Graham Lutz is a blogger who’s passionate about helping you realize your goals of freedom, whether it is getting out of a job you hate, providing a better life for your family, or living your dream of location freedom.
What is the biggest mistake you made as a new Internet Marketer?
The biggest mistake I made as a new internet marketer was failing to realize the importance of each “cog” to a successful internet marketing campaign. In the beginning I seemed to think that internet marketing revolved around a blog – and that was it.
What I soon learned after research, interviewing and learning from others was that internet marketing was so much more than just a blog. Successful internet marketing includes an email list, popular blog and a strong social media presence.
All work together in producing a brand that is able to move products with a purpose.
Where did you waste money early on in your career? And what would you have done differently to save that money?
It seems that I tended to have the opposite of this problem in the beginning.
I don’t believe I spent enough.
When I first started internet marketing, I was rather young, so there wasn’t much of a cash resource to draw upon.
In the beginning I would have put more focus on investing money in quality products to help grow my brands and products. Investing in good blog themes/templates, email list management and more.
What was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome as a new Internet Marketer?
The biggest hurdle would have to be the intense magnitude of what you need to learn as an internet marketer. As an internet marketer you often act as your own web designer, campaign director, personality, secretary and more. It’s a large beast to tame and harness.
The longer I’ve been involved in internet marketing the more I realize how much easier it could be to learn. If you get the right books, follow and are mentored by the right people, you can have a whole lot more success earlier than what I’ve achieved.
What do you see as the biggest emerging trend in making money online?
People are selling out.
What I tend to notice is that people are looking for an even quicker way to make some fast cash online. Instead of creating a brand, working harder and achieving an even greater level of success – individuals are selling their time to the big boys.
Places like HubPages, although a benefit if used properly, are using the power of sheer numbers to produce an unstoppable farm of content – all produced by talented writers. I tend to feel that those writers could be better served by spending more of their time at their own “home” on the internet.
What would you say is a realistic time frame for getting to $1000 a month online?
I think this would be based entirely on your goals and what type of product you’re pushing.
If you’re an internet marketer who is just beginning, and you’re focusing on low-level, low-cost products – you’re going to need a larger purchase traffic to achieve that goal of $1,000 a month.
If you were to start internet marketing with a sellable product or service offered by yourself – you’ll find that it will be much quicker to achieve that $1,000 a month.
When I first started internet marketing one of my services was website design and development. By using the power of family, connections and an online presence – I was able to monetize that product, and reach a steady level of income at a faster pace.
To place “takeway” value on what I just blabbed about – I would say that if you want to make money faster, create your own product. If you want to take a longer route or are afraid of creating your own product or service (which you shouldn’t be) the $1,000 mark per month will take longer to achieve.
What is the most important thing someone has to know to make money online?
The venue is changed, but the battle is still the same.
Treat your efforts online like a business.
A good business. A smooth business. An efficient business. A smart business.
Just because your efforts are online doesn’t mean that you’re not running a business. The venue is changed, but the battle is still the same. Marketing online still follows the same principles that marketing in the real-world has found success in delivering.
Blogger, entrepreneur, digital marketing consultant and recording artist. I make money online and teach others how to do the same.
"You’re such a smart boy!" were his first accolades heard. So, it’s no wonder that this phrase became the title of his business, Smart Boy Designs.