No longer Stuck in the Mud

Sometimes I feel like I am stuck in the mud.

Maybe you can relate…

I’ve been at this online marketing thing for a few years.  Every time I thought I was getting somewhere with building an online business something would happen.

Have you ever taken a quiz?

Did you get the results for the person giving the quiz?

If not, didn’t you want to know what other thought?

Do you have a website?

Are you protecting it properly?

and 3 Things to Avoid

This is my reset and do over.

In my last post, I shared how the previous year went. It was to say the least less than what I had planned.

So, through a little intervention from a friend I have been able to gather my thoughts, analyze what went right and what went wrong.

From the ashes, I will start to build anew.

Let’s begin with what has been learned

First, you can’t just set a goal and expect it to happen. Setting a goal is a waste of time unless you have also taken the time to develop a plan to reach that goal.

Think about when you plan a vacation. If you are like most, you choose a destination and then map out how you are going to get there.

You don’t just jump in the car and go, right?

Well, that is exactly what you need to do when setting a goal.

The second thing I learned in the previous year is that you must remained focused on one thing and only one thing.  What I mean by this is…

Avoid Distractions

Stay away from other products and programs that make promises of easy money or new systems. Although they may have merit, they will distract you from what you have already started.

Thirdly, I discovered that you must be very choosy in who you associate with. There will be the naysayers, the ones that tell you it can’t be done and you are wasting your time. Listen to them enough and you will start to believe them.

It is also important to be careful of who you may want to work with.  They may have good intentions and tell you they are all in, but guess what…

they will have distractions pulling them in other directions too. This can sidetrack you in a hurry and end up derailing your plans.

Now I want to get into how I plan to reach my goal. I am going to layout the steps that will be taken.  Please understand, there are other ways you can plan…

If this way doesn’t fit your mindset, then you are welcome to research and develop your own game plan. The important thing is to create a plan and stick to it.

The key is to create a plan that is easy to follow, that has as many steps that are needed to accomplish your goal in the shortest time possible. Creating simple steps helps to guide you through the creation process.

Each step you complete is a small victory.

I am planning to do at least one product launch this year.

In order to reach this goal, I am mapping my way for the launch.

• Establish a timeframe and timeline

This means setting a date for when the launch will begin and...

…how long it will last.

Now that this has been determined, the next thing is to...

• Determine what will be included

eBook, Audio, Video, Cheat Sheet, Resources, Mind map, etc.

What is the frontend product?

How about the upsells and downsells?

Will there be bonuses and…

…what will those bonuses be?

Now that you know what your product is going to look like when completed you are ready to move on to the next step.

• What you will outsource?

Let’s face the truth here…

if you try to do everything yourself, you will never get it completed. Unless you are not working or going to school, your time is limited and…

without help you are destined to fail.

There are many places you can outsource portions of your product creation without breaking the bank.

I will go into outsourcing in another post.

Ok, the timeframe and timeline have been created, the product defined and what needs to be outsourced determined.  It is time to…

• Create the Product Outline

A good way to build the outline for your product is by building a mind map. It’s important to lay out the basics of what the product will be.

The chapters, sub-chapters and so on.

This will serve a dual purpose. It will serve to keep you focused on the product and as an add-on for the product itself.

• Assemble Your Team

Now it’s time to choose the people you will work with on your product.

You have already decided what you will outsource, so it’s time to find the right people for those things that you have determined are better off being done by someone else.

There are many different places you can find good qualified people. The important thing is to do the legwork and find the best people that will fit your business and your budget.

• Engage with affiliates

You need to have people that will help you promote your creation. You can’t expect to be able to rollout a product by yourself.

Think about it, how many people can you touch right now on your own? Even if you have a good sized list, you are still limited to that number, that is…

Unless you recruit others that have authority in your niche, you will be limited in who will know about your great product. When these people promote for you, your reach becomes much larger.

Of course, this means you will have to compensate these affiliates for their efforts. You will need to decide what that compensation will be…

What percentage of the purchase price will you pay them?...

• Plan Your Marketing

We can’t forget this part…

How will you market the product? Will there be a prelaunch plan? What materials will you provide for your affiliates? Email swipes, bonus page, banners, videos…

This is as important as the product itself. If it’s your first product, then you want to make sure you provide enough resources so that you make it easy for your affiliates, as well as yourself.

Realize that this is the reader’s digest version of what you need to prepare for in order to give your product launch the best opportunity for success.

There is one more thing that I need to share with you…

• Focus, focus, focus…

With all the distractions that we are bombarded with each and every day, it is important to stay focused. This means, putting your project first. You need to be committed to this above all things. You can accomplish so much if you are truly committed and determined to succeed.

Sacrifice to Succeed

What are you willing to give up in order to make your product a success? This is a question that you need to ask yourself, and then do it. Unsubscribe to lists that are just promoting to you. If you spend time on Facebook or YouTube, put that aside until you get your daily tasks completed.

Follow a Proven Method

If you need a support group, then I suggest you work with a mentor who has done what you want to do. It’s much easier to follow a proven plan.  I personally work with John Thornhill and the Partnership 2 Success program.

If you truly want to get over the hump and become a product creator instead of a product consumer, then, now is the time to do whatever you have to and make it happen.

Over the next few weeks I will be working on creating my product and…

I will share with you in more detail on each of these steps. More than likely, as I build my product I will find more that needs to be taken into consideration. As that happens I will share this with you.

Until next time…

Let me know what you think, leave me your thoughts below.

Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely path at times.

You are working to build a better life...

fulfilling a dream that you have to control your own destiny.  

When you first get started, there is much to learn and even more needs to be done.