Let’s face it. Web marketing has become just too complex to do on your own anymore. You can go to all the conferences and Meet-up groups you want, but when it comes right down to it, successful web marketing for your business means having a team of people working hard through a process…in the right places at the right time…to achieve more online leads and sales.
I’m seeing a resurgence in the interest of mentoring by the emails and phone calls I get. It’s kind of funny how some people think of mentoring as inviting an expert to a cup of coffee for an hour or two so that they can learn all the secrets they need to go make a million bucks online. But, that’s just not the case anymore, if it was ever true before in the first place.
People also seem to be confusing mentoring with coaching. For example, here’s an older post I wrote that very clearly defines the difference between a web marketing mentor versus coach.
And here’s another post that describes why web marketing coaching doesn’t work.
When you get a mentor, you’re much more joined at the hip than with a coach. Your success becomes your mentor’s genuine interest and you should expect to work together for YEARS to come rather than just a few coaching sessions to get you started.
With all that said, I thought it would be fitting to make a post for you that covers what I believe to be 3 types of true web marketing mentoring programs. You need to be asking your potential coaches and mentors questions to find out exactly what THEIR intentions are by getting you signed-up with one of their programs.
Internet Marketing Mentor Type I – Individual One-on-One Mentoring
If you are lucky enough to find someone who is truly skilled in the many aspects of Internet marketing AND is willing to teach you “their own process” as opposed to following some sort of coaching script, be ready and willing to pay top dollar. $300-$1,000 an hour is not unusual for one-on-one premium-grade web marketing mentoring.
Why so pricey for just talking on the phone? I mean, what work is that?!
Well, I’ll answer that first by saying successful web marketing mentors really don’t offer charity consulting as much as you hear. I get phone calls and emails offering to buy me coffee in exchange for picking my brain for an hour or two.
Sorry, although I’m very much a people person, and truly would enjoy your company, business is business.
I just don’t have the time to give away to be honest. Every hour I take out of my day could easily be spent on a website I own and am already familiar with.
More importantly, I’m confident you will see in the first 10 minutes of our discussion that I’m very different than any other marketing coach, consultant, trainer, speaker you’ve ever worked with. An hour’s time with me would give you a DAY’s worth of to-do action steps.
It’s your task as a student to do anything you can to get your mentor-to-be interested in helping you with your project.
Taking on your project requires a mentor to stop thinking about his own projects and prioritize yours. We have to be incentivized and excited to do that…and to do it right.
Internet Marketing Mentor Type II – Group Mentoring
Group mentoring usually features the same Type I mentor leading web-based training sessions using GoToMeeting or equivalent screen sharing tool. Type II is less costly than the Type I mentoring but you definitely should expect limited, if any, one-on-one time with the leader.
There is a benefit with Type II as you get to meet and network with the other students. I’ve had good success with using Type II mentoring by leading more of a mastermind group where I add 15-30 minutes of training as part of each session.
It just goes to show that there are a variety of programs available under Type II mentoring. Be careful to make sure you know what you’re getting when you sign-up for that kind of program and that your leader is committed to ongoing group session leading over the long-term.
Internet Marketing Mentoring Type III – Community Mentoring
This is the type of mentoring I am currently infatuated with at HereNextYear! My role is to mentor a group but facilitate others in the group providing input and learning for the other members of the group.
The entire community of Here Next Year Web Marketing Club support YOU in your success!
Clearly, Type III is the most effective of any mentoring program possible.
So, Which Internet Marketing Mentoring is Right for You?
Let’s face it. It’s just next to impossible to do EVERYTHING on the web all by yourself in order to get to the success level you really want. You either need to recruit, train, and monitor helpers of your own OR find an existing team and pay them what they really are worth to get the job done. Are you ready to make some real progress?
The process is easier than you think! We’ve used the same 6-step process to help our clients become recognized as the top experts in their fields for the past 20 years. The Internet marketing mentoring is a built-in component to that process. Get immediate access to the A.C.T.I.O.N. System mini-workbook now: