Courses / Schooling

[Aegroeg]

So theres been something I've been wanting to ask but wasn't sure how I would come accross. But do you know what? I'm new, I know next to nothing, and I need to learn some how!

So:

How did all of you internet marketers / SEOs, etc...learn to do what you do? Was it a college course? Uni? Or did you simply read up on these forums for years before you got started?

I'm considering going to college this year and have been looking up Marketing courses ( something I was considering back in 2008 but backed out due to funding issues ) but I'm not sure if that will do me any good as it may not cover enough online information as I'd like.


What do you recommend? How did your success story start? Should I be patient and read? Or get myself a bloody education??

 

[paradisze]

I learned by action.

 

[Chris22]

Have the best of both worlds. Get a formal education AND learn from BHW at the same time.

I'm a developer, but I got started on marketing by building software freelance for people and learnt about marketing by working with people I was producing software for. After a while it made sense to focus on marketing, but use the skills I already had from development to leverage it.

I do IM full time now and it's the best decision I've ever made.

 

[Aegroeg]

I learned by action.

Well I'm currently working on my adsense and have just started using Fiverr. But I know there is no big time career in either of those unless I'm a HUGE Youtuber. ( and for Fiverr I have no idea if thats a good income in the long run )

But I agree. I want to do something with this small talent I have. And if I can't focus on my music I'd love to have some valuable knowledge in IM to fall back on which could end up being even more lucrative.

Have the best of both worlds. Get a formal education AND learn from BHW at the same time.

I'm a developer, but I got started on marketing by building software freelance for people and learnt about marketing by working with people I was producing software for. After a while it made sense to focus on marketing, but use the skills I already had from development to leverage it.

I do IM full time now and it's the best decision I've ever made.

I'm looking at college courses now. There is really no better time to start, I'm 23 and have had to take some time off work due to slipping a disc in my back. I'm worried I cant actually do my job any more and if I can go to college next month it would be a great transition.

But what courses to take? Business? Marketing? I will need to phone the college and find out roughly what each entails. But it would be lovely if someone could tell me what kind of courses they studied to gain the knowledge they have now.

 

[artificial_genius]

There is no good formal education for internet marketing. Right now it moves at too fast of a pace. Reading threads here is a good way to get a basic understanding, but after you have that basic understanding you really have to learn by doing.

I'd either take Business or Computer Science classes. Both of those are skills that will be important for a long time and you can use those skills to enhance any internet marketing skills you might have. But you shouldn't be going to college just to pick up internet marketing skills because you won't find them.

 

[Chris22]

Well I'm currently working on my adsense and have just started using Fiverr. But I know there is no big time career in either of those unless I'm a HUGE Youtuber. ( and for Fiverr I have no idea if thats a good income in the long run )

But I agree. I want to do something with this small talent I have. And if I can't focus on my music I'd love to have some valuable knowledge in IM to fall back on which could end up being even more lucrative.



I'm looking at college courses now. There is really no better time to start, I'm 23 and have had to take some time off work due to slipping a disc in my back. I'm worried I cant actually do my job any more and if I can go to college next month it would be a great transition.

But what courses to take? Business? Marketing? I will need to phone the college and find out roughly what each entails. But it would be lovely if someone could tell me what kind of courses they studied to gain the knowledge they have now.

Don't under estimate fiverr it can be a pretty good earner if you work at it.

As for what course to take, it really depends on what you think is right. Any marketing/business course will set you on the right track, but it really comes down to trying out things, learning what works/what doesn't work etc.

"Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune."

 

[Aegroeg]

"Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune."

What an excellent quote. This will stick with me.

Thank you for your advice. I'll be spending the night looking into everything. As I said, I recently hurt my back and it got me thinking about when I'll be able to go back to work. But then I realised no job is secure and I have always had a passion, or ambition to learn how to make money for myself.

Thanks.

 

[a32337]

Don't under estimate fiverr it can be a pretty good earner if you work at it.

As for what course to take, it really depends on what you think is right. Any marketing/business course will set you on the right track, but it really comes down to trying out things, learning what works/what doesn't work etc.

"Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune."

After an undergraduate and graduate degree, I feel like all the time I spent there I could have learned even more by spending that time researching on the internet. Sitting in lectures all day long having professors regurgitate material off of power point slides is only so helpful, especially when you are paying thousands of dollars a year. Chris's quote is really true since you figure out what you NEED to learn when you are teaching yourself how to do things and researching rather than just listening to what others tell you you SHOULD know.

 

[a32337]

But what courses to take? Business? Marketing? I will need to phone the college and find out roughly what each entails. But it would be lovely if someone could tell me what kind of courses they studied to gain the knowledge they have now.

You won't learn anywhere near the same information in formal classes that you will here. I'm not trying to dissuade you from a formal education, but if you are trying to be self made in IM you will be better off doing a lot of research. I can provide you a long list of textbooks that I had over my college career in business and you can see for yourself what you would learn in formal classes.

 

[Aegroeg]

Wow thank you. You see at 23 Ive wanted to do a lot of things over the years and never committed to a course and instead cancelling before the year starts. And I think if I go into marketing / business and soon find its not what I want to know, I'll be completely uninterested and thinking whilst im there " I wish I could go home and go on BH "...haha.

Thank you I think my decision has been made. Since the college year starts in a few weeks, its bes to hold it off another year. I'm new to this site and already have a rough idea of how many of you make your money. I just dont know the individual steps to take. But that wont come with a month of casually browsing. The longer I stay and the more time I invest in reading and taking steps of my own, the more I will learn.

Thank you very much.