Almost all of us have been through the stages of contemplation and procrastination regarding internet marketing. We have also been through the phase of downloading the latest red Hot IM ebooks/courses/videos from the Internet and jumped from one 'golden' method to another. We have done all that once, some still do!
The fact of the matter is that success comes to those who struggle for it! Put 'Honest-to-God' effort in doing something practical. Solid practical action is required on your part. As my mentor says, there are three things that are to be followed in sequence namely, Action, Fire, Aim!
What the heck!!! Yes you read that right. You can always aim for the stars later, but you have to master firing first so that you can aim accurately! Dont let 'procrastination' get the best of you.
You may be asking, "what if we took wrong steps?.We must go through all the information of this broad field, and then we'd be ready to implement". Let me tell you, you would be really wrong! Gaining knowledge is a lifelong process, starting from the day you are born till the end of your life. I am not discouraging you from learning and you shouldnt!, But it does not mean you should put the 'implementation' stage on the backburner till you are ready.
One example that comes to the top of my head is of GPs. Medicine is a constantly changing field. Numerous medical reports,books,research papers are published throughout the day each day. Have you seen GPs gain all that knowledge first before they start practicing?. Hell No! They are required to study basic medical science to earn their MBBS degree and then they start rightaway! Their learning and knowledge updating process continues on the side with medical practice as long as they remain GPs. This goes for you too!
You might tell me that they take 5-6 years, and you should study for at least a year or two. Let me assure you, you require at the most a month for basic internet marketing knowledge provided you put in the hours, besides success in IM is dependent on a person's personal experience than anything else. Once you are familiar with the basics, it's time for you to dive in! How exciting is that! Think of it as a challenge; you may not be successful at first, but it will nonetheless be a learning experience to prepare you for success later!
As far as catching up on the latest marketing methods is concerned, set aside some time daily, say, 1 to 2 hours to check on new material and explore other potential profitable avenues. But, remember, it should not exceed the time for practical work done towards achieving your goals.
Start with smaller challenges first and later on you can proceed for the bigger ones. But the key to success in online marketing or for that matter, anything in the world is,'ACTION'. Act now, you can learn later, both from personal experiences and the experiences of others.