Over the last few months, I’ve interviewed some incredible online entrepreneurs – people who’ve taken an idea, run with it and seen it grow beyond their wildest dreams. People like Jack Delosa (founder of The Entourage), Andre Eikmeier (co-founder of Vinomofo.com.au), Paul Greenberg (co-founder of Dealsdirect.com.au) and many others.
Interestingly, they and nearly every other entrepreneur I interviewed stressed the importance of being either great at copywriting or finding someone who is.
Here are some of their tips.
1. Just start
Just start. This is the big one. All the entrepreneurs said this was the secret to their success. There is so much power in just starting your project, in any way you can. Why? Because once something is up and people can look at it (a website, a video, a report, a white paper, an FAQ), you’re getting feedback, you’re getting traction, and if it’s out there for all to see, you can iterate your idea must faster. If people can’t see it, they can’t comment on it – good and bad – so the chances of you getting sales, investors or PR is by definition limited.
The moral of the story?
Start writing. Something, anything – just get your idea out there in the written word and things will start happening.
2. Be okay with giving away things for free
Get used to giving away things for free, things that in the past you would have charged big bucks for. Don’t fight it. It’s actually a good thing, and it dovetails quite nicely with this new (but not really new) culture of ‘content creation’.
In other words, you have to give something away these days – a report, an eBook, a webinar, an app – in order to get the prospect to consider you. Few people are willing to buy anything, especially software, services and information products, without having tested.
The moral of the story?
Get writing so that you have something to give away. The more you write, the easier it becomes to give content away.
3. Follow your passion
Do what you love. If you create your online business around a hobby, a past-time, or a sport you enjoy, it will help make the inevitable failures easier to deal with. If you’re not super passionate and enthused about your product, service, industry or category, then when the waves crash and you’re thrown for a six, it’s going to be harder to get back up.
The moral of the story?
It’s easier to write about something if you love it and know a lot about it. If you want more tips on how to become a successful online entrepreneur, watch our interviews with some of Australia’s internet superstars here.
- Episode 1: Secrets of Aussie Online Entrepreneurs: The Young Guns
About This Episode:
Discover how three of Australia’s top ‘Young Gun’ internet superstars built their businesses and turned fledgling ideas into multi-million dollar online juggernauts. Features interviews with Ruslan Kogan, Dean Ramler from Milan Direct and Jack Delosa, founder of The Entourage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0z5rBB-1hQ
- Episode 2: Social Media Mavericks
About This Episode:
Tap into the genius behind Australia’s top Social Media futurists and discover the new rules of engagement for business executives. Guests include the world’s most provocative futurist Brian Solis, on ‘connected consumerism’; Peter Williams, CEO of Deloitte Digital, on why leaders must either get linked or become extinct, and market researcher Mark McCrindle on the top social media trends coming our way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia2L7nIGxc0
