One of the more common posts you'll find in Internet marketing
forums is an expression of frustration in that marketing efforts
are not producing any results.

I was there once and I completely empathize! But I persevered
and, while I'm not a millionaire, having an online business does
have its rewards.

Frustration doesn't have to dictate upon you and declare it's the
end of the road. Look at it as a call for a hiatus or a break
from your work. It's that time in your labors when you merely
have to take a breather and give renewed thought to your
business.

Here are a few helpful brain food:

1. What is your motivation? Is it merely to earn money?
Ultimately that's every marketer's goal. However, there are many
ways to meet that goal. You can take small steps or various
turns. Perhaps you can first build a web site that shares what
you already know and then go on from there.

My first site on a free web host was a inspirational site. It was
put up not to make money but to inspire. Eventually, it brought
in some earnings from affiliate links placed here and there. But
my motivation was to inspire. Earning money was the bonus.

2. Reset your goals. Don't as yet go for the big ones. Accomplish
the small ones first by doing small tasks each day. When you get
the hang of accomplishing the small tasks, you'll naturally
progress to achieving the larger goals. Try earning first small
amounts then graduate to the bigger ones.

3. Assess your strengths. Some years back when frustration was
about to compel me to throw my computer into the trash can, I
wrote an article to myself (my outlet when frustrated, depressed
or such is writing) and entitled it, "The Essence of Success."

I took a chance and submitted it to the defunct Internet Day,
which had thousands of subscribers then. To my surprise they e-
mailed me the next day to inform me they were publishing it and
it came out on the next issue. That article garnered for me more
than 200 subscribers when it was published.

Writing is my strength and I use it often in my marketing
efforts. You can read that article, "The Essence of Success,"
through this link:
http://powermarketingtools.com/articles/essence.html

Many publishers still request to print it.

4. Assess what you're selling. It just may not be you. The
affiliate programs that are not making money for me, I learn in
hindsight, are programs I don't feel strongly about. This means
you have to buy the program you want to sell and be passionate
about it.

If you're selling a service or your own product, assess it. Is it
something people need or want? Are you mentioning its benefits?
Look at it inside and out. Perhaps you need to re-package it.

5. Learn some more. Study the sites of successful marketers,
their copy, their products, their methods. Visit the forums and
ask questions.

There are also marketers out there who aren't well-known gurus
but they sure know their stuff and are just ever willing to spill
the beans. In truth, it's from these unknown marketers that I've
learned the best marketing strategies.

So there! Frustration is just an emotion. You can conquer it. For
all you know, it could be a sign that success is just around the
corner.

Copyright 2003 Dean F. Mapa

About the Author
Dean Mapa is a writer, motivational speaker and Internet marketer. Visit his blog at http://powermarketingtools.com for more marketing wisdom