Copyright 2006 Willie Crawford
Over the past 10 years, I've had dozens of friends, who had successful online businesses, tell me that they were going to quit the Internet marketing business and do something else.
Over the past 10 years, I've gone to hundreds of websites to discover that the owners of the sites had left the online world... simply packed up and quit. Some of them explained why they quit, others simply allowed their domains to expire and quietly faded away.
Many of the people, in both of the cases above, simply experienced "Internet marketing burnout." They no longer enjoyed Internet marketing and so they went on to do something that they enjoyed more.
Let's briefly examine some of the causes of Internet marketing burnout and perhaps address how you can avoid it!
One of the most prevalent causes of Internet marketing burnout, that I've noticed, resulted largely because people were selling thing that they really didn't believe in. They simply tired of trying to "convince" people that they needed and wanted products that they didn't honestly believe were a good value. They were selling products that they made good money from, but that they weren't convinced improved peoples lives.
The solution to avoiding the type of burnout described above is very simple. Don't sell anything that you wouldn't buy yourself. Don't sell anything that you feel somewhat guilty about offering to others. It's that simple. Get a sample of any product that you are thinking about selling, examine it end to end, and ONLY offer it to your market if you're convinced that it will add tremendous VALUE to your customers' lives.
A second thing that burns Internet marketers out ... especially consultants and coaches, is dealing with people who ask you for help but won't commit to helping themselves. You throw your heart and soul into giving someone the best advice that you have. You spend a lot of time and effort helping someone to research a project and come up with a great plan - only to have them not follow through. That burns a lot of people out over time.
The way to avoid encountering this type of burnout is to be very selective in agreeing to work with clients. Interview/screen them and confirm that they have the habit of completing tasks. Confirm that they have a strong enough "reason why" that they will NEVER give up on a dream or a project. These are the people you want as clients. These are the ONLY people that I currently work with - because my time is very limited and I only want to work with people who are willing to help themselves. You should do the same!
Many Internet marketers burn out after growing tired of pushing product after product to a "jaded" market. They see new products "coming down the pike" every day, and they are asked to promote many of them. Some can't resist this temptation. The problem arises when they realize that MOST of their customers, who buy product after product, NEVER actually use most of them. This becomes disheartening and can lead to burnout.
The solution is to be very selective and to only sell things that that you believe in. Once you have a product that you really believe improves your customers' lives, don't just promote it for a week or two. Develop a long-term plan and promote it until it's no longer a timely and appropriate product. Most of your customers will only buy that product after hearing you talk about it over and over again. So, do repeat mailings for the same product rather than promoting 100 different products. You'll find that more satisfying :-)
Many people burn out because what they're doing online doesn't fit in with what they see as their "purpose." When you do a job that has no real "meaning" to you, you soon get bored or tired of that job.
The solution is to do something that fits in with something in your life that has meaning... something bigger than just the act of making a few short-term sales. As an example, I help with a project that, on the surface, sells cookbooks and is producing a television show. When you dig deeper, the project (at http://TheDevotionalChef.com) is helping to build and fund a homeless shelter... perhaps two homeless shelters, in Baton Rouge Louisiana. That project has a LOT of meaning and purpose to me because I've known so many homeless people... some whom have died largely as a result of being homeless. I enjoy that project because I can see the "good" that it's doing.
Not every project has to take on such significance, but when one does it's a lot easier to see it through to completion. It's a lot easier to enjoy working on a project like that, even when the going gets tough!
Another way to avoid Internet marketing burnout is to take control of your time and lead a balanced life. One of the elements missing from many Internet marketers' (that I consult with) lives is that they have no real social life. They spend all of their time sitting in front of a computer and interact with other people face to face very little. That can turn you into a very lonely place.
You can deal with the "lonely computer person" syndrome by making a conscious effort to get out and do things with neighbors, friends, and relatives. You can also make new friends who share your interest in Internet marketing by attending more Internet marketing seminars and conferences. You can form deep friendships at these events as well as meet new potential business, and joint venture, partners.
A good place to locate Internet marketing events is: http://InternetMarketingSeminarSchedule.com There may even be inexpensive seminars and conferences within a convenient driving distance from where you live ;-) Another cause of Internet marketing burnout is the feeling that you are not making any real progress. This is often due to the fact that, without a boss watching over your shoulders, you have very little discipline and therefore VERY low productivity.
The solution to the low discipline, low productivity problem is simple... guard against things that decrease your productivity such as instant messenger type programs, hanging out in forums too much, playing games online, etc. If you need to, eliminate... or at least schedule when these things will fit into your day!
Take a course or read a few books on time management. This will help you to see how others gain control over their time, and get much more done. My favorite book on the topic is by Dan Kennedy, and is called: "No B.S. Time Management For Entrepreneurs - The Ultimate No Holds Barred Kick Butt Take No Prisoners Guide To Time Productivity & Sanity." I bought a copy off Barnes and Nobles. Get a copy, read it, and apply some of what Dan teaches... it will free up an amazing amount of time for you.
While you're learning from Dan, also grab a free 3-month subscription to his newsletter. It will continue helping you to get a grip on your use of time, and also revolutionize your business. You can get a free 3-month subscription at: http://www.dk3monthspecial.com/best_offer Grab it NOW ;-) The final cause of low productivity that we will examine is lack of focus and trying to do too many different projects at the same time. You begin to feel overwhelmed and that you are not getting ANY project finished. The solution to this one is amazingly simple too.. Focus on one thing at a time and see it through to completion. This gives you that much needed sense of accomplishment AND also gives you some cash flow. Half-completed products can't be sold. After you've complete a given project, only then do you allow yourself to even NOTICE the next project.
I've just shared with you some common causes of Internet marketing burnout, and how I, and my clients, avoid them. Apply the appropriate ones to your life today, and you can easily avoid this business killer! |
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