Internet Babel

Well, Blogging about MMO, won’t MMO.

Why Not?

Most of us working Blogs in this MMO/Internet Marketing niche try to provide advice (basically to each other) – we talk about affiliates, on-site advertising, reviews and whatever, and the majority of what we talk about is aimed at the guys working in the same kind of field.

There’s a lot of needless obsessing about subscriber numbers (and artificial and temporary ways to boost them), Alexa rank, PR etc, and a lot of chatter about methods for making money online.

While it’s true that these Blogs can provide a lot of inspiration, and a small number of people make decent money from them – the truth is that the kind of traffic we get is not good for converting. Most Blog/Webmaster type visitors are too savvy to click on ads, and the kind of traffic you get from social networking is transient and not focussed (as a rule).

What works?

The recent massive sale of Bankaholic (widely reported elsewhere) is a perfect example of a brilliant piece of business and should serve as the real lesson for those of you who want to really Make Money Online.

Bankaholic is a Blog/Site with unspectaclar traffic and Alexa ranking. However, it is squarely and directly aimed at a very high-paying target market, ranks highly for major credit/banking keywords (due to it’s content and SEO) and this (plus its layout/structure) will bring a visitor population that is highly focussed on the subject matter and MUCH more likely to click/convert.

The timing of the sale (given the current Credit Crunch) is a bit unfortunate, but the appeal of the site to the Buyer is unquestionable.

What Next?

So – the lesson to be learnt (as always) is that finding and focussing on a target niche, building good content and running effective SEO/backlink building is the way to Make Money Online. So stop talking about it, go out and try it for yourself. 

I will be running a 1-year experiment starting soon, developing between 10-20 sites based on selected niche markets and I’ll be reporting on progress here. But don’t wait for me, or anyone else, to do it:

• find a niche (preferably one with good pay-per-click, pay-per-action)
• find a domain
• build some content
• build a site
• SEO it
• build some backlinks
• plant some occasional link-bait
• repeat until Rich

Don’t talk about MMO – go and do it.

Cheers

Dave

I’m an extremely strong atheist and couldn’t believe in evolution and science more, and religion and God less. But, this is an Internet marketing blog so I’m not going to get into detail or start a huge debate about religion, there are better places to do that.

I just happened to be listening to some brilliant Richard Dawkins interviews and felt like making this post.

This post is just drawing from the elements of what I believe defines Atheism.

So, here’s 3 things Internet marketers can learn from Atheism…

1. The Truth is More Captivating than Falsity

So how does this relate to Internet marketing. Well, I think there are a lot of Internet marketers who like to fake it and like the view of ‘fake it till you make it’. Yes, you can quite easily, convincingly fake it. But I think the truth is so much better.

• I’d rather read a real story of how a man made $1,000 as apposed to a fake story about how a man made $1,000,000.
• I’d rather read about a struggling Internet marketer drawing from his real experiences as apposed to an Internet marketer drawing from imaginary scenarios and figures.

I think it just undermines and cheapens what we as intelligent human beings should stand for, in the quest for real understanding and progression. Just like I believe religion does the same.

Be truthful, no matter how much you think people will neglect you because of it. If you only make $1 a day. Say that. Don’t lie to try and boost your profile because it will come back and bite you.

2. Facts Speak for Themself

Just like biological facts of advancement, or any significant fact relating to our existence. Facts need no debate.

In Internet marketing terms, facts are also very useful. Although I think it’s much better to create a site on something you’re passionate or knowledgeable about as apposed to a site directed purely at profit only. I think it’s equally important to still take into consideration, facts.

If you’ve spent two years on a site about something you love yet even in your best efforts cannot make a penny with it, I think you have to eventually throw in the towel and move on. The ‘never give up’ motto is nice but in reality, you only live so long. Learn to let things go if they are clearly not going anywhere. Learn from your failures.

Although, I do think there’s nearly no excuse not to make a site about anything and have it make money. There’s so many people using the Internet and so many tastes, beliefs, opinions, niche opportunities and hobbies that realistically, you should be able to make any site a success. There’s enough people in any given market to do so, with enough effort.

3. Some People will Never Agree with You

Being an atheist, however extreme of one, you still have to accept that some people will simply never change or see your logic. Despite how much real life proof you shove in front of them.

In the same way, you need to accept that online, there is such a constant diverse mixture of opinions and viewpoints that yours will never be fully accepted. Just like anyone else’s.

This is true of real life anyway but more so I think online. Only because people from all walks of life are integrated completely and nobody is an outsider. Whereas in the real world, everyone is a little more segregated so you get more of acceptance of opinion in large cultures.

I think the lesson from this point is that you shouldn’t take criticism so seriously. Accept other people’s opinion but never let it detract from your own and never let it dishearten you or distort your self belief.

That just about ties up this post, I’m sure there will be lots of debate on this purely because I’ve  mentioned religion. Such a sensitive subject, oh well. Roll on comment bashing

Ricky Gervais is one of the most influential comedians of this generation.

In his 10 years of fame he has created two genius sitcoms – The Office and Extras, a hilarious Podcast series, bringing forth a new found popularity of Podcasting as a serious media output and much more for the world of British comedy and comedy as a whole.

I love Gervais, he is brilliant, The Office was just… the funniest thing I have ever seen. By the way I am from the UK so I’m referring to the original. Not ‘the UK version’ as American media sometimes deems it, it’s the original! lol.

Anyway, here’s 3 things you, as an Internet marketer can learn from his fame and way of thinking.

1. Keep Your Integrity

Throughout his fame, Gervais has always kept his integrity. He has always mocked sell outs publicly and has good reason to. To get where he is he made no compromises and turned down things that were just for the money.

This is something you can put forth in your marketing. Keep your integrity. Keep it by writing about what you want, writing how you want, not writing for the sake of others, not lowering ad prices to embarrassing prices simply because nobody has asked to advertise yet. Amongst other things.

2. Have One Vision

Another thing Gervais has done always done well is have a vision, pursue it and complete it with no compromises.

Do this with your marketing. If you have an idea, pursue the idea, don’t listen to other people. Take criticism on board if it’s constructive but ultimately let things go, just perfect what you have in mind. By compromising what you envision you compromise your chances of success or more importantly personal satisfaction in yoursef and your work.

3. Don’t Take Things so Seriously

Gervais has won 3 Golden Globes and has Emmy’s and other awards coming out of his ass. But he has never taken it seriously and continues to ironically point out how much he’s won, which some people aka dome as f*ck reporters just do not get.

Never take a criticism to heart. If you create something – a product, a website, whatever. That you honestly believe is brilliant, who cares what other people tell you, don’t take it all so seriously, just have fun marketing and do what you do and what you want to do.

I will be continuing this series this month and possibly as a permanent installment of post series.

Remember, have fun marketing. Also Ricky Gervais is a comedy genius!