29 Apr 2009

Are You Studying?

They should be…and here’s what I mean. Every day, you use the Internet to both kill time and learn about things that interest you. The problem, from the standpoint of someone looking to develop an online empire, is that you probably have not switched into the business owner’s mindset and as a result you are operating as a consumer.

Think about it like this…you are drawn to certain websites for various reasons, yet you probably never take the time to think about why. If you shift your mindset from that of a consumer to that of a business owner, you will start to realize what certain websites do well and what others do not.

Rather than simply consuming content, you need to take the time to think about what attracts you, what keeps you engaged, and what excites you. These are the same principles that you could be using to lure people to your web real estate.

You’ve got to look at everything. That means SEO, content, design, functionality, and anything else that you find interesting. Part of the process of developing an online skill set is cutting out the learning curve by copying what others are doing well. This doesn’t mean you can’t be original, but why re-invent the wheel when you can find what others are doing best and replicate it?

Learn from the Masters

It worked for Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, and it can work for you as well. Find the experts in your field of expertise and start dissecting every single thing that they do. Find out how they got started and then follow their path to where they are now.

Keep detailed notes about field experts and keep them in a file that you can reference at will. These are the secrets to developing an online empire. These people have already have the keys to the kingdom, so why not study how they got them?

For instance, I am highly invested in social media, social networking, content publishing, and multi-media. I also spend time developing strategy for “brick and mortar” businesses. As a result, I study Chris Brogan, Darren Rowse, Gary Vaynerchuk, Brian Clark, and Chris Guillebeau.

I’ve dissected their paths to success and analyzed common trends so that I know what works well, and what does not. I’ve learned how to duplicate certain processes while abandoning others that I’ve found not to work. Rather than learning all of this on my own, via trial and error, I’ve been able to significantly reduce the process by learning from the masters.

How to Get Involved

If you really want to take your business empire to the next level, then you need to “become” one of the experts. Here are 6 strategies that you can use to get started:

Ask for an interview, via email or Skype, with one of the experts in your field. Don’t be afraid to follow or keep asking if you don’t get a yes at first. This doesn’t mean you should pester them, but keep plugging away at it until they have time or change their mind. Sometimes, and I don’t blame them, they only make time for other experts or names that are on the “up and coming list.” If at first you don’t succeed, keep building your brand and your presence until you show up on their radar. At that point, they might be asking you.Now, make sure to keep a copy of this interview and offer it to your readers if you can. If you are really ambitious, you’ll create a mini-recording or PDF and offer it as a bonus to new subscribers. You can also sell it as a stand-alone product, but make sure you have the permission of both you and your interviewee.
Spend time developing relationships with experts by engaging with them on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. They might not engage back at first, but eventually they’ll have no choice but to take notice of your tenacity and ambition.
Develop another blogger or beginner in your field. This is a great way to obtain expert status because you’ll be someone’s hero and they’ll look up to you as an authority figure. When it comes time for them to give recommendations, you will be at the top of their list. Help enough people and you’ll elevate yourself to the next level without needing a hand up. You’ll not only be helping others, but you also be building a resume of success stories while simultaneously gaining experience to build on.
Start building a list of blogs that accept guest posts and try to get one accepted. Even if the people in your niche don’t accept guest posts, it never hurts to ask, especially if you’ve already developed a relationship with someone. This is what I did at Caroline Middlebrook’s blog, David Risley’s blog, and at Darren Rowse’s Twitip blog. This will not only increase your own blog traffic, but it will also increas your credibility.
Link to other bloggers within your own blog. I frequently link to my favorite bloggers, not only to share them with my readers, but also because many times they will notice and make a guest appearance in the comments section. I’ve seen Chris Guillebeau, Chris Brogan, and a few other popular bloggers either comment one of my posts or just stop by to say hello. Although they don’t always have time to comment, they will get to know your name after a while. This is a great way to get noticed.
Lastly, become an authority in your niche by creating a report or publication and handing it out for free. Develop a whole series of reports and list them on your blog or website. When people see that you are a publisher, you will gain instant credibility. Chris Garret talks about this at length on his blog.

The path to building and developing an online empire is long and often difficult, but if you follow the examples already provided then you can make your journey much easier. Take the time to plan your processes and make sure you stick to that path. Keep records of everything you find and constantly update and reference those logs. Although your path might veer off at some point, you might as well take the main road until it does.

Best of luck to you in your business success.