When you’re looking for a new career in the field of internet marketing, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype and head straight down into the rabbit hole. This is partly because of what people have seen online and heard through word-of-mouth conversations with friends, or maybe because life got busy, just not for that industry. But it’s also related to how profitable web development and SEO careers can be. The internet is such a big place; there are so many jobs you can do.Mi Canna Marketing
Why not take a chance and start a new career as an SEO, web developer, or internet marketing guru?
This has become the standard answer to that question. It is easily said, and it makes sense in theory – of course you should stay away from untested careers. But this still doesn’t feel right to me. It’s the same feeling I had while having the conversation with a friend who just quit his job at a financial firm to start his own company as an “internet marketer” – except he didn’t really know what he was doing yet, or what that really meant either outside of making money .
This is how I see it: two different reasons for why you shouldn’t get into internet marketing industries now, and potentially any other industry you can think of:
1) You’re based in the wrong country –
There is a whole lot of history behind some of these industries. Google, for example, was originally based in the United States and built on US laws and government funding. Until recently, many US websites have been penalized by them for violating these laws.
While that is not the case any more, there are still countries (China) that have different rules than in the US (one of which is that China doesn’t believe in free speech). This is not a problem when you’re based in the US, but if you’re from anywhere else (a US-based company for example) being based somewhere else may be risky.
2) The industry is currently deflating –
There are people who claim that the internet economy is one big bubble and burst. At some point in time, that burst will occur. And those who are a part of it will fall with it – and those who stay now can’t see it happening. But there’s nothing to indicate that this will happen soon, so don’t waste your time trying to invest in a bubble now.
Reasons to get into the internet marketing/SEO industry:
1) Everyone is doing it –
The bottom line is that a lot of people are already doing this. There’s a whole lot of money to be made in it, and there always will be. The internet marketing world has been around for years, and it’s no fad that people just started talking about for the first time. This is a stable industry that will continue on for years to come.
2) It’s easier than you think –
It’s easy to make money if you’re not worried about how much effort you put in . I’ve done it, and anyone that claims themselves as an expert in something is trying to sell you something. But seriously, if you think you can just throw some term-paper ideas on a whiteboard and call it web development – it will work, but at the same time, if that’s all you know then there’s no point in knowing more.
3) The money is there –
I’m not saying that internet marketing/SEO jobs are easy to find – and I’m not saying that they’ll be easy forever either. It does depend on where you live, what kind of experience you have (if any), your personality and what skillsets you already have.
But it’s not impossible if you make yourself visible . Sometimes, you might have to keep on searching and moving around – sometimes, it may take a while to find something – but be patient if you don’t . And as long as you know what you’re doing, there’s always money to be made.
4) It’s stable.
When the internet was first introduced, it was just a bunch of fun for people in college who loved making websites for their friends. Nowadays, the internet is an economy that grows every single year (although some industries are deflating). You can be part of that economy and make money while doing things that actually matter.
5) It’s the future –
Everything that you do right now is only valuable if there’s a future for it. Do you want to be part of an industry that will be around in ten years time, or do you want to be a part of one that’s already deflating and won’t come back?
There are people who will tell you that internet marketing is just a temporary phase, but they’re lying. It isn’t temporary. If anything, the world would be in grave danger if it ever did go away.
