When you think about online gambling, terms like poker, blackjack, casino, or even money come to mind. The thing is, casino related games are not the only the only form of online gambling.
Roughly two years ago I was known in the Internet marketing space as a search engine optimization (SEO) expert. There were hundreds of individuals who were also SEO experts at this time and many of them were even better than me. Because of this, I figured that if I wanted to succeed in the Internet marketing space I would have to change the public’s perception of me. During this time there weren’t too many social media experts so I decided to concentrate on that niche when it came to speaking at conferences and blogging. To make a long story short, within 2 years the perception that the public had on my company and me changed for the better. Many people see me as a social media expert now and when companies are looking for that service, in many cases they turn to me because I branded myself in this way. In essence, I took a gamble and risked everything, but within a few years it all worked out.
Now that you know a little bit about me, I would like for you to think about yourself and the position you are currently in. Just like I was a few years ago, there is a chance that you are also swimming in an ocean full of identical fish. If this is the case, the question that comes to mind is: “should you re-brand yourself?”
If the following characteristics represent you then the answer is yes:
- There is nothing that differentiates you from the competition.
- Within the last 2 years you have not been able to achieve your professional goals.
- You are not well known in your industry.
There is nothing wrong if the characteristics above resemble you. All you have to do is take a gamble and roll the dice. Remember, in the Internet world the house does not always win.
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Brilliant advice Neil. I’m amazed at the amount of people who want to be successful in their careers but aren’t willing to take risks for it. You can’t succeed without taking a chance.
Thanks!
The main problem I see these days is that people are not willing to take a risk because they are too comfortable.
I agree. It is very easy to be too comfortable even with a mediocre career and/or modest salary. Therein lies the importance of practicing discipline and moderation with regards to lifestyle choices.
As you get older this becomes very difficult. Both you and I are very young which is why we are willing to take the gamble every time and keep doubling down. At the end of the day both of us can go back and live with our parents if we make a mistake, but for older individuals it is easier to make a safe bet or no bet at all.
I’m not really sure how to solve this problem because as you grow older it usually becomes more of a gamble.
The way I tend to try to solve this “problem” is to hang out and do business with people younger then me
Hi Neil – I think you’ve done a wonderful job at rebranding yourself. And I’m really sorry I used to consider you a technogeek.
Thanks Catherine!
As for the technogeek comment… no worries. I am just happy that you considered me something compared to nothing. Also, not sure what a technogeek is, but my guess is I probably am one.
Solid advice, as always neil.
This is something that i try to reflect on all the time. Checking i have direction, and it’s not the same direction as the guys left and right. A lot of these risks can be calculated, but sometimes you have to leave it down to gut instinct. In your case, it was obviously a risk worth taking.
Another great way to reduce risk is to learn from other people’s mistakes. If you go to your local books on tape store, you can pick up tapes from CEOs telling their life story.
i’m a graphic designer, and you probably know this, but there are a lot of fish in this sea. it seems like anyone with a computer, photoshop, illustrator, and indesign are graphic designers. now i like to think that i am better then 80% of the clowns that do this profession, but it is getting to the point where people are willing to put up with shitty design to save a buck.
so what’s a mofo to do? i have re-labeled my services as (gra)fuck design. the name alone sets me apart from the competition and i tend to do designs that can be controversial, but get noticed.
now my problem is finding a client who is willing to be different and isn’t afraid to step on a few toes.
PEACE
One thing you may look into is interaction design. Designing with usability in mind is very important to some people and they are willing to pay a pretty penny for it. Granted you will still have competition, but not as many as just being a “designer”.
characteristics above resemble me. It’s probably because I left my old job for a career in banking. Not Liking the Corporate World. I was actually working on S.E.O back in my old job.
Best of luck on perusing your new brand.
This I can definitely relate to. The fact is that Internet Marketing expertise is not plentiful in the Caribbean at this time, so there is a huge need for people like me. But I also found that one of the areas in demand, is for Caribbean and Global brands who’ve discovered the untapped lucrative market that is the Caribbean market and want to target them.
The Caribbean being defined like this…The Caribbean( People who live in the region, English, Spanish,French and Dutch), the Caribbean Diaspora (Caribbean people living in the US,EU and Canada. US based Caribbean people now have an annual disposal income of US$50billion) and people who consume things Caribbean ( travel, reggae music, food, beverage, which exceeds US$60 billion annually).
So I’ve set myself up as Internet Marketing Expert for Caribbean and globals brands who want to target that market or who can be enticed by the market numbers to target that market.
Smart move because it is much easier to make money and brand yourself in a market with less competitors.
Neil,
Brilliant advice! Too many don’t differentiate themselves and think that evolving their brand only occurs when they have a publicly bad public relations event .
Risk is a part of everything — I do like that you calculate how to minimize that risk!
Thanks!
Maria Elena Duron
Calculating risk is great, but in some cases you just have to roll the dice and take a gamble.
Neil,
I this advice is very well written. Thanks for clearing my head about my approach to personal branding. Glad I read this sooner than later.
For me, taking risk is not an issue. Find the right game to gamble is the key. There are so many ways to gamble, how do you know which one to pick?
Personally, I have two options. One is to gamble on something that I already know and be the best in that game. The other one is to find a game that no one is playing and be the first one to play it.
I am wondering what will be the new game on the Internet other than Social marketing? Will someone invent a new marketing platform in few years?
It is always tough to figure out which one to pick. I wish I had the answer because I would be a billionaire, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
I posted something similar about 2 weeks ago. I hope you could take a look at it, Neil.
-Mike
Will check it out.
Another sound advice. I’m not sure whether I’m a gambler, but i tend to do things on impulse and hope for the best lol
You are probably a gambler.
haha talking about gambling, i have a friend whom gamble online for a living and he is making a lot of money from it too
It is a very lucrative space. If you think your friend makes decent money, just look at the owners of some of these sites.
Well the SEO market is way underserved in the Caribbean, who wants to join me in conquering this small but veddy lucrative marketing place. My company Connectimass.com can’t handle all the work.
Just like how the SEO market is underserved in the Caribbean, the online casino market is underserved in Asia. Or at least compared to the UK.
I recently took a gamble and moved to China to start an online casino operation and lately it started to pay off. Although I am not in the black yet, each month I am turning a profit now.
Great advice Niel!
I am not sure about the laws in Asia, but in the US online casinos are illegal. Hopefully you don’t run into legal issues in China.
Either way, congrats on your success. It was a smart move to create a casino in Asia because not too many people expand once they are making money. The same thing happened in the social networking space where MySpace did not expand to the UK at first, so Bebo decided to go after that market.
hey neil, am so so so glad I found your website. Lots of good advice. I just joined internet marketing business. Probably I was gambling at that time. But I believe patience and persistence get us where we need to be
Why the need to be so different and stand out though?
As for literal gambling “It’s a hard way to make an easy living”.
If you don’t you will just blend in. By standing out you are more likely to do better in life.
Yeah nice advice! am amazed sme people who want to be successful in their careers but dnt hve the guts 2 take risks..
Remember one thng, “You can’t succeed without taking a chance.”
So i guess should face all challenges…
If you don’t have the guts find friends who will push you. This way you will start having the guts to roll the dice.
Good piece of advice there Neil.. but now when the internet world is teaming with social media expert.. what do you call yourself?
This also shows that there is a constant need for change, acquiring new skills to remain different.. that is more than just rebranding.
Right, times are changing at a rapid pace, you gotta keep up with the times, its crucial
Either way, congrats on your success. It was a smart move to create a casino in Asia because not too many people expand once they are making money. The same thing happened in the social networking space where MySpace did not expand to the UK at first, so Bebo decided to go after that market.
Do it the right way and innovate… that’s how you make it big time.