Failure. The one thing all Internet marketers never want to hear. And that is understandable Nobody wants to fail, right?I have researched some of the reasons why most newbie internet marketers fail. In this article, you may identify yourself – or others you know. This article is not meant to be one of condemnation. It is being delivered so you can identify what areas you can improve and avoid the dreaded “F” word!First, let me state up front that I mean nothing derogatory with the term “newbie.” Everyone was a newbie at some point in time. It is kind of like being a called a “rookie” in major league sports. Once you have that first year under your belt, you are no longer a rookie. The same for internet marketing. However, a “newbie” could mean a 5 year marketer if that person continues to make “rookie mistakes.” I am using the term “newbie” simply because most new comers to internet marketing are looking for the “quick buck” and most tend to make the same mistakes – “rookie mistakes.”It is my intention to provide you with the information I have discovered and identified my own shortcoming with as well. I may not have made all of the mistakes I will get into, but I have made more than one of them (I can attest to that)! But I am including a few of the others I have not made (phew!) because I have found there are many people who have made them.The Number 1 Reason Why Newbie Internet Marketers Fail: They Do Not Have the ExperienceThat is pretty clear, right?Most newbies lack the experience of marketing a product in which they never have a face to face interaction with their clients. Most people understand about face-to-face marketing and the art of “smiling, agreeing with the statements made by the customer, etc.” Internet marketing is a completely different environment.Experience in this area is the only way to gain the skill set necessary to be successful. Does that mean the newbie marketer is already destined to fail? No. It means the newbie marketer must make the extra effort to ensure success.By learning the methods needed to capture the attention of the buyer; learning what the potential preferences are of the buyer; learning the reasons why the buyer desires their product; learning how to communicate the advantages of their product to satisfy the buyer’s needs – all without any verbal interaction. Only using the written word (and in audio or video marketing as well – but the newbie will never “see” the client).This means the new internet marketer must make a concentrated effort to study the market; study the products; study the tactics used by the experts. This takes time and dedication. It means admitting you do not know everything. It means admitting you cannot do it on your own (as least not right away). It means accepting the fact that immediate riches will probably not be flooding into your back account right way.Now, there are exceptions to every rule. But those exceptions are few and far between. But most newbie marketers (myself included when I first started out) think “they” will be the exception and will reach financial independence ahead of their peers. This mindset will almost always result in discouragement and failure.What are the ways to overcome this “Inexperience Factor?”Probably the best way to gain experience is by “doing.” That sounds simple enough, right? But let me explain…The worst thing a newbie can do is to enter the highly competitive field of internet marketing and think he or she is going to become rich overnight while competing against some marketers who have been doing this for years. The best solution to this situation is to team up with an experienced marketer who can guide them through the first stages of internet marketing and help the newbie avoid some of the pitfalls that plague newbies and drive them from success straight into failure.There are numerous places to gain that type of experience and information. It would take volumes to write about each one. My intent here is simply to make the newbie marketer aware that “you are not destined to failure.” As a matter of fact, failure in and of itself is also a learning tool. Thomas Edison was quoted as saying, when questioned by a reporter as to why he was not discouraged after failing 10,000 times in making the light bulb, his answer was, “Why should I be discouraged? I found 10,000 ways it would not work!”So it is with gaining experience in internet marketing. You can go the way of 10,000 failures on your own, just so you know not to try it that way again, or you can read about the one or two ways a person who has had success did it and then follow the same path. I’m not talking about “copying” the person (though some advocate that). I’m talking about seeing what your comfort zone is; I’m talking about what “clicks” with your personality, experiences, desires and goals.Not every method works for every person. If you examine successful marketers, almost all of them utilize the fundamentals but then they tend to specialize in certain areas. Take, for example, a football team. You see the players all decked out in their uniforms and you can rationally say about any one individual, “He is a football player.” And that statement would be true.But if you look at the individual players and analyze their strengths and weaknesses, you soon realize that some of them weigh 300+ pounds. That person probably is not a wide receiver or a running back. Most likely, he is a lineman. Another is short and lanky and you see him out kicking field goals all practice long. You see a player throwing balls through tires hung at different levels and different yardages – he is probably a quarterback. Each person has a unique set of skills they bring to the “football team.”So it is with internet marketing. You may not be cut out to be a marketer in the self-help niche. You may be more of a hands on type of person who enjoys working on cars or building houses, making you uniquely qualified to assist others in that niche. People looking for information on “How to fix their car” or “How to remodel their kitchen.” Others may be more uniquely qualified to give “relationship advice.” Others on “How to build a website.”You see, there are 1,001 different ways (actually more than that) to make a living as an online marketer. YOU have a special skill set that somebody needs to know. And you have the opportunity to share the experience you already possess in that area – and be paid for it! You need to sit down and ask yourself (and give an honest answer), “What do I know that other people always ask me about?”It could be anything from repairing a clogged drain to fixing a car engine; from hanging dry wall to installing landscaping. Whatever you enjoy doing; whatever you are always helping someone with; whatever people are always seeking your advice on – these are the areas you need to focus. This is probably going to be your niche market. This is the area you will probably be the most successful.The successful marketers are able to identify what they did wrong and begin to take corrective action to put them on the path to success. Failure to identify weak areas will just mean the marketer is more likely to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

You’re a new non-profit and wondering how you’ll come up with money to support your cause, right? You’ve heard the hype about grants and loads of free federal money that are available to anyone willing to lend a helping hand in society, but have you done any serious investigation into the processes that sustain a non-profit in the long haul?Let’s start with a few pieces of common misinformation:Grants are sustainable.This is far from the truth. Grant funding is like a crutch. The whole idea behind setting aside a chunk of money is to help an organization establish a project or keep an impactful project in place when times are tough. Grant money isn’t intended to sustain an organization fully.Grants are available for everyone.Most grant money is available to government entities and non-profit organizations. If an individual or for-profit business, chances are your grant search is going to be grueling. Not to mention, probably spend more resource applying for the money than receive IF you get funded. Therefore, seeking grant money is a largely ineffective marketing approach for almost every non-profit organization.Grants are available for everything.Grant money for specific causes that advance a social mission. Federal money for very specific and foundation money is set aside to advance a specific purpose set forth by that foundation. Although true that a foundation may support minority-owned businesses, the competition is fierce. There are thousands of people just like yourself searching for that same money.So, does that mean you should give up? Absolutely Not.But, you should devise a strategic plan based on this information. Using a transaction cost analysis (TCA) framework, let’s look at some of the most cost-effective forms of marketing for ANY non-profit organization and then we’ll discuss how this all relates to your overall funding search. There are 6 major types of marketing for organizations with social missions:Direct mailMost of us associate direct mail with those little flyers we get stuffed between the newspapers or postcards offering 50% at the next department store sale. direct mail has proved to be valuable in capturing the attention of prospective donors and in following up with people who have previously donated money to a cause. Direct mail is relatively inexpensive but does not yield a huge response.Direct Response MarketingDirect response marketing constitutes a variety of techniques but is commonly associated with practices such as television, magazine, and radio advertisements where consumers are encouraged to take part in a direct call to action. Direct response marketing is expensive and relatively ineffective in reaching targeted audiences.Catalogue MarketingCatalogue marketing is generally an approach used by businesses that sell products or packed services but can be used by non-profit organizations that sell cause-related apparel. Although catalogue marketing has a low return rate, it has been found to increase among use of other marketing techniques.Telephone MarketingWe’re all familiar with telemarketers-primarily the reason telephone marketing gets a bad rep but if can be a very productive means of personal selling if done properly and legally. One of the main problems with telephone marketing is the training required to ensure that all phone calls meet regulatory requirements and that the sales people themselves do a good job at representing your organization.Personal SellingExactly how it sounds, personal selling is any face-to-face encounter that has the potential to turn into an investment in your cause. Face-to-face selling has a high rate of return however it requires the most resources of any marketing tactic because it requires research, scheduling, coordination, and often multiple meetings between executives.Online MarketingThere is no doubt that the internet has changed the marketplace and it is also one of the most cost-effective methods of marketing. The problem is have historically fallen behind with online trends and don’t make investments in online marketing processes, never mind an online marketing plan. For a social venture to be successful in the 21st century, it’s almost impossible to avoid investing in a website and social media.In a recent study published by Direct Marketing: An International Journal, TCA was used to measure the effectiveness of these approaches based on the level of control over direct marketing (DM) resources compared to the cost to implement each approach. Not surprisingly, the most productive forms of marketing were namely personal selling, telephone, direct mail, and online while the least cost-effective forms were direct response and catalogue. However, the findings presented in this study are consistent in that they support the use of multiple forms of marketing as the most effective approach.What does marketing have to do with fundraising?Most non-profits are small, and many of these organizations sustain their projects through donations from the public rather than grant funding. This means that marketing (or fundraising) is one of the most vital metrics that every organization should pay close attention to when planning how they sustain their operations, pay their employees, and build capacity. So, if we take grants off the table, we can first consider other forms of revenue generating pursuits, including:1. Individual Pledges2. Corporate Giving3. Sponsorships4. Fundraising Events5. Products/Services6. Major DonationsReferencesMallin, M. L., & Finkle, T. A. (2007). Social Entrepreneurship and Direct Marketing. Direct Marketing: An International Journal, 1(2), 68-77. doi:10.1108/17505930710756833