IMC: Where are My Leads?

AK Stout wrote an interesting blog post in Jay Berkowitz's Internet Marketing Club, entitled I Started A Social Media Marketing Program Two Months Ago, Where Are My Leads?


She wrote:

It's been my experience that when implemented correctly it can take up to 6 months or so for a quantifiable ROI to begin to surface. Social media marketing is about forming, developing, and maintaining relationships. It takes time to establish trust with your target market. Your goal is to gain trust by engaging your audience, participating in conversations and sharing valuable, industry-related information, photos, videos, testimonials, press releases, etc. (SOURCE)

That's quite a long time. At most, it is a conservative estimate that gives the newbie Internet Marketer enough time to build relationships with potential clients.

Before you build a presence on the Internet, you must first get a Calendar. Then fill it up with the answers to these questions.

What do you or your company stand for? 

Why should people trust you?

Why should they buy things from you?

What do you offer that your competitors cannot?

My Notes:

Being involved in different industries have it's own advantages and disadvantages. For one, I find it difficult to focus on just one. As a freelance writer, my relationship with clients has recently suffered because of my focus on learning more about Affiliate Marketing. I wanted to do what they were doing. The logic is simple:

1. If they can pay me to write articles. Then what they are doing must be earning them more than they pay me.

Advantages:

1. I know exactly what needs to be done and more.
2. I can write for myself.
3. I have the time and the dedication.

Disadvantages:

1. Increased expenditures - if I would be stopping my freelance writing, I would be using my time for an activity that does not generate instant returns. Freelancing is an activity that generates almost instant returns.

2. Risk. There is a greater risk in Affiliate Marketing than Freelancing because you have to spend in Affiliate Marketing.


Course of Action:

1. Answer the questions above.
2. Set a calendar
3. Decide on which project to focus on
4. Find the answer on the difference between Internet Marketing and Affiliate Marketing.