As nice as it is to hear that you can and should prioritize your internet marketing tasks, you may be wondering why.  For starters, prioritizing has its own benefits.  It lets you know what you need to do and how.  Items are often categorized in order based on importance.  In terms of internet marketing, this can make it easier to complete your daily duties, as well as in an effective manner.

What is ideal about prioritizing your internet marketing, aside from improving productivity, is your options.  Since it is your to-do list, you can prioritize its contents however you see fit.  For tips and suggestions on how to prioritize your tasks for the ultimate results, please continue reading on.

Before focusing on how you can prioritize your internet marketing tasks, make sure you can.  If you work as an internet marketer for hire, you work for others.  You may be provided with a specific list of duties.  This means that you might not have a choice, as these tasks may already be prioritized and in order for you.  However, if you do have freedom:

Start with something new.  Many internet marketers put off certain tasks, especially those they have yet to try.  This is mostly due to a fear of failure.  Yes, if an internet marketing campaign falls short, you lose money and time.  But, you also lose money by not taking the risk.  So, get your to-do list started with a new internet marketing technique you have yet to try.

Start with something you know works.  As previously stated, you want to try new internet marketing tactics, but that doesn’t mean you have to start your day with them.  If you want to ensure your time will translate into money, start with marketing tactics you know work.  For example, have you seen an increase in website traffic due to article directory submissions?  If so, start your day producing content to be distributed.

Start with something that is easy.  Internet marketing tactics come in all different formats.  Some are easier than others.  To get the ball rolling, start with a tactic that you know is easy.  For example, do you post messages on a related forum with an advisement in your signature?  If so, this is easy.  Starting with an easy task not only gets the ball rolling, but it can also help you get into your groove.

Start with something that is hard.  Do you have a hard marketing method on your to-do list?  For example, do you want to write two new pages of copy for your website?  If so, you may find this hard, as it is time consuming.  For that reason, move this step to the top of your to-do list.  When you get the harder tasks out of the way, you can breathe a sigh of relief and stop ferreting about it.

In conclusion, there are many ways to prioritize a to-do list.  Your choice should depend on your own personal preferences.  With that said, look for an approach that is easy to work with and one that improves productivity.

When internet marketers find themselves overwhelmed, many turn to outsourcing.  When hiring an outsourced worker, you get help, but without having to pay a full-time employee. Since many states require you to carry special insurance and pay extra fees when employing full or part-time workers, outsourcing is considered a more cost effective approach, but is it right for you?

The Pros

As previously stated, outsourcing your internet marketing tasks can save you money.  This is because when you need help, you need help.  Hiring an outsourcer to work on occasion is cheaper than hiring a full-fledge employee.

Outsourcing can give you a new set of eyes and experience.  Internet marketing encompasses a wide range of tactics.  For example, there is sending messages disguised as advertisements on MySpace and Twitter, creating keyword optimized content for a website, submitting articles to directories, and so forth.  No matter how computer savvy you are, you will come across a tactic that you are unfamiliar with.  Yes, you can learn, but why not just save time and outsource?

Outsourcing allows you to focus on other tasks.  If you are self-employed and a sole proprietor, you work with and for yourself.  If you are an online retailer, who sells products, your to-do list will be filled to capacity.  For example, it may be your responsibility to find new products to sell, update your website, host sales, process orders, handle customer complaints, and so forth.  You may not have time for internet marketing.  Instead of overwhelming yourself, outsource.

The Cons

Outsourcing costs you money.  As previously stated, outsourcing can save you money when compared to hiring a full-time or part-time employee, but the fact is you are still spending money.  So, look for affordable workers and only outsource small and affordable tasks.  Anything that costs more, do yourself.

There are no guarantees.  When you hire an outsourced worker, hire a professional.  For example, do you need web copy for your website?  If so, hire a professional freelance writer.  That person has experience.  Even still, there are no guarantees.  That is why it is important to review all work.  Check for quality and uniqueness.

You may not get the results you wanted.  In keeping with no guarantees, you may not get the results you had hoped for. That is why it is important to hire a professional who has experience with the task at hand.  Not only that, but you need to provide clear and detailed directions.  Don’t just tell your writer to compose three articles on the subject of pet products, give them detailed articles to write and specific products to link to.

In short, outsourcing has its pros and cons.  If you are able to complete your current duties, as well as work internet marketing into your to-do list, do it.  But, if you ever feel overwhelmed or fall behind schedule, use outsourcing as a source of relief.

There are a number of different levels setting up your goals. The first thing you have to do is to create some kind of ‘big picture’. Where do you want to go with your business, your life in a period of 3-5 maybe 10 years.
One of these ‘big picture’ goals could be quitting your daily job and working from the comfort of your home, having more time for your family
If your life could be anything you wanted it to be, what would it be right now.
Start writing down your big picture : where would you live? How would you spend your time if you had a truckload of money? Where would you like to go on vacation?

Stop reading this blogpost, take a peace of paper and start writing right know. Make a list of all the things you really want.
Try to visualize the big picture. You would like to have a yacht, take a photo of one and paste it on your Vision Board. You would like to live in a big house on the coast of the Maldives. Look for a picture on the net, copy and paste it on your Vision Board.

Once you have written down your big picture goals, you have to break these down into smaller and smaller targets that you must achieve to reach your lifetime goals. Doing this you you are creating your different levels :

-the long-term goals : the goals you want to achieve over a period of 3 to 5 years or 5 to 10 years
-the mid-range goals : the goals you want to achieve over a period of 1 to 3 years or 1 to 5 years
When setting up your mid-term goals, you have to take a closer look at your long-term goals. What smaller goals do you have to achieve to reach the long-term goals.
-the short-term goals : the goals you have to achieve over a period of 1 day to 1 year to reach out to your mid-range goals.

When writing down your goals, be as specific as possible. You have to describe the goals in complete details.
It’s not enough to write down that you would like to have a membership site. No, write down that you shall have a membership site with 1000 members, each paying a membership fee of 12.50$, by January 1st 2012.
I want to make a lot of money is not a goal. It’s something you wish to have. I want to make 1000$ monthly with my business by September 2010. That’s a goal.

When you writing down your goals , make use of the SMART principle :

SMART stands for :
Specific
Measurable
Actionable
Realistic
Timed

And think of what Leo Burnett once said :
“If you reach for the stars, you might not quite get one
but you won’t end up with a handful of mud, either” end quote.

See you in my next post.

But beware, online marketing isn’t easy at all.
Internet marketing involves a knowledge of technical aspects of the internet, designing websites, creating your own products, advertising. And these are just a few elements of the total package.
Before even starting a business online, you should start to make a list of goals. Witch goals do you have for your business, for your self, your family!
By setting your goals, you can :
-achieve more in your lifetime
-improve your overall performance
-increase your motivation to achieve the most out of live
-improve your self-confidence
-plan to eliminate attitudes that hold you back and cause unhappiness.
By setting goals, and measuring their achievement, you should be able to see what you have done, and what you are capable of.
When you are setting your goals keep this acronym in mind :
Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS)
In my next post I shall talk about the several levels of your goals.
You have now something to think about : setting up your goals, that’s where I should begin.
See you all in my next post.