So you have a product, blog, e-commerce site, landing page, or an information productnow you just need users. Customer acquisition is one of the biggest challenges of building an online business of any kind.
Getting people to visit your site is the first step in the customer acquisition process. Thats what traffic is. Its a view of your website or product. Its the first step in the process of converting the billions of Internet users into paying customers.
This book is all about how to drive traffic to your site using content marketing!
The Current State of Marketing
There are a few emerging technology trends happening right now that make it an amazing time to be a marketer. These trends present both opportunities and challenges.
Interwebs
In 2000 there was a huge bubble in the technology sector. There was a lot of speculation about how the Internet would change business and the world and how much it would be worth. The Internet was relatively new and not a lot of people were actually using it yet. Eventually the bubble popped and many people lost a lot of money.
The difference between 2000 and today is that the Internet is no longer relatively new. Now there are now billions of people using the Internet. What entrepreneurs and investors were expecting in 2000 has finally happened. In addition, its no longer for just the young and rich. The Internet is used in emerging markets, underdeveloped countries, and by old people too!
Ecommerce
Not only are people using the Internet for research, theyre finally starting to get comfortable with purchasing all kinds of products online.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that e-commerce penetration of total retail sales in the U.S. was around eight percent in 2012. Thats small! Theres still a ton of room for growth. In addition, online retail has strong cost advantages over its offline counterparts. Online retail is rapidly taking share in many categories through better pricing, selection and, increasingly, service.
Product Development
The cost of building a product and taking it to market has gotten cheaper and easier. What used to take months if not years and millions of dollars now takes weeks (if not less) and thousands of dollars (if not less).
Networks
New distribution networks such as Twitter and Facebook give us access to hundreds of millions of potential customers at the click of a mouse. For free. The Internet is the great equalizer. Anyone with a message or product that people like can and will be found.
Disruption
People dont get sold anymore. They buy.
Many of the old methods of advertising and customer acquisition are either not performing as well or simply not working. Traditional media buying and advertising is expensive, unmeasurable, and less effective than it used to be.
Content marketing, social media marketing, and growth hacking are cheap, efficient, and effective!
Payments
Innovation in payments, including PayPal, Stripe, Gumroad, and Bitcoin, has made it cheaper and easier than ever to transfer money. Paying for something is as easy as sending an email, clicking a hyperlink, or scanning a QR code.
Mobile
Mobile devices have become nearly as powerful as desktops or laptops. Furthermore, there are many things we can do with our phones that we can't do on our computers. For example, smartphones have sensors, are aware of location, can be carried with us at all times, and are cheaper than desktops or laptops.
These factors have led to mass adoption of mobile devices across the world, including countries with high poverty where people could not previously afford a desktop or laptop.
Were all walking around with high-powered computers in our pockets that can be used to buy products and/or consume content!
Notes
Before diving into the book, here are a few quick things to keep in mind about traffic and content marketing.
1. Traffic is just the top of the conversion funnel. Its not the only thing you need to sell your product or service. You also need optimized conversion funnels, strong copywriting, good design and UX, and of course a product that people want!
2. Every product and company is different. You will want to consider what your customer lifetime value is and how that compares to the customer acquisition cost of each of these channels. You will probably need to test different channels and iterate until you find one that works.
3. Having a product that people want is the first step to building a successful business. Your traffic wont convert if you dont have a product people want. If you have a product people want your referral rates and virality can increase significantly. If you feel you have still not found product/market fit, check out Customer Development for Entrepreneurs : How to Test Startup Ideas and Build Products People Love via Amazon.
About the Author
Mike Fishbein is an entrepreneur in New York City, author of multiple books on entrepreneurship, and has advised both startups and fortune 500 companies on customer development and new product innovation.
Mike is the Founder of stpcollege.com, an education technology company in New York City. With over 2,000 enrolled students, stpcollege.com's online courses help entrepreneurs start and grow their companies.
Prior to stpcollege.com, Mike was a founding team member of Casual Corp, a venture studio and corporate innovation firm founded by an accomplished serial entrepreneur. While at Casual Corp, Mike served as a lead product manager in launching three new technology businesses. In addition, Mike advised some of the world's largest companies on new product innovation.
Mike's expertise lies in customer development, Lean product strategy, and customer acquisition. His writings on startup marketing and strategy have been published in Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, and more.
Mike has been starting companies since he was a teenager and serves as a resource and advisor to startups in New York City in abroad.
Mike has had is content published on sites like The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, and more.
The following are related topics meant to help you take your blog and content marketing to the next level. Below you will find links to download each ebook for free.
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Ever stare at a blank document for thirty minutes straight not knowing what to write? Writers block can hold you back if you dont learn how to conquer it.
In this book, I show you how to overcome writers block and get in the zone. Youll learn how to use your flow state to your advantage, as well as practical tips that will help you write content efficiently for the rest of your life. Read this book and kiss your writers block goodbye.
Get the book for free here .
Guest Blogging Master Class
Want more traffic and customers? Does blogging on your own domain ever feel like you are farting in the wind?