Late Night Internet Marketing with Mark Mason -- Affiliate Marketing Tips, Online Business Advice, Email Marketing and SEO
Internet success stories are one of my favorite podcast topics. There is really not anything that I can think of that is more motivating than seeing examples of other people who have been able to successfully do the things that you want to do.
This week we take a short break from our study of the Rankings Institute, to take a moment to speak with Brian Kaldenberg from proofreadingpal.com. Brian started his first Internet business from a dorm room at Iowa State University. Since that time Brian has launched a second successful business online. Today he takes a moment to share some of the reasons for that success.
Recording From Japan
While this interview was actually recorded a couple of months ago in Dallas, I am currently in Hiji, Japan attending some meetings related to my day job. Hiji is an incredibly beautiful city on the coast of Japan, about two hours from Tokyo by air. The view from my hotel room, seen below, speaks for itself.
There are lots of things to like about Japan. Japanese people are gracious humble courteous and kind. Japan is a country that is easy to navigate, Very clean, and rich with history. I love going to Japan, and I can't wait to get back.
An Internet Success Story
In this interview, Brian tells his story about how he started A pretty clever Internet business from the comfort of his dorm room at Iowa State University. It's a very cool story, and there are several things about it that catch my attention.
The first cool thing about Brian's story is that his first business was based on something that he cared about: A video game for the Sony PlayStation. He found a way to provide a service that made the game better. People, many of whom were excited about the game just like Brian, were willing to pay for that service. Success on the Internet often has this element of personal interest.
Another amazing element of Brian's story around his first business is the fact that competition already existed. Brian saw that fact as validation of the market concept, and plowed ahead. The lesson learned here is that you should not be afraid of competition. Clearly, you need to understand the competition and subsequently crush them. But just because someone has already started a business using “your idea,” that's no reason to give up before you start.
Another point that Brian makes about his Internet success is that he was able to anticipate changes in his business. Brian could see the end of his PlayStation based business on the horizon, and pivoted to a new idea around proofreading. Once again, proofreading services already existed on the Internet. That didn't bother Brian. He assessed the competition, identified some competitive advantages, And plowed ahead.
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As always, I'd love to hear what you think about the podcast. Better yet, I’d love to answer your question about Internet marketing on the show. Just drop me a line here on the blog or on the digital recorder at 214-444-8655. Don’t worry, there are no stupid questions. Unless you tell me not to, when you ask a question or leave a comment might even use it on the show.
When the transcript is available, it will be here with all the other
Late Night Internet Marketing Transcripts.