Most people have the sense to find a leader to guide their steps fairly soon after they decide upon a direction they wish to take. Unfortunately, I have never been one of them. It has taken me ten years of wandering largely in the deserted wastelands of the Internet to come to the conclusion that I ought to get myself a mentor. The advantage of this time lag is that I have been able to choose a mentor whose progress I have had the opportunity to observe over the course of a decade or so and, indeed, I have been fortunate enough to be able to persuade one of the very first Internet ‘gurus’ whose newsletters I ever subscribed to that I might make a reasonable candidate for mentoring.
These guys are a little fussy, you know. It’s no longer just about the money they can command from wannabes when they reach the dizzy heights. It’s about ensuring that their pupils go out into the virtual world and become a credit to their teachings. A guru is only as good as his last disciple, so to speak. Well, I hit the jackpot, as it turned out. My new mentor suggested that, rather than take instruction from him alone; I join one of the longest-standing groups online, run by a team of firmly-established Internet and Social Media marketing experts and consultants. Agreeing to do so was, without a doubt, one of the better decisions I have made in my life.
Apart from the incredible talent and experience that has been made available to help me on my way, the software that is provided for members to use is astonishingly cutting-edge and probably worth many times the subscription fees. In fact, just recently, I was sent a link to the latest software developed especially for the group which, apart from being incredibly helpful in the business environment, has enhanced my enjoyment of using the Internet as a whole and made some of my erstwhile tedious chores turn into pleasurable tasks that are quickly completed.
Amongst the materials available to members are a wealth of training videos and also a series of thoroughly readable documents of various kinds, each designed to give clear indications of what is still working, what no longer works, why and why not. Some of the documents are also made freely available to the public outside the group and I have taken pleasure in sharing them with anyone who wanted some straightforward guidance without having to buy it.
There is something very reassuring about being in the company of those who lead the markets that everyone else runs to try and keep up with, after so many years of being amongst the stragglers who turn up at the table when all that is left is the scraps from what clearly must have been a wonderful banquet!
One of the highlights of my week is Jack Humphrey’s Friday Traffic Report blog. Every week there is something interesting, pertinent and of practical use to all Internet marketers, whether newcomers to the scene or veterans of long standing. It is to be hoped that you will take advantage of the fact that one need not even be a member to enjoy the mine of useful information in Jack’s blog at jackhumphrey.com/fridaytrafficreport/ every week.
You may like to start with: Track Your Social Marketing Enjoy!