ReubenRock.com
Internet Marketer, Graduate Student, Radical Dude.
It Rains and It Pours
Aug 11th
When I said that 2010 would bring some personal posts to my blog… I didn’t expect anything like what’s on my mind. I’ll spare the details. Here’s the bullet points:
- Year 1 of grad school (2008) my brother died.
- Year 2 of grad school (2009) my grandmother died.
- Now (2010), my dad has died.
- And on a lesser note, a drunk driver hit my brand new truck tonight.
I said I would spare the details. So let’s just say that my dad’s death opened up Pandora’s box. Things have been out of focus for me. And, for now, it has culminated in my wrecked truck being towed away while I stood there with police around me.
For the rest of 2010, I want to refocus. And this brief post is just my personal reminder to do exactly that.
Take care of yourself and those around you, folks.
Reuben D. Rock
Life Update – June 2010
Jun 5th
What a year! You might recall, I spend the spring semester going back and forth between getting a job and completing my phd. Well, there’s been some closure on that front.
I got a job! Actually I got a really awesome job. I’m now an eCommerce specialist for a Fortune 500 company here in Memphis. It’s been an incredible experience so far. Lots to learn and lots to do every single day. Internet marketing in the corporate world is actually a lot of fun. I’m planning to continue moving forward with this position as long as possible. I don’t see any reason to stop now!
On the business front, my sites are still running. I don’t have any solid plans for a new product anytime soon. But my existing products and niches are still making me great money. I think I’m going to focus my after-work efforts on improving my existing sites. I want to experiment with some new traffic generation methods. I also want to recruit more affiliates and provide more support to them. Banners, email copy, etc. My affiliates drive lots of sales for me now, but I know they can earn more commissions. I’d like to help them do that.
So it’s summer. I’m now an ecommerce specialist and an internet marketer. Life is good!
Figure out what you love to do. Even if you have been traveling down a different path up to this point (like grad school for industrial-organizational psychology), do what you love. You’ll find it more rewarding. You’ll enjoy going to work every day. You’ll want to keep learning and improving yourself.
Go do it! Make the most of your life.
Reuben D. Rock
PS – I bought a sailboat. It’s pretty awesome. Check out my sailboat restoration blog here: catalina22.reubenrock.com
Create More Expensive Products and Thank Me Later!
Mar 7th
If you’re involved in internet marketing, you probably see tons of high-priced products all the time. Seminars for thousands of dollars. Huge video courses for $997. That sort of thing.
Let me first say that I DO NOT charge that much for any of my current products. Nowhere near that much. But I want to let you in on a little secret that I have been discovering in that 6 months…
Selling a $97 product is no harder than selling a $7 product online.
Let that soak in for a minute. How much happier would you be if you sold a $97 product every single day versus selling a $7 product every day? I’m not trying to equate money with happiness here, but it makes a difference. Last summer I launched 2 products at the $97 price point. One of those products has taken off. I have 0ver 1,000 affiliates promoting it. I make sales nearly every single day. Think about that – that means nearly $100 in extra income every single day.
If you think it was difficult to create that product, market it, recruit affiliates, etc…. you’re dead wrong. The process was the same as when I was creating 10 page ebooks on little niche topics.
So decide what you would rather do: spend hours creating a $17 product, or pump the product up a little bit and have a great $97 product. Which product is worth your time?
For an example of the my product creation process, check out Product Creation with Skype.
There’s my tip. Take it or leave it. Go make some more money!
Best of luck,
Reuben D. Rock
PhD Versus Job: My Quarter-Life Crisis
Feb 22nd
Here’s my attempt at a personal blog post, as per my 2010 Goals:
As I’m sure you’re aware, I’ve been a graduate student at the University of Memphis for the last 2 years. It’s been difficult, eye-opening, and a whole bunch of other things. Now I’m nearing the end of my MS in Psychology, and I’m looking toward the future. The only problem… there’s a fork in the road.
Do I stick around and complete a PhD, or hit the work world and start collecting a real paycheck?
For many people this would be a simple question. You’re either the academic type or you’re not. But like a lot of graduate students, I have no idea what I am. Research is not my great love. I also don’t live for the IRB, publication, grant-getting, etc. On the job front, my interests and career aspirations are incredibly eclectic – a product of my entrepreneurial experiences over the last few years. My skills are in statistics, training, WordPress websites, marketing, copywriting, product development, etc. I like meeting people, traveling, coming up with new ideas, working independently (most of the time), and making money. My wife would say that making money is my greatest love. And that’s partially true – I won’t hide my affinity for living it up!
So here it is… the clock is counting down to my decision. On April 15th (also tax day – geez what a terrible coincidence), I have to accept or decline my spot in the Experimental Psychology PhD program at Memphis.
Let me think positively for a moment… whatever decision I make, it will be the right decision. You can always find happiness somewhere. Whether I am Dr. or Mr. Reuben Rock for the rest of my life is not really important. What is important is that I have a beautiful wife, lovely house, profitable business, and an assortment of friends and hobbies.
Any advice for a 24 year old caught between academics and the workforce? I’d appreciate your insights in the comments!
Here’s to my quarter life crisis,
Reuben D. Rock
Seasonal Products and Your Internet Marketing Business
Jan 26th
Every year around this time, I’m reminded of the seasonal nature of some of my products. Actually my top sellers are seasonal. Once winter sets in, sales begin to dwindle until spring. It leaves a tough couple months where my ad spending remains unchanged, but the clicks just don’t convert.
This is an example of when you should consider diversifying your product offerings. Getting into a new niche can really help you out in this situation. That’s what I’ve been working on in the last year.
My site, 90MinuteBusiness.com is a line of products that I hope will boost my income during the slow season for my physical products. When physical sales drop off, my 90 Minute Business products continue to keep me afloat.
What’s your experience with seasonal shifts in your sales? Have you been diversifying and trying new niches to combat the effect? If not, maybe it’s something you could work on in 2010.
Best of luck,
Reuben D. Rock
