I’m within four or five weeks of launching my internet business.
What you’ll find in this post are my goals for the first four months of Start Marketing Smart. I consider myself two months into this internet business already. This is my internet business plan, and what I plan to create and offer within the next month or so.
This doesn’t address how I will market Start Marketing Smart , but that will be something I share in-depth here at this blog. The Eric L Walker blog will be changing. In another month or so once Start Marketing Smart is launched, I will begin treating this blog like a lab to try new ideas and marketing strategies.
Be sure to subscribe for ongoing updates.
By the way, I’m calling it Start Marketing Smart because I want to help people not make the same mistakes I have made when trying to start an internet business. And I’m starting with how to create a content marketing system so that it feeds your blog because I see so many creating content without a proper strategy. It turns out that is a waste of time.
So here is the initial focus for Start Marketing Smart (SMS).
My focus will be for the next four months will be teaching others how to create a content marketing system that fuels their blog business funnel. I will broaden the focus of every four months i.e. add additional product and experiment with new marketing methods.
I’m starting with the following, which I’ve phrased in the form of a question/answer; problem/solution:
How can I successfully start or reinvigorate a blog to build a thriving internet business using very little to almost no initial investment? The priceless answer is to develop a smart content marketing system that fuels a well thought out blog business funnel.
I’m going to teach, coach and serve solo-entrepreneurs and micro-businesses (both on and offline) how to create a content marketing system (and strategy) to create and feed their new or reformed blog business funnel.
This will include remedial, intermediate and advanced information on how to create a blog business funnel in the first place, and the essential role that a content marketing system has within the blog business funnel.
To kick the SMS blog off, I will have content series (known as “cornerstone content” or I’m calling it “Killer Pillar” content) and email series that covers this topic in depth. The combined content on the blog and in the autoresponder series will be available for download as a PDF (opt-in will be required)
I will have two products on the subject of creating a content marketing system.
One that is remedial in nature, and geared toward writing content for the web which won’t cost more than $11 or so. The remedial course will be called: How to Write Better for the Web – Six Web Writing Traits Every Content Writer Should Know (title pending)
A more in depth product will show how to develop a smart content marketing system that fuels their blog business funnel. Cost will be under $100 (anywhere from $47 to $97). This course will be called Everything You Must Know to Create a Content Marketing Machine that Fuels Your Blog Business Funnel (title pending).
This product will be delivered via audio format (likely with transcript) with PDF workbook/action guide and include a private forum. Updates will be added for free as they’re created.
One update that I plan to offer shortly after the release of the product is how to write a sales page without being a slimy sales person that uses high pressure techniques, big red headlines or a lot of yellow highlighter. And they’ll be short.
Another update that I plan to offer shortly after the release of the product is how to effectively conduct keyword research, and steadily elevate your content atop the search engines without wanting to shoot yourself because SEO can be a pain.
In and of themselves, these updates will be stand alone products that sell for under $50.
I will upsell/offer this product as a solo or small group coaching classes (not sure of price)
I will upsell/offer this product as a service where I will create my client’s content marketing system for them. (not sure of price).
All sales proceeds from the service side of things will be reinvested into SMS to fund the outsourcing of additional content/copy writers (as it’s my goal to have a division of SMS become a content/copy writing agency).
Affiliate products that will find their way as reviews on the blog, and as offers in the follow up sequence include (but not limited to):
- Scribe Seo
- Market Samurai
- 31 Days to Build a Better Blog
- How to Launch the Heck Out of Your eBook
(Notice that there are no affiliate links above. That’s because I haven’t yet signed up for the affiliate program yet. It hasn’t been a priority. In fact, it’s one of the last things on the list).
The Free Offer at Start Marketing Smart
Anyone and everyone (regardless if they purchase product or not) will be provided free wordpress installation if they purchase hosting through my affiliate link. If they don’t purchase hosting via my link, the cost will be $47. I’m unaware of anyone who does this for a lower price.
For an additional $67 — a complete mailing list will be set up via Aweber(including the form on their side bar).
Also for an additional $67, they will be provided with their choice of a premium wordpress theme. To start, they will be able to choose from Thesis, Flex Squeeze, Headway or Woo.
Any visitor to SMS will be able to download (for free, no optin needed) An Internet Marketer’s Guide to Free: The Cost Conscious, Skill Set Building Internet Business Companion which is an absolute killer collection of free content I’ve gathered around the web from the top bloggers, internet marketers and social media mavens. Many you’ve heard of, but some you haven’t.
All of the topics above will be subject to bi-weekly webinars. I will host a webinar every other week.
SMS will offer $29 hour long brain-picking-tell-you-what-you-should-know-give-you-a-good-running-start-real person-on-the-other-end-of-the-phone initial consultation. Available M-Sat by appointment.
This blog, Eric L Walker dot com, is going to undergo a change as a result of Start Marketing Smart so they can work together synergistically. Now things are getting exciting. Be sure to subscribe for ongoing updates.
Eric,
Here’s a little love.:D Don’t worry, I know that’s easy for me to say. Just focus on doing your thing this month. I’ll be here when you get back and look forward to learning what you have.
Thank you Michelle. That’s a really nice message. I appreciate that.
I can see that you are really narrowing your focus and putting into action what Mike Klingler is showing us about the marketing funnel. This is what all smart beginners lack when hitting the web with big dreams of making money and retiring from their day job.
Why did this form of knowledge take so long to come out? Were the gurus keeping all the good stuff just for themselves?
But I guess it’s like anything else we learn, if you don’t put action behind it you just stay where you are with little progress.
Thanks for showing us how it’s done Eric.
@Marie — It’s funny how long it has taken me to understand all of this. And I don’t mean since returning home from Portland. If what I have outlined above was something I understand… say… a year and a half ago, there would have never been a Portland. Better late than never. And perhaps this is just how long it really takes to understand these concepts and the reason so many fail is because they don’t stick with it long enough to fully understand. When I resigned from teaching, I also quit my Masters Degree program. I told myself that I wanted to learn to make money on the internet. Little did I know that it was like school. I’d just picked a different subject.
Hi Eric,
Wow! It’s amazing to see where we have been and where we are now. It has been fascinating to watch you take all we have learned and put it into this new business. I enjoy watching you from the side lines and I want you to know that I am cheering you on.
Go Eric!!!!!
I’ll be waiting for more. Take care.
Michelle Moseley
@Michelle — Thank you so much. I appreciate your acknowledgement and good will. We’ve known each other for awhile now… I’m glad we can still connect.
It’s funny….after our conversation and my first two posts on my new blog, I wondered if I had completely lost my mind…
…and then I posted a couple of days ago and then again tonight and felt all over again what I felt just after we got off of the phone. I know I am doing the absolute right thing. I am building for the long term. What I need is here in me and will show up to others when it shows up…as I am interacting with my PC.
What it took you however many years to learn, you taught me in one hour. Now, it’s just a matter of patience and building. I am building three things right now – the blog being one of them – and while I am commenting to you (right now!) I realized how to bring quick value to some of the people who come my way on the blog but who might not be ready for the end goal…going into business for themselves. Their natural curiosity about what I do will lead them there and eventually to work for themselves. I see it clearly.
I love it.
You are a genius.
So glad I caught you – and Kaitlin Rose – on the way up…
Your student,
Christi J.
@Christi.
No, I think you’re the genius for “getting it” so quickly. Find your pace; find your flow, lead with your heart and align your goals and values with your business, and in time (sooner than you think) you will have a the greatest asset outside of your family.
Best of luck to you and as always thank you for your wonderful comment contribution to this blog.
Good day, Eric…
A very interesting post. I appreciate seeing the layout of your marketing plan and know that I will be referring to it in the days ahead.
Naturally, since I relate to writing and the content area… what you are saying holds a special interest for me.
All the best to you!
Lee
[...] as long as a few weeks. In previous posts here, I’ve spoken about creating a new site called Start Marketing Smart. I’ve decided against that. What was going to be Start Marketing Smart will now simply be [...]