said every few days he needs to change the picture on his website homepage - he mentioned a few other examples of people who have websites with great concepts and content but people don't revisit because they are not updated often enough.
11) Creating Content Can Be a Business of It's Own!!!! Content Creation: - Providing businesses with articles for their blogs and other social media- The content is under the umbrella of a marketing strategy. Keeping it updated is the key. Can charge 50$ an article - and then if it gets too much you can hire people to write with you.
12) He said to work on optimizing my blog - just to get experience - Like to get it from ranking 400 on google searches to 100 and that would be an accomplishment!
He said I can get a J.O.B - in 1) CC - Content Creation 2) SEO or 3) Internet Marketing
After that I can FREELANCE in either one as well.
#3 - Internet Marketing is most challenging he said, because you call places to see if you can help them make money on their website.
I told him my aim is one day be able to work independently or at least virtually without a brick and mortar shop-- I can do that in any of the above 3 options - but need lots of experience. Then I can become a broker and contract my work out - build something and replace myself with someone else. That's business.
I also told him I am NOT interested in creating widgets - (not sure what is ... ) or apps ... those are for the young computer techies - who are obsessed with social media where you need cutting edge skills.
My skills are more on the cerebral side -- or somewhere in the middle.
I may need to just work at helping others monetize - like be an account executive- which is a bit less virtual to start.
My next steps/options: (practically speaking):
A) Continue learning this stuff on my own. He speculated it would take me like 2 years to get really good at it and have a company look at me. Specifically learn SEO.
B) Find a part-time job to have some income - but flexibilty.
Ways to continue learning:
a) For Dummies Books 1) on SEO/Optimizing 2) Blogging 3) On-line Marketing 4) Content 5) Social Media
b) On-line research - (recommended by Aaron- guy from Chicago in SEO)
Sticking to websites like:
1) http://www.sugarrae.com/ - on affiliate marketing
2) Jeremy Schoemaker - affiliate marketing. Aaron said I will see I can do it myself.
Tomorrow I will: (With G-d's Help)
1) Sign up for http://www.commissionjunction.com/ and http://www.linkshare.com/.
2) Search for part-time jobs - preferably in selling on-line advertising or marketing or account services/business development for a marketing company. Need income and experience now, can't wait 2 years to become big.
3) ) Read a bit on blogging and link this to a few places - like other blogs and check out jobs.problogger.com to see jobs in blogging for companies.
4) pay my bill at http://www.metropcs.com/ :)
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