If you are in the information marketing business, you already know what an exciting and
lucrative business this can be. If you are new to the business or just beginning to think
about wading into the ocean of opportunity, you are in for an amazing business
adventure.
All adventures, whether business or other types, are fraught with wrong turns, detours,
pitfalls and traps. And as you know, not all adventures end happily, that’s what makes
them adventures and not fairy tales. Whether you are an experienced information
marketing trekker or a novice pilgrim, you greatly improve your chances of success by
learning to recognize and avoid some common obstacles and traps.
The first and easiest trap to fall into is to try to go into too many directions at once. With
the information marketing business it is easy to do: one idea leads to another, and
another, and another. Before you know it, you are light years away from your original
focus and have no idea where the finish line might be. While some people call this multi-
tasking, the truth is that this fractured thinking. Stay focused. Keep a notebook for all
those fabulous ideas, but stay focused on your original idea and see it through.
The second most treacherous trap is underestimating the time and research needed to be
competitive in the global market place. Information marketing businesses are the fastest
growing market sector. With each new day comes a fresh onslaught of information
marketers, all of whom want to beat you to the prize. There are several keys to avoiding
this trap: (1) be diligent and relentless in marketing your product; (2) partner with other
information marketers who have products that dovetail nicely with yours, and (3) insure
the uniqueness of your information product.
The third and most insidious is discouragement that leads to quitting. Because the
information marketing business can seem like an endless labyrinth, it is far too easy to get
discourage. The key to avoid this trap is to remember that unlike a real labyrinth, there
are many paths to prize and that each dead end or wrong turn is actually a lesson that will
lead you forward to success, if you just pay attention.
There are many pitfalls, traps, and detours in the adventurous journey of information
marketing—too many to enumerate here. The true trekker will make the information
marketing business a passion—will spend every day learning about the business and
building the skills and techniques to be successful.
The very essence of the information marketing business is creativity and innovation and
that essence is what appeals to even the most trepidatious entrepreneur. So whether you
are an experienced information marketer or new to the business, enter the labyrinth
eagerly equipped with the knowledge of the typical traps and pitfalls and adventure your
way success. Always remember that the information marketing business is an adventure
not a fairy tale: happily ever after is not guaranteed.