How To Become A 5-Star Internet Marketer

This is a guest blog post from Jimmy D. Brown.  He continues our guest blogger theme of ‘business transitions’.

My wife and I have been married since 1994.  During the years since our wedding, we have stayed in a variety of hotels ranging from a “glorified closet” to a resort suite, everything from a 1-star rating to a 5-star rating.

We’re not into astronomy, but we do like to see a lot of stars when it comes to our accommodations!

Here’s what Hotels.com says of a “5-Star” rating…

“These luxury hotels offer the pinnacle of service and pampering. Pristine surroundings often include manicured landscaping and famed works of art. Guests may expect multilingual concierge and/or butler services, extensive pool, spa and fitness facilities, and gourmet restaurants with world-renowned chefs. There is typically a high staff- to-guest ratio. Guestrooms feature ample space, designer linens, and special touches such as fresh flowers, champagne and flat-screen televisions. These hotels most often are located in the most desirable cities or resort destinations.”

In other words, 5-star means “the best”.  It represents the highest order of a hotel.  Or, anything for that matter.

There are 5-star hotels, restaurants, campgrounds, salons, banks and much more.

In fact, you can apply the 1-5 star rating system to just about anything.

Even internet marketing.

What I’d like to do is share some insights into becoming a 5-star internet marketer.  And what I’m going to focus on is the strategy that serves as the foundation of all 5-star ratings:  ongoing change in pursuing excellence.

• Can you imagine a hotel receiving a 5-star rating today by offering a black and white television?
• Can you imagine a restaurant receiving a 5-star rating without air conditioning?
• Can you imagine a campground receiving a 5-star rating with no “full hookups”?

While this may have generated a 5-star rating 50 years ago, it’s simply not enough for today.  There is an “ongoing pursuit of excellence” for those who achieve AND maintain a 5-star rating.

That’s the principle I want you to learn today:  5-star internet marketers make adjustments to their business ahead of the pack.

Back in the 1978 one of my favorite songs (I was only 8!) was “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers.  In it, he provides some sage advice that internet marketers would do well to apply in order achieve 5-star status…

“You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run.”

These statements form the four stages of a transitional business mindset…

#1 – MAXIMIZE. (“When to hold ‘em”) If you’ve got a “good hand”, you maximize it.  You keep doing what you’re doing until you’ve gotten the absolute best results as you can.

• If a certain topic of information is selling well, you keep selling it until it stops selling well.
• If a certain advertisement is producing great leads, you keep using that advertisement until it stops producing great leads.
• If a certain business practice is achieving a desired result, you keep using that practice until it stops achieving a desired result.

Whatever it is that you find is working, keep doing it (even pouring EXTRA energy and money into it) until it is no longer working effectively.

#2 – MINIMIZE .  (“When to fold ‘em”) If you see that others are beginning to get a “better hand” than you, you begin to make adjustments.  You “minimize” your shortcomings by making improvements to what you’re doing.

• If technology advances are made then you upgrade everything from the format and delivery of your product to your support to your merchandising.
• If new concepts, ideas and trends emerge then you tweak your existing content, communication, operations and so forth or develop entirely new assets based on these revelations.
• If others consistently rate higher than you (in volume, consumer opinion, or any other gauge) then you identify what makes them “better” and strive to move forward with similar thinking and practices.

#3 – MOBILIZE. (“When to walk away”) There comes a time when it is a smart idea to make dramatic changes or reforms to either the way you conduct your business, the products and services you are selling, or both.

• If you’ve sold as many copies of a product as you reasonably feel that you can, then consider an “exit” strategy such as selling a portion of the business or offering a set number of licenses.
• If you’ve grown to the point where you can no longer reasonably keep up with operations (and thus have limited your potential growth) then consider finding a partner, hiring an employee, forming strategic joint ventures or outsource as many things as you can.
• If you’ve reached a plateau in your overall sales then consider adding alternate forms of revenue generation to your mix (coaching, membership sites, eclasses, workshops, licensing, advertising, etc.)

#4 – MODERNIZE. (“When to run”) Finally, there comes a time when you may want to leave your base and diversify into an entirely different business model.  Even if you don’t completely leave the market, once your business is doing extremely well it’s time to add more income streams from other sources.

• If your business has reached a saturation point where new income is becoming increasingly difficult to create, then consider branching into a related market and “starting over”.
• If your business has reached a threshold where it is basically running itself (with outsourcing, employees, partners, etc. in place) then consider branching into a related market to create additional business revenue.
• If your business has become outdated in its publication, presentation, promotion or practice, then consider a complete overhaul from the ground up as you strip everything down to the foundation and rebuild. (I.E. Keep your same customer base, prospects and partners, but revamp your offer.)

Every successful business changes with the times.

Twenty years ago there was Apple computers, but there was no Ipod.  Twenty years ago there was Sony but there was no Playstation.  Twenty years ago there was Ford, but there was no in-dash GPS.  Twenty years ago there was Ganz, but there was no Webkinz.

What have these businesses done?

They’ve made adjustments.  They are 5-star companies because they knew what Kenny Rogers sang about:

“You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run.”

If you want to be a 5-star internet marketer then you’ve gotta transition when it is warranted.

And that’s no gamble.

Want to learn from Jimmy?  Join me as I continue to study his awesome Affiliatenaire program!