Internet Marketing: Are YOU a Follower or a Leader?

You are likely to remember seeing bumper stickers posing this question:
"If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem!"

FOLLOWERS talk and think about the problems!

LEADERS think and talk about solutions!

The JOB of any internet marketer is to solve peoples' problems. We need to create easy, affordable, lucrative ways to help people do whatever they do.

Going about problem solving can be done in a variety of ways. We can go to forums to see what folks are talking about. We can read blogs to see how other people offer their help. We can sign up for email notifications and learn much about the ways other business people communicate.

We can invite our readers/visitors to chime in and offer their questions, their comments, their ideas and their suggestions. We can offer them surveys to take so we can "take the public pulse."

I know a blogger who ADORES greeting cards. So she offered them to her visitors. They may or may not have one thing to do with her website but there they are, for all the world to see and enjoy. And if you like, you may donate something for the use of the image she provides. That's a pretty cool way to help people. It may not be YOUR way, but it will spark ideas in your head and those ideas will reflect YOUR personality and goals.

Do you need help getting things done but can't quite handle the expense of a personal assistant? Try this on for size: Become your own personal assistant with the help of this simple list:

1. Send 5 emails
2. Make 5 calls
3. Program 5 autoresponder messages
4. Write 5 pages of a book
5. Outline 5 articles

Just think how your internet marketing enterprise would advance if you only did THREE of these five things!

Everyone is unique. Each of us has certain passions, gifts, skills and great ideas inside our being. How will you choose to use yours? By doing SOMETHING, ANYTHING AT ALL, sets you up for leadership! Wouldn't that feel great?

There is an international speaking and leadership club called Toastmasters, International. Their program helps men and women all over the world to learn to communicate better. They learn step-by-step how to speak more eloquently, more professionally, and without nervousness. AT THE SAME TIME, they learn how to take responsibility and ACTION to accomplish their speaking/leadership goals as well as the goals of their club, area, district, and region.

It's exactly the same for internet marketers! Every single action we take helps us build for the next set of actions, products, and programs!

If you are struggling with your work at home business or online enterprise I'd like to recommend you find the solution or solutions that will propel your business. It may be you need a coaching program. You might want to form a Mastermind group with your friends. It could be such a thing that the Toastmasters program I mentioned could be of help to you in terms of your marketing efforts.

SIDEBAR: TOASTMASTERS CLUBS ARE LISTED WITH MOST EVERY CITY'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ALL OVER THE WORLD. END SIDEBAR.

Here's hoping you have stumbled across some ideas and solutions on this page that hit you like a brick! PUT THEM INTO ACTION! BECOME THE LEADER YOU KNOW YOU ARE MEANT TO BE!

Feel free to tell us about YOUR internet marketing experience or offer YOUR solutions in our comment box. We appreciate your taking the time to share with us!

Connie Baum

When It Comes to Online Marketing: Are YOU Prepared?

As members of Toastmasters, International, a speech making and leadership club, we are admonished that to be good public speakers, it is imperative to be prepared. If we are to craft successful speeches we need to research our topic, create a good opening, a body with good content and the closing needs to have punch.

The goal of creating a great online business is not so different from what good Toastmasters do. To become an online marketer it is important to research your niche to see what problems you might solve. You will need a good sales page, you must provide excellent content and the whole point is to coax your prospect to become your customer.

SIDEBAR: Jeff Wellman, of Lay Off Your Boss fame and fortune; his partner, Dixie Brown who has three decades and more of corporate experience and Search Engine Optimization specialist, Paul Counts- ALL THREE AGREE THAT CONTENT IS KING! In my humble opinion, they are 100% correct. END SIDEBAR

There are a great many details to manage when creating websites, blogs, sales pages and follow up messages. It can be daunting to the novice. It becomes second nature to the people who devote themselves to learning and taking action.

Toastmaster members know that club meetings do not happen in a vacuum. There is a Toastmaster to conduct the meeting and he has helpers assigned to make the meeting complete and to give everyone a chance to participate and to be heard.

Online marketers have the same opportunities for conducting cyber business. They may run their websites alone but they do not do it by themselves. They, too, have access to helpers. There are programs and webinars, tutorials and live events to help people who choose to work from home to learn to make online marketing, affiliate marketing and web mastering work to become second nature.

We would be very interested to learn about YOUR internet marketing story. We want YOUR voice to be heard! We so invite you to post a bit about your online journey by placing a comment on this page. You may remain anonymous or toot your horn. We can all learn much from one another.

Connie Baum