Issues Marketing: How to Make Internet Connections Work for You

By Andrew J Thompson

These are challenging times to survive in any business.  Credit is tight, and the money for the successful marketing methods of past years is no longer there.  Printing, travel, conferences, exhibits, and other common expenses incurred in business promotion have been trimmed to the bone. 

But has business come so easily that we forget what we all envisioned when the internet became a ubiquitous business tool 10-15 years ago?  Back then, everyone dreamt that once you had a website – any presence on the web – you could reach every conceivable customer in mere seconds.  But is this really true? 

Where do you stand in terms of reaching your clientele via the internet?  Have you spent hundreds or thousands on SEO expertise?  What about advertising?  Are you spending lots of money to promote your site on the web? 

I struggled for a long time deciding how I could best capture and pursue business on the internet.   I tried all of the methods I mention above – but to what avail?  Minimal really. 

For years, my company, Elusen, has run capital campaigns and provided other consulting services to nonprofit organizations of every type in every corner of the continent. 

I run a business from my home in northern Michigan, serving clients in the Pacific Northwest, Texas, New York, even Puerto Rico. 

But I know I can't be working in Seattle and Puerto Rico on the same day. Worse, I lose precious time with my three young children whenever I travel – and they are growing up fast. Last year, I decided a new business model was worthy of my consideration.  There were fewer and fewer opportunities for new consulting engagements.  For three months, I stepped back, thought about my future, contemplated my past, and then decided to try an experiment. 

I decided to pursue a new strategy of publishing on the web.  In itself, it’s not particularly novel, I know, but the approach I’m taking is unique, enjoyable, rewarding, and, though I’m not getting rich (yet), it’s beginning to be profitable with a few thousand dollars a month flowing in.  But the good news is, it’s a building process, and the longer and more I build, the more I know it will grow.

The change came when I decided to quit thinking of myself as a consultant, overcame the urge to be a “writer”, and decided to be a publisher – a web based publisher.  Now I realize that being an internet publisher, in itself, may not come across as tremendously exciting, nor even all that unique.  But it gave me that is both exciting and unique was the opportunity to view my business from a whole new paradigm – a paradigm for which I’m only beginning to fill in the details.

First, I took the model of Elusen, i.e. helping charitable visions become reality, and realized that a very important way I could impact my own success would be to publish content on the internet discussing the value of a wide array of charitable visions.  But why stop there?  I also realized that I have many friends, colleagues, etc. – all of whom have a message to share with the rest of the world, and very few who are actually doing it. 

True, nearly one out of ten adults in America now has at least one blog they have posted, and/or maintain on the web.  But how many of these are actually posting at least one article a week?  The percentage is very low.  Lower yet if you consider those who have done so for over six month – which is the average time it takes before search engines rank your site as they should.  Believe me, I get this.  I’m at four months on my primary publishing sites, and can’t wait to get some more history attached to each of these sites.

And of those who do post regularly, how many are using any of the myriad search optimization tools that are available for blogs as well as any other web page?  Again, there aren’t too many.  Then finally, of those who post regularly and do some form of optimization, how many are actually publishing content that is truly worthy of their readers’ attention – enough so that they are thinking about both coming back to the site for more information in the future, and buying something that is either advertised or sold from the site? 

By the time you consider all of these factors, the numbers are very small – yet, these are the sites that succeed!  Actually, it’s a very simple formula:

1. Choose the theme that matches your business model;
2. Create a blog or other site for updating text-content regularly;
3. Publish regularly (or you will surely perish) – at least one article every week;
4. Optimize your site using the tried and true methods employed by Google; and
5. Maintain high quality content – your readers will come back to sites they find helpful and valuable, and will spend their money with whom their loyalties attach. 
   

That’s my five point plan, and it is a plan I intend to follow as long as I can continue writing.  Now, I’ve started publishing blogs for two clients, write for a third, and publish a few of my own.  On all fronts’ success is building – slowly but surely.  But what I see now is how important it is to get started – and to keep things going once you do. 

A farming analogy fits very nicely.  The tiny seeds will not start to grow until they are planted.  Once they are, in time, the seeds can become plants, mature and bear fruit.  But as they grow, they need watering and further attention to make sure they stay healthy, pest free and properly cultivated. 

For many people, this is a daunting proposition.  Success lies ahead, but taking the plunge into these unknown waters is more than a bit overwhelming.  If that’s you, I can help!  I’ve made some mistakes, learned a lot of hard lessons, and understand how to convert your ideas into business opportunities soon!  If I can help you achieve the dream you’ve always had, tell me what you have in mind and I’m here to help.

Email me: ajt@elusen.com, with your ideas and let’s see if we can work together to bring the success you’ve been waiting to achieve!