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Targetting from £0 - £5000 a month by End June 2020 - Digital Marketing

Marketing, social media, advertising

UK.SteRioN

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Hi all,

Many of you may have seen me post around the forum with various expertise / knowledge of a wide variety of things. One thing I developed over many years of successful retail management (although for a company not owned by myself) was self development is at it's greatest when you understand your strengths and weaknesses. So in true fashion here I am utilising this forum to combat a weakness. Motivation and a continuing drive on the same subject matter is exactly that, my weakness. This post is my method to stop that.

The target doesn't seem too high? I know what you're thinking

I spent 7 months on and off learning Django with previous knowledge of HTML, CSS I wanted to see how useful Django could be to designing websites. To aid in my learning I chose a digital marketing website as my focus to practise with. During this time frame I read TFLM which added to my enthusiasm of wanting to make it work.

Where am I now?

Well following those 7 months I got distracted back in April and life took me in other directions (yes because I allowed it) falling off the Fastlane and back in to "normal" life. Having got most of life now under better control except the financial freedom to live a little more freely I have renewed me enthusiasm for finishing off the digital marketing website, aided by posts written on here and some help from people I am truly grateful to. The website is complete to a standard it could be launched. Traffic could go there and it's fully usable, however I'm debating whether I need the finished(more finished) product. I wanted to add more services for the customer and without going in to too much detail, a place where they can see the fruits of hiring me as their expert.

Back to the target income per month

This would allow me to pay my bills, a bit more of the house than necessary each month and an annual holiday which currently doesn't happen due to the lack of expendable income / high expenditure of living. Based on those figures I set the SMART goal of achieving £5k a month income by the end of June 2020. I will document my success as failure is not an option in the hope I can help someone else like those have helped me one day.

To Dos

On the list other than launching the site
- Find credible outsource for scaling purposes
- Build a portfolio and testimonials
- Read more books on sales, lead generation and self development in general

Thanks all,
Mike
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Good luck my friend, will follow along!
 

Entre Eyes

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Traveling to Higher Conciousness
To Dos

On the list other than launching the site
- Find credible outsource for scaling purposes
- Build a portfolio and testimonials
- Read more books on sales, lead generation and self development in general

Thanks all,
Mike

Sounds like a great plan but please get out of plan mode and into selling somebody something mode. They are looking for you but can not find you because you are preparing to sell them something.

Did you hear the story of the guy that outsourced his job to another country?
So funny but so true. I do not think he should have been fired. :)

I was also planning the "Big Launch" but did not have the Bread and Butter income streams coming in. It can create disaster.

If I had the means I would just start out with listbuilding. Give them great advice, survey them on their problems and tailor make the custom product/service for them based on that feedback.

You would crush it.
 

UK.SteRioN

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A quick update spurred on by the previous post

I've adjusted my website so I can make these illustrious changes at a later date and all being well looking to launch/index it later today.

I've focused on the getting leads/sales and have come up with a targetted strategy of email marketing the audience. This is currently businesses in the local area who have issues with their website.

No point procrastinating as the wise man says.

Thanks for the kick
 
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UK.SteRioN

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Hi all,

After a few issues with the host / SSL , yesterday within business hours I decided to send my first email of my email marketing campaign.

It was enlightening as by day I'm an analyst so it highlighted a number of questions / potential obstacles with this approach.

Currently
1 - research a local business with poor ranking on Google
2 - carry out a basic site audit
3 - Email the business letting them know they are missing out on vital sales due to issues with their website. If they want to know more reply for the report / visit the website

The issues?
This does give you better detail going in to any exchange with a potential client however it's time consuming. My other thought process is gathering emails of all local businesses and emailing them. Those who reply then doing the audit.

Taking your approach entre eyes , let's get the work in and do the website update concurrently.

Thanks
Mike
 

UK.SteRioN

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Further Update.

I've spent further time on a free client I had previously in order to utilise it as a case study and a point of reference should/if one is required. Thankfully after having the idea of this marketing business a while back and the website already running for a number of years in previous formats (one of which was mine) the newly revamped website is proving fruitful. It is currently ranking only below directories for tradesmen on google for concrete repairs in the main area of operations.

I've now refocused my efforts back to e-mail marketing. I am interested to hear opinions on approach methods to this.

1 - Gather a mass of local business e-mails and fire off a generic e-mail referencing their need for a digital marketing strategy, the fact they are missing out on revenue due to the current flaws with their website etc. including CTA / Website

2 - Take a more targetted (Slower) approach, tailor the e-mail directly at the business. In this give them a bite of one specific issue with their website and if they allow me(my business) to work with them they will, in turn, see an increase in ROI

I've always been a keen believer in personalised service and this could be the USP required to gain leverage in the area. In opposition to that law of averages/funnel thinking it's much easier and quicker to reach out to the masses and have the potentially lower conversion rate.

Thoughts?

Mike
 

UK.SteRioN

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Determined not to fall off the bandwagon I've opted to update you. Along the way of attempting to reach financial freedom I felt I came up with some brilliant ideas. Offered free audits to companies and sent out an e-mail marketing style campaign but nothing. So I continued my journey of producing content and keeping my site active before thinking of another "great" idea.

The "Great" Idea
I contacted my local council economic/business section and explained my services. I offered the opportunity to support brand new businesses with some basic SEO to help their digital footprint. The result - they followed me on twitter.

I tried again, I set about offering a local business the opportunity to receive free SEO and utilise their business as a case study in return for a review at the end. The idea behind this was to be able to produce a lengthy study of issues and fixes on their website. As this would be a local business it in turn would then assist my strategy for local ranking. Unfortunately , no takers.

Despite the fact I've had little success with regards to sales there has been success elsewhere in the business plan. Working nicely in the background is getting an increase in search engine visibility starting locally.

Embarking on this change a specific keyword ranked around 80-90th for back at the start of November, the business is now 18th on Google.

Conclusion

So the original plan didn't work out but there is some success in the background keeping me motivated. As an aside project I am creating my very own SEO Site Audit tool in python. This has been a great learning curve not only learning more python but also integrating in to my Django website.

Thanks for reading!!
 
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D

Deleted74396

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Conclusion

So the original plan didn't work out but there is some success in the background keeping me motivated. As an aside project I am creating my very own SEO Site Audit tool in python. This has been a great learning curve not only learning more python but also integrating in to my Django website.

Thanks for reading!!

You got this! As you pointed out your organic SEO is improving, up to 18th place, that's great.

Don't underestimate the power of organic marketing :) You could pick up local leads by creating a Facebook group offering free digital marketing advice, how-tos, that sort of thing. Have conversations with people, build relationships, and tailor content they love to engage with and your organic reach will be really good.
 

UK.SteRioN

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Further update

To date no sales or enquiries and I will have to openly admit maybe I've been more focused on "levelling up" as it were.

Keyword tracking with 4 in the top 10 and another 4 ranking 10-15th

Unfortunately I think maybe from a strategy point of view the business market in the local area I have targeted , there isn't so much a requirement. A lot of businesses here are smaller family owned.

No excuses simply haven't put in enough effort for lead generation, but there's still ongoing work

Thanks for reading,
Mike
 

Paul David

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You need to niche down on your offering. For example I’m in the “digital marketing” space but I only do two things.

Firstly I only do Facebook ads. Secondly I only work with laser clinics. Niche down and become an authority in your area and then focus on setting appointments with potential clients (cold Email, LinkedIn, messenger, paid ads, cold calling) and then closing them.
 
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go giver

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You need to niche down on your offering. For example I’m in the “digital marketing” space but I only do two things.

Firstly I only do Facebook ads. Secondly I only work with laser clinics. Niche down and become an authority in your area and then focus on setting appointments with potential clients (cold Email, LinkedIn, messenger, paid ads, cold calling) and then closing them.
What software is best to create ada for Facebook? I am currently creating an ad
 

maverick

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Without sounding too harsh: you're spending your time on useless secondary activities. Making your own website, learning XYZ, building ABC etc is all noise.

Figure out a value proposition that gives you an edge on the competition, get your proposition in front of your audience and start selling. The rest is all mental masturbation.

Imagine you're in a room with 10 other companies in the same space. How are you going to distinguish yourself? Why should I pick your company? Your service offering is a commodity to me.

So how to build a value prop?
Let's take the example of web accessibility. New laws have been passed that websites need to be accessible by anyone (regardless of disability):

An audit that shows why your website is not compliant with web accessibility rules/laws and an action plan for getting your website compliant = value proposition. Hire yourself some disabled people and show clients why they're not accessible. That it means that a blind person for example is not able to renew their passport on your council website.

The copy / ads basically writes itself then.

Making yet.. another.. SEO audit tool is != value prop. A simple google search gives me pages and pages of these tools - most of them for free. Tools I can use from my browser, or github repos I can download or ...
 

Stargazer

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Hello Mike

You want to be personal? Walk in to these local businesses. That puts you in a category of 1 with 100% visibility. Your emails are going to junk or unread 99% of the time.

I don't need a report of an audit of what happened to someone else's website any more than I need a mechanic to tell me what he did to someone else's car.

I just want to know what you can do in plain English, so give me some numbers on a before and after. If I really want to know how I will ask you. You just need to plant the seed that you can do it and let my brain grow it.

eg ' I worked with xyz gym in wherever and we got the membership up from 120 to 200 in 3 months. At £30 a month that translates to nearly £30k a year (80 x £30 x 12 months ) and we just got started. You interested?'

Not saying that is what you should say verbatim but it would be the crux of a message after you have said hello, new guy on the block here just wanting to put faces to names etc etc.

And as @maverick and @Paul David niche down and differentiate.

Good Luck

Dan
 

UK.SteRioN

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All,

Thanks for the input is greatly appreciated and I'm inclined to have to agree. The angle of approach hasn't been right / focus in the wrong area. Based on the comments I'll have a readjust and come up with a new plan.

My thought process behind the ranking is/was that I'm a firm believer your business is the greatest testimonial especially in digital marketing. How could you sell the fact you are a leading expert when people have to scroll through pages to find yours?

With the wheels rolling on that, I do believe the need to refocus on a more sales orientated mentality.

Thanks,
Mike
 

Andy Black

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How could you sell the fact you are a leading expert when people have to scroll through pages to find yours?
Maybe they don’t care?

People hire me regularly to help with their Google Ads campaigns. In 10 years not one of them has mentioned how they didn’t find me via a Google Ad.
 
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Stargazer

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Mike

There is some logic to what you have written so I understand what you have been doing.

If I want a Summer House I certainly want to see the company has nice pictures of Summer Houses they have built.

But I would be Googling for a Summer House.

However most small businesses are not Googling for websites or SEO or any of that so you ranking yours and having examples doesn't mean they will see it.

If you walked in and told me that you had done a gym as in my example above then that is the site I would look at after you have gone, not yours.

Make sense?

Dan
 

Andy Black

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