ProfessorIM

Yesterday was a tough day. Any day that I decide to build PPC campaigns is a hard day. It requires too much analysis; spreadsheets that are too large, calculations that are unreliable but necessary; the use of too many keyword tools; and too many decisions to be made. At the end of the day, I always have a headache.

I certainly understand why I keep running into people who say that they have made a success of Internet Marketing and yet have managed to avoid reaching a comfort level with PPC. For those of you who read this, I hope I don’t discourage you from building PPC campaigns because I think you should. As in business, it would be like telling a company that they could become a success without advertising. It is possible, but it sure would be doing things the hard way.

It is true that I keep coming across people who want success in Internet Marketing, but do not take the steps to learn the business. A number of months ago, I became a member of PPC Classroom. Anik Singal and Amit Mehta have put together a comprehensive training program with a support system to help you with your campaigns. PPC Classroom is currently closed for new enrollees, but I will encourage you to look for it opening again in the future if you would like to join.

Eventhough I diligently studied their modules and attended their webinars, there is no substitute for experience. You just have to jump in and apply the information offered to you in order to gain the experience that will allow you to make better judgment calls. Believe me that is the only way to reach a comfort level with PPC–and it is painful during the learning process. It also costs you money. Anik and Amit tell you to consider the cost of your mistakes as the cost of your education. It is still hard to swallow.

There are great tools available and I would not want to do it without them. First, I must say that Google has offered a great service in Adwords with their Keyword Research Tool that now includes the number of searches. The use of Adwords Editor is also the most efficient way to build campaigns.

Don’t you love these names?–Keyword Spy, Spyfu, Keyword Elite, and Keycompete. These tools allow you to spy on your competitors to see what keywords that they are using to build their adwords campaigns. Then there are other great tools like SEO Digger that has now become SEM Rush that analyze Google Search results and analyze keywords at domains that ranks in the top 20 search or Adword results.

This story would not be complete without my commenting on Clickbank Commission Blueprint by Steven Clayton and Tim Godfrey. Market Samurai is the bomb. Adding it to my arsenal made such a difference. I also watched their videos so many times observing their techniques and improving my own. My goal is to become quicker. I still take too long to get the campaigns up and running. Again, experience is necessary to make it become automatic and get you away from having to think about everything.

Everything you learn from scratch takes time and effort. I am determined to slay this dragon once and for all. Wish me luck.

Have you ever read anything that made you say “They are talking about me?” Lately, this happens to me often when I read blog posts, special reports, or even emails about growing the business of Internet marketing. After I think about it, I realize that many people have gone or are going through the same experience that I am having as I learn the IM business, build the foundations and implement the various systems of my business.

Here is a quote from Michael Cheney: “Learning the hard way involves working 16 hours a day. Choosing the hard way means feeling totally alone. You think and feel like the whole world is against you and that nobody understands your situation.

Being successful the hard way is a real nightmare – it involves banging your head constantly against the wall and having to wait months and years to notice that you might not even be moving in the right direction.

Being successful the hard way involves doing everything on your own and believing that you have all the answers.

He ends this quote by saying: “The hard way sucks. Big Time.”

Now doesn’t that sound like Michael Cheney’s has been there. Doesn’t he know what it is like to work hard to build a successful business?

Of course, he goes on to tell you how he quit doing business the hard way and started using more successful techniques. He does not treat himself badly. He eats a good breakfast, gets his exercise, and sets and believes in his goals. He also uses time management and does things that makes him focus to eliminate wasted time. He plans his days to continuously give himself the rewards of completing tasks.

Now after you read all of this good advice, what do you do? Of course you have just thought: “I knew that; everyone knows that.” But then, do you go back to doing the same things or do you make changes that incorporate into your routine the new successful techniques. If you took a poll, which one would win–stay the same or adapt new ways?

I can’t resist asking you one more thing. Do you limit the reading of your emails to 10 minutes once a day? I have been told that by so many people. Well, my new schedule of activities is laying on my desk waiting for me. I am going to post once a week without fail. Wish me luck. One day you may be reading my success story.