Every Sunday, a couple acquaintances and I have a ritual – we meet up and watch the early NFL games. It is a nice way to unwind, and let off a bit of the week’s pent up steam.
It is made a little more interesting because we are also in a Fantasy Football league. If you have been browsing the net, watching the TV or reading the paper, you are familiar with the idea. It is a massively popular past time these days, and I think there are a lot of parallels with the world of online marketing.
I have done both online marketing & fantasy football for almost half a decade and have noticed the following similarities:
It is Competitive - People take their fantasy football seriously, just like online marketers take their profits seriously. Both of these activities are very popular, and people are competing all the time. Just like fantasy football teams compete for points, online marketers compete for niches and keyword domination.
In it For The Money - While there is certainly some glory in winning a Fantasy Football league (bragging rights galore), the best part is bringing in the money. Online marketing is the same, even more so when you think about it. At the end of the day, ranking at the top of google is nice, but it only really counts if it makes you money!
Need to Study and Learn - I think the idea of beginner’s luck is a bit of a myth. It certainly is in Fantasy Football. The teams that win usually have owners who study before the draft, and during the year. Online marketing is no different. It isn’t too often you fluke yourself into money (barely ever). You need to study and learn.
Keep an Eye on Trends – When you are working online you want to make sure that you keep an eye out for trends. People who capitalized on trends like the iPhone and iPad early, reaped the benefits, while the rest of us played catch up. Fantasy Football is exactly the same. You have to monitor trends and adjust your lineups properly.
Focus on The End Goal - When you are playing fantasy football you have to keep your eye on the prize and that is the championship. Championships aren’t won in the first few weeks. You have to stay calm and remember you are playing for the whole season, not the first couple of weeks. This concept transfers over to online marketing perfectly. So many people jump into it, get fed up when they can’t simply click a button to earn money right away, and then give up. That is thinking too short term! You have to think about the long term and becoming an online marketer doesn’t happen overnight. Don’t let short term failures, make you give up on the championship 
Those are the five biggest similarities that I see between the way I make my living and the way I spend my downtime. There are obviously a lot more, but now all I can think about is how the heck I can find a way to make someone pay me to play Fantasy Football. Do you find any similarities between the online world and your favorite activities?
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