I was thinking today about the rise of the Guru in internet marketing. If we are to achieve our goals, do we need to follow a Guru? A coach? Or do we tread our own path?

Let’s look at what the most successful entrepreneurs tend to do. They research and learn from others. But a critical difference is that successful entrepreneurs do not ‘buy in’ to a guiding Guru’s opinions. They have their own. They question common preconceived notions (this often leads to new markets or new products).

Many successful entrepreneurs today have followed their passion with true grit and a real mission to complete. They face adversity, as you will, on a daily basis, and learn to make decisions quickly and not get caught up in second-guessing themselves.

Entrepreneurs learn from experts in other fields in order to shortcut their learning. They surround themselves with the best specialist consultants, contractors and employees, since they cannot DO everything.

Examples of single-minded entrepreneurs (no groaning please):
•    Anthony Robbins of Robbins Research International (Booklist on Amazon)
•    Sir Richard Branson (latest book: Business Stripped Bare)
•    Bill Glazer (book: Outrageous Advertising)

“Richard is the only person in the world to have built seven billion dollar companies from scratch in seven completely different sectors” (Amazon).

My point is, you can learn a lot from the work and success of others, as long as you remind yourself that you are taking steps along a path and that no-one is the final figure of authority.  Of course we all need some support along the journey, and some people choose a coach for that.

What role can a Life/Business Coach play?  A coach is a sounding board and guides you to practical, time-saving methods and smart business practices. Sometimes they are the sole encouraging voice, someone to help you achieve your goals in small steps. But they are not the final authority, you are.

You don’t have to wait for all the answers to get started on that lifetime dream, because you learn as you go along. If you learn from others who have built businesses, while promoting your own unique qualities, then you will surely become a business success.

When surrounded by all the talk of social media and SEO, it’s important to reconnect with why we do marketing at all – to eventually make a profit.

No matter how great your website is, how many followers you have on Twitter or how well found you are on Google, if visitors fleetingly cross your path and don’t hang around, contact you, buy from you or tell anyone about you, then it’s likely you’ve ignored the basics of marketing.
– Carolyn Tate, Connect Marketing (author of Small Business, Big Brand)

Those of us who have online businesses or rely on website leads are always looking at new ways to boost our reach. This often involves a variety of online efforts to build a following.

But sometimes being a “netpreneur” can have its drawbacks. A friend of mine who owns a couple of online based businesses (successfully drawing 5000 visitors a month), working and writing until the wee hours while her children are in bed, struggles to make a living from her main business. The reason for this struggle, I believe, is the hole in the plan – enough sources of revenue.

While you must take into account all costs, your time is your most precious commodity. If you run around like a headless chook, Twittering, Facebooking, ‘being helpful’ in forums, gaining links, etc, don’t forget to have a solid plan to earn revenue from either your website or your core skill.

If your profits for FY ending 2010 are looking less than great, now is the time to draw up a new kind of Marketing Plan, one that involves AUTOMATING your time, LEVERAGING your ability to create leads/customers, and bringing in new streams of LOW COST INCOME. In addition to using the latest Infusionsoft technology to achieve all this, here are some ideas to get you started:

• Create your own digital products, eBooks, DVDs, audio, white papers (a writer or editor can tidy it up for you),
• Create your own book to sell (you will need expert help here to make it a success, but you can use digital “print on demand” to trial publishing)
• Sell high end coaching (sold from a free educational webinar).
• Sell a new service to a highly targeted audience (from email marketing to a list you have captured with a really focussed offer)

If already successful in the traffic attraction stakes, why not sell appropriate advertising? Or joint venture with a compatible education provider to exchange marketing offers to each other’s lists? You would be surprised how approachable some well-known authors and speakers are.

See more about automating your marketing on InfusionOz.com.au.