It's 5:15 a.m. and I've been staring at my monitor for the last hour.

My hands are collapsed in my lap.

They might as well be useless for all the good they're doing me right now. They used to dance across the keyboard, painting pictures and images.

Now, they're just lumps of flesh. Made impotent by a tired and confused mind.

I sigh to myself in the way a man might once he has realized that he's helpless.

I can remember when publishing an e-zine was new. Only a few people were doing it. The ones who did it well made money.

Sometimes, a lot of money.

There weren't many choices for marketers back then. If you wanted to sell something, you would put up a banner ad or post to a newsgroup. Or you would post a free classified on Yahoo! and AOL.

Times have changed.

Today, there are dozens of ways to market your products. And there are dozens of ways to execute each strategy. It's a little overwhelming.

It's enough to make a man sit in his chair at 5:15 a.m. and stare blankly at his monitor.

You're smart. You're motivated. You're willing to do whatever it takes to master the art of online marketing.

That's fine. If you devote yourself, you'll do it. Marketing is not rocket science. Anyone can master it. And if you're the diligent sort, you can master the whole kit & kaboodle.

But, think about this for a moment...

You only have so much time to allocate. Each hour that you devote to marketing is an hour that isn't available for family and friends.

It isn't available for you to enjoy your life.

When you realize this, it's time to focus your efforts.

If you're like me, you probably don't have the time to try every marketing strategy. When you get home from your full-time job, your wife wants to go shopping. Your son wants you to read him a story and the dog wants you to take him for a walk. Your own body screams for a little exercise.

There's simply too much to do.

So, you focus.

If you're really good at writing classified ads, then you should spend your time promoting your products with them.

If you can write a sales letter that would make Marlon Sanders green with envy, then concentrate your time *writing sales letters.*

If you think you have a knack for networking, develop your joint venture skills.

Don't try to do everything. Figure out what you're good at. Then figure out what you stink at. Do the former and avoid the latter.

I love to write. I mean, I really look forward to it. I get up in the morning and can't wait to sit down and start pounding away at my keyboard.

So, guess what I focus on to promote my manual, "The Special Report Bible."

Exactly. Articles. I write articles.

I publish the articles in my newsletter, "Web Business Today!" Then I leverage my work by sending the articles to a few newsletter publishers that I admire.

With luck, they'll use them in their own newsletters.

People see my name. They like my style. And some order my manual.

By focusing my time and efforts on the marketing strategy that plays to my strength and passion, I avoid burnout and effectively promote my stuff.

You need to focus on a strategy that leverages *your* strengths.

Once you focus, you need to *master* your chosen strategy. Learn everything about it.

I'm still learning how to do this with my writing. It's not easy. Words can be powerful. They can move people. But, mastering the art of *using* words takes time.

So, I continue to write.

Sometimes, I'll get positive feedback ("Brilliant Damon!").

Sometimes, I'll get negative feedback ("I don't understand what your point is.").

I learn from my mistakes and move on. That's the only way to master the art of writing persuasive articles.

To master your chosen strategy,learn from *your* mistakes. If you're not making any, you're in trouble.

• Focus your efforts.

   

• Choose one or two marketing strategies.

   

• Master those strategies.

   

• Leverage those strategies.

   

• Take your dog for a walk before he piddles on the rug.

To your success,

Damon G. Zahariades

Note To Webmasters and E-zine Publishers...

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