2011 Breakdown + 2012 Trends And Intentions
Wow, 2011! What a year.
I say this for me personally and for internet marketing. On a personal level I want to thank everybody who has made this year such a big success for my business – all my customers, JV partners, and vendors. So awesome! It’s been just over 2 years since I’ve been full-time in internet marketing… and as I write this in Queenstown, New Zealand, 4 weeks into my 6 week trek through the country, I can’t help but be so extremely appreciative for internet marketing. How it has changed my life for the better is mind-boggling to me. (As I write this, I just celebrated the new year last night… and 1/1/2012 is not for another 4-5 hours on the East Coast!)
Last year I wrote a blog post about what I was going to do in 2011 (see it here if you want). It was interesting to read because I got to see what I followed through on and what I didn’t. Also, I can’t believe how similar my plans are for 2012. Of course, my business has changed and I have to adjust for that, but a lot of intentions are the same.
First, I want to break down the IM niche in 2011, the way I’ve seen it…
- The Warrior Plus marketplace has changed the game for 90%+ of the marketers in the IM niche. Clickbank is increasingly lower quality (even though some good products are definitely released there) and the Warrior Forum is where all the best information is being released. We’ve seen two $100k in roughly 24 hour launches on the WF… which is wild exponential growth from where we were last year at this time. I myself launched 4 WSOs this year, totaling around $100k in revenue and about 7,500 sales. Last year, I wrote how Mario Brown said he was going to go away from product creation… well, I think he changed his tune when he saw what was happening on the WF. And I know for a fact that the WF has brought he and Brian a boat load of cash this year, both as a seller and affiliate.
- Getting offline clients is bigger than ever. Except the game now is what new innovations you can bring to brick and mortar companies. Yes, there is still room for grabbing SEO clients… but far less room than there was 1 or 2 years ago. Now it’s about presenting truly innovative concepts for profit. The biggest innovations and opportunities in my opinion are with mobile websites, mobile apps, viral Facebook applications and fan pages, and QR codes (if used in certain ways). HOWEVER, I still think list-building (email in particular) is where it’s at! Yes, even for offline companies! Silly me, always going back to email. But I see it over and over and over again. Send an email, make money. It’s ON-DEMAND, reliable income for any company. One of things that interests me is innovating for offline companies in the list-building arena. Lots is made of the things I just mentioned… but very little attention is paid to list-building. And I mean email lists, text messaging lists, physical address lists, Facebook likes, and Twitter followers. ALL OF THEM hold tremendous value – and many of them can be built simultaneously. The money is in the list! I should have that tattooed backwards on my forehead.
- Selling by Webinars has absolutely exploded. The income and conversion potential of webinars is staggering. The way I see it… for a while there it spiked hard, but then the market was flooded by too many of them and attendance went down a bit and started plateauing. And it seems that some people just cannot get their list to attend webbies. Ultimately I’m not convinced that the EPCs are better on webinars on average… but I still think they are worth doing, especially if you are building a list at the same time (see Triple Action Webinar Profits) and the product you’re selling needs more explaining. Some things are best sold by a sales letter, and some are best sold by webinar – it has to do with the nature of the product. More importantly though, if you can get an autowebinar to convert, then you are riding high. ESPECIALLY if you can do it outside the IM niche, where people are much less wary of this kind of thing. Ultimately, webinars aren’t going anywhere. And more innovative applications for their usage keep popping up.
- As usual, traffic is still being funneled like crazy from the major players – Google and Facebook, mainly. As always, it can be huge if you can figure out these websites. But never rely on them – that is key.
What I’m doing in 2012…
I made a list of things I’m interested in getting into in 2012. Realistically, I know I probably won’t do everything, and the list will expand as the year goes on, but I think it’s cool to get the excitement up and share with you what I really think is going to work… I mean, why would I intend to do it if I didn’t think it would work, right?! 
- More email list-building, of course. The bread and butter of any business. I will preach it until people stop reading emails. Anybody see that coming any time soon?
—> This includes what I was talking about before… watch for some innovations in email for the offline market (hopefully coming from me!).
- Long-term recurring, automated systems, beginning with SEO research. This is just where MY business is at right now. I want to have stuff that is automated, to create even more freedom with my income. The SEO part is based on my perspective of the larger picture. If you want ongoing, free traffic, it’s important to start with Google. So that’s where the market research and product branding (domain choice) needs to start. I actually already have my next project lined up this way. It’s a big endeavor, but hopefully in the end it will be well worth it.
—> Speaking of SEO. I want to make my first product recommendation of 2012. My friend Jonathan, who has been having great success getting his sites and his clients’ sites to the top of Google for VERY competitive terms, just released a VERY impressive and comprehensive SEO course, focusing on how you can outsource the whole thing. Guys, SEO is still huge. If you have any long-term business goals, they must incorporate this traffic source – it’s just too good. Jonathan’s course is cutting-edge and effective – check it out here. Another thing to note… it has the BEST BRANDING I’ve seen the whole year! When Jon told me about it, I was like, YES! That’s awesome!
- Speaking of SEO in other niches… Jonathan actually ranks his own site for a competitive term in the dating/relationship niche. It may come of a surprise to you, but this niche is VERY interesting to me, on a number of levels. The guys who teach this stuff have really changed my life and helped me tremendously with women. So it’s time for me to give back in my own value-driven way. I have already started on an enormous project and when I get back from the Marketer’s Cruise (which is directly after I get back from New Zealand), it will be back in full swing. I’m hoping that 2012 will bring my IM success in this market.
—> On other niches… for me, I don’t feel like entering into just any niche just because there is money to be made. I have limited time and I want to work on what interests me and where I can bring the biggest value. Maybe this is not something to consider when you’re trying to make your first buck online… but at some point, you will see what I’m saying, especially if your organization is small, like mine is.
- WSOs when I’ve come up with innovative concepts. As you might know, I don’t really like to release products unless I think they are innovations. Truth is, I don’t have too much confidence that even slightly worn topics will sell copies! That is probably just paranoia (I bet I could sell copies of whatever I want), but why work my tail off on a launch if I don’t KNOW it’s going to kill it, based on originality. And I’m sure plenty of good stuff will come to me this year, just like it did in the last 2.
- I like the idea of doing viral stuff on Facebook. That website just keeps going and going. I intend to get much better at this, especially with other niches and offline applications.
That’s where I’ll end for now. Yep, a big, exciting year ahead! 2012 is the marking of the dawn of a new age which has already been in swing. Prosperity and joy is only increasing throughout the Earth! So get out there and ride the wave! Life is sweet!
Best,
David
I look forward to reading more, Thank You Larry Arnall
David,
I can’t believe it is 2012 all ready! Isn’t the world supposed to end this year? Oh well, until that happens, I plan to make 2012 the best year ever. I have been following you for a year now and always enjoy receiving your emails because I know you don’t push that tired old crap.
I wish I was joining you on the marketers cruise. Tell us if you like it and I will book it for next year.
Heres to a great 2012!
Matson
Thanks for the kind words, Matson. Glad you like the emails!
Greetings, David.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on what you have planned for 2012, as well as where you see the industry moving.
While I’m not as experienced as many who will read this and contribute, I have picked up on a few things that I think will make the coming year very interesting.
1. The launch of competition for Warrior Plus will change the marketplace. JVZoo has made some inroads and there are others coming. I don’t expect Mike Lantz to stand pat and allow the competitors to take market share without a battle, and however that plays out will ultimately benefit WSO sellers in terms of lower fees and better services.
2. We’ve already seen some marketers move away from the 100% commission model. While it greatly helps list building to give 100% on the front and 100% on the back, you can only do that for so long. I think we’ll see many more offers listed at lower commissions this year…
3. And that will balance with somewhat higher pricing. I’m not saying that dime sales starting at $3 will disappear, but I do see prices going up. With that, product quality will also increase.
4. The trend to offer JV contests will continue and I don’t think it’s nearly peaked yet. We’re going to see some outrageous prizes offered in 2012. Per usual, the rich will get richer in this game as there will be major separation between Warriors who spend heavily and those who don’t. Smaller players will need to be very creative in order to entice the big affiliates.
5. It’s a great time to be a product creating member of the Warrior Forum. As launches are now hitting numbers that nobody envisioned a year or two ago, more people will be flooding in to learn how to generate income, expanding the market for all of us.
6. This will create greater opportunities to develop relationships that will drive our businesses to higher levels.
As for what I’ll be doing this year…my focus will be on building critical skills and relationships.
I’ve proven that I can create viable products that the market responds to, but there is so much more to the equation.
– Conversions. We all leave money on the table. I’m committed to improving my ability to do better with what traffic I generate or is sent to me. Partners come flocking when offers convert at a high level.
– Finding ways to serve my partners better. I’m not a big name on the Warrior Forum, so I’ll just work harder to provide value. I love to ask people, “How can I help your business?”
– Building customer value. Like conversions, I see it as counter-productive to spend a lot of time with list building activities, if half of new subscribers leave within the first year. I know people who have relatively small lists but extraordinary retention and mind-boggling e-mail open and click-through rates. They make great money and have less stress, so what’s not to like about that model?
That’s where I’m focused for the year, squarely on the fundamentals:
1. Design and create high value products
2. Vastly increase conversions
3. Give excellent customer value and build retention
4. Expand my network and help partners succeed
Thank you, David, for the opportunity to discuss this. Best wishes to you in the coming year, and I hope our paths cross.
Jerry
I think this sounds like a great plan, Jerry. Lots of excellent points.
One of the things that I liked that I forgot to mention in my post is creating new relationships by networking and continuing to provide value to partners. This whole game gets A LOT easier when you have friends and everybody is helping each other out. I’m starting my year off with the marketer’s cruise and I’m going to book as many events as I can. Marketing events is where the money is made! Already have the Warrior Event booked and I’m looking seriously at Yanik Silver’s underground. I suggest you guys do the same.
I just wanted to say ‘Thank You’ for Solo Ad Revolution…I just ran my first Solo Ad through FormidableMarketers.com and feel it was pretty successful.
Great to hear, Kerry.
Well, my website is not up yet but it will be in the next couple of days. I have to say that you have given me great food for thought. BTW, how do you find out about the Marketer’s Cruise? I have heard mention of it a couple of times and don’t know anything about it.
I hope my comments merit something for the contest. I am such a newbie at this that I don’t have much to contribute.
Thanks for the post.
John Brewer
The Marketer’s Cruise is something that Mike Filsaime organizes every year in January. This is my first time going on it. Next year, keep a heads up and I’m sure you’ll catch wind of it.
Hey David, I couldn’t agree with you more on the mobile, list building etc. but I am surprised that you really didn’t mention Google + and circles. Don’t you think they are going to blow away Facebook???
Vanessa
Great mention, Vanessa. I think Google+ is something to pay attention to. Unfortunately, they entered the social media game VERY late. And they are not really on my personal radar because I have no inclination to use the site as of right now. When it comes to social media, I feel pretty tied up by Facebook. But, the most important thing to note is that Google is a beast and they are successful with pretty much everything they touch. I wouldn’t be surprised if G+ innovates in some way and becomes and big force. The key will be if they can find a significant competitive advantage to Facebook… if they can’t, it won’t go anywhere, IMO.
Hello David over the last week I have been able to digest your recent WSO based on Solo Ads… Great, simple, and to the point.
This post was excellent and well thought out. More important you kept to the basics, and outlined a “simple” plan of action for 2012.
I am going to send you a PM on the Warrior Forum and hopefully we can open up some personal dialog on the projects I decided to come out of retirement to do.
I have been working on this stuff for 18 months now and look forward in letting you get a first peak as well as get your incite and ideas.
You are a true innovator, simple, but to the point in what you deliver. That is a “rare trait in today’s hyped up marketplace.
I am glad to be a fan and owner of several of your products.
All the best;
dom/thailand
Thanks for the kind words, Dom. Glad you’re enjoying the content.
Thanks for sharing David. Your thoughts were very insightful, as I noticed you intend to primarily focus on your existing strengths i.e. email marketing and tried and true niches. Its also interesting to note that you intend to explore additional niches, but you’re wary of stretching yourself too thin ( e.g. the dating niche). I’ve also been thinking of the balance between trying out new niches and digging deeper into successful niches.
I was recently on webinar with Mike Filsaime, where Kenny Cannon did a presentation for his wso launchpad product. His presentation validates what you said about the power of warrior plus and its ability to change the game for many marketers.
Do you think warrior plus will grow to the stature of clickbank and offer a wide array of products including, non make money products?
Mike Lantz told me that the original intention was to eventually become a full-service gateway to compete with companies like Nanacast and 1shoppingcart. I don’t see this happening any time soon. There hasn’t been too much movement in features in the last 6 months, only a steady growth of popularity in the network. And since it’s a gateway built on the intention of selling WSOs, which are IM-niche-based, I don’t see it branching out to other niches, at least in the near future. The main question is to whether or not Mike’s server will be able to handle the growth and continue to deliver on a reliable basis. If any other gateway like DR or JVZoo is going to compete, it will be because W+ server reliability is not good enough.
Hello David,
What are the best sources for learning more about list building and especially email follow-up content, sequencing, etc?
Happy New Year!
Hey David,
Happy Xmas and New Year to you! Hope you had a blast.
I have taken a well deserved rest over the holiday season and now its back to it.
I would agree with the list building and email marketing. It is the number 1 way to build your business. As long as your auto responder company does not go bust! You will not have to rely on Google, Facebook or any other traffic method as you have all your traffic in your list.
2012 for me will be looking into creating some more products and networking with other marketers. I am also getting more and more work from small businesses and offline clients so I am going to be pushing this more than anything going into 2012.
Providing services to offline clients and using the knowledge I have to promote their companies and sites
Hope you are enjoying New Zealand. I spent 3 weeks traveling there many years ago and some of my friends have emigrated and one of my good friends is out there now visiting them. Have you ventured down to Queeens Town and thrown your self off a bridge yet?
Craig
Craig… always nice to see you being active on my blog and my threads, much appreciated!
You should know… if you AR goes bust, no big deal! You own the list, not them. You can export it within minutes and upload it to another AR, no problems.
Yes, I loved Queenstown and yes I did throw myself off of some kind of bridge… 143 meter jump!
Ha Ha!
Was it the pipeline? At the time I did it, it was the biggest in the world.
There are bigger ones now but I would do it all over again
Great summary David – nice post. The one thins I disagree with is on the SEO product you recommend. Selling a link building WSO post Panda is old hat and not very useful at all, expecially when it is based around all the balck-hat techniques that goodle is coming down HARD on.
Hey David, some exciting stuff you’ve been up to and are clearly looking to do in the new year.
I’m planning to launch a WSO this January, while continuing to build a list in the IM niche. As a senior copywriter (ad man) I’ll also be looking to JV more with other marketers.
I think innovation is key, you’re absolutely right – that’s where the big money is, and it’s the best way to brand yourself in a (sub-)niche.
Hope to get to know you better in 2012!
Nic
Happy New Year David and thanks for sharing. It’s going to be an interesting 2012 with potential legal changes and of course Google always changing but I guess marketing 101 will always prevail.
I think the rapid change in the marketplace for IM products has been something like a phenomena… and I hope “WSOs when I’ve come up with innovative concepts” become the ones that stand out from the crowd. Nothing wrong with the others, and there is room for them but people are looking for more value for less money.
The key is to keep up with the changes, Alan. Businesses who do not adapt the marketplace always end up failing.
Here is something you might consider. You are among the worst in how you handle your Internet marketing. Everyday you send out an email pushing a product, which tells me that you aren’t pushing because you believe in it or have gotten it yourself and tested it, so that we know that you are selling something worthwhile. You send out an email of a possible good product and we get no time to check it out, before guess what, the next day you have another product you’re pushing. This tells me that you don’t give a shit about your subscribers. You may be making money now but there are so many others making a real effort to help their subscribers and if you need a list for me to prove this I can. I am not saying that every product that you push is bad, but you don’t even make an effort to check this stuff out, and so therefore, at least on my part there is no trust factor as to the way you do business. This might seem harsh but it appears that the only effort you make is to get money out of my pocket, and believe me I have no interest in making you rich. Paul
Ah, good ol’ Paul Warner…
I checked, and you sent me 4 emails LAST year complaining about my marketing tactics, mostly about sending you emails on Sundays and sending you too many, telling me how disrespectful it is and so on…
First off, sending an email while someone is sleeping is not disrespectful. It’s an email, not a phone call. You get to check it at your leisure, that’s the brilliance of email…
And obviously you are exaggerating about me sending a new offer everyday and that I don’t make an effort to check the offers out… but it doesn’t matter. Even if I was sending you my best stuff for free, you would probably still complain. I can’t be everything for for everybody all the time, and that’s fine. Matson (above) has been opening my emails for a year and loves them. You even said in your letters that you keep a separate folder for my emails because you like what I send out! Shall I remind you…
“…Now I have a folder for you because I find that a lot of material
you send me is good and it is informative so I really do not want to
unsubscribe from you..”
This was written August 2010! Over 16 months ago!
But what I can’t understand is if you feel like you posted above (so fervently that you decided it would be a good idea to post is publicly on my blog), is why you haven’t unsubscribed yet. If How did you get the email about this blog post? It’s because you’re still on my list!
Listen Paul, I’m not sure what you’re so upset about. But the fact remains, if you didn’t want to be on my list, then you would unsubscribe. If I wasn’t telling you about good stuff to buy, then you wouldn’t buy it. And if I was one of the worst IMers out there, I wouldn’t be making money and having people pay me for my advice.
Your last line speaks volumes… “I have no interest in making you rich.” Well, I guess that’s the difference between you and me.
I know my email was harsh and it was that way because I also know that there is some good stuff you send us and that is why I have a folder on what you do send, but the problem is as I stated, before we even have a chance to really check out a product that WE might think is good also, you’re sending another email with a new product. I know you have to make money, and it is not that that I begrudge. I dislike the fact that you do not put enough time into checking these products out,so that we can trust what you are telling us, which leads to trusting you. Let’s face it, you put out such a volume of emails with new products that they all cannot be bad, but they all can’t be good either, and this is where you come into play. After getting an email from you on Monday that talks about a product you are pushing, come Friday after going through the same process throughout the week, I no longer remember what the Monday product was about, and this just leads to pure frustration.
I don’t think you are a bad guy and I suspect that you are quite intelligent, but this pounding we take from you week in and week out is outright irritating.
Do yourself and me a favor. Buy a few products this year and try them out, and if they work and you can show us that they work, watch how many sales you will have this year. People will flock to you because this is something that is rarely done by IM marketers. You think you are well off now, try this and see how well off you become.
Paul
Hello David … I got your Solo Rev. and the info thats was in it was very good. Am kinda of new to IM,about 8 months just learning the ropes, so to speak. I have followed, learned and listened to alot of marketers. I have been with a few from their rising average marketer to guru action.
I have been though 3 email accounts to just get rid of the bad ones. I like you, I look forward to your emails… you give alot free, great, hard to find info… so am always checking you out.
Thanks for the thought and hard work you put into your biz… it shows and its one that I follow so I can be like you one day!! I say that with a smile, but I do mean it. I dont mean to stroke you either, just the truth.
It was a great post and am looking out for yor next product and would love to talk with you sometime. TAKE CARE and I will see you around!
Kent Brown
(KBrown)
Hi.
@ Paul. David is just like any other Imers. He is gonna send you promos and the suchlike.
Now if you want to unsubscribe, do so. I know I certainly would be after David has basicallhy shared with the rest of the world what the contents of the private emails you have sent him were and also told you to go away.
Some times people fit, some times they don’t. Obviously David has decided that email marketing is what is working for him, so Paul it aint gonna get any better.
Great post David – one of the most interesting things is the explosion in WSO marketers this last year with the launch of WSOPros affiliate stuff. I am one of many many newbiew who’ve gone from zero to hero ont eh WSO forum.
I fervently believe the WSO forum is the BEST place for anyone to get started online because:
1. There are between 3 and 6 THOUSAND
Bummer – hit submit by mistake. Continued:
1. There are between 3,000 and 6,000 (that’s THOUSAND) people on the WSO forum at any one time. That must equate to 10′s of thousand of visitors a day.
2. You can put full-length copy up there in front of those thousands for $40!
3. All those people are laser targeted at IM offers.
4. All those people are hungry (like me) and go there to BUY (like me), paypal account in hand. They don’t expect freebies, they go there to buy. As a result, conversions are super-high: 10%, 20% even 30%.
5. The social proof is MASSIVE. There is no clickbank guru hiding behind an impenetrable wall of a support desk. You can PM the guy, or put a post on his thread, right then and there. And he will answer you! Reviews from fellow warriors overcomes the number one problem of classic direct marketing – building trust in your potential buyer (Ted Nicholas says this is the biggest thing).
6. Even poor sales copy sells. Because you are selling to like minded people. No need for 5-figure copywriters – just be yourself and talk about your stuff!
7. The list of buyers you get is maybe 10 x more profitable than a conventional opt-in list from SEO traffic or paid ads. Why? 1) They are all buyers. 2) They trust you (see above). I’ve had email open rates of over 50%. Try getting that from a squeeze generated opt-in list!
8. You don’t have to be a money-spewing guru – you can sell a simple tool, resource or time-saver, without having to fake it till you make it and pretend your a millionaire.
9. WSOPro is like no other – public stats! Boy is that powerful. You can see exactly what the EPC is before you decide to mail. EPC’s of $2 are not uncommon, and you can choose them with confidence. This also means that if your offer is converting well, you will be showered with affiliate request without ever having to ask a single one! (that was my experience)
Russ Rufino, Simple Spencer, Jay Boyer, Wicked-Simple Shawn the list goes on and you can put my name in there too – all people who have made it from zero at the start of 2011.
When I launched my first WSOPro WSO in May I was a total newbie online (direct mail background). I had no guru buddies, no affiliates, no friends on the Forum. My first offer grossed $115,000 (half for affiliates) and yielded 5,000+ buyers. All because of the power of the WSO Forum and WSOPro.
People like Charles Kirkland are on record saying it is more profitable than his Apex Elite Clickbank business. Even Mike Filsaime is back. That speaks volumes.
I recommend it. For 2012, that is where anyone who is yet to make money online should be looking to offer an sell a small, useful, high-quality tool, guide, or resource.
What do you think Dave?
JP
Thanks David, that was helpful.
Now I really hope you and other very successful Marketers wake up, coordinate and get active in fighting against SOPA. It’s a very real recurring threat intended by certain Democrat politicians to begin gaining control and interfere with all aspects of I.M.commerce. If ever passed, can ruin all our future endeavors in the I.M. space.