A WSI franchise owner is an expert in what they do.

Online advertising is a tricky field, and can have some negative connotations, as we’ve previously discussed. People hear “online advertising” and they think of pop-ups, crazy banners that say they’ve “won,” computer viruses, spam emails and all manner of other things. And consumers aren’t the only ones worrying about this kind of approach: the people who own businesses and want to advertise online have these concerns as well. They don’t want to end up on their target audience’s “spam” lists or lose potential customers through annoying advertising.

This is exactly where you, the digital marketing guru, come in.

You know there’s a lot more to the world than the obvious, and why should the web be any different? That’s the good news — it isn’t. There are many ways to use online advertising without resorting to any sort of uninvited tomfoolery that will only cause customers to cross their arms, huff and storm off.

One of the things we like to explain to our WSI franchisees is the principle of wealth creation, rather than simple profit. Profit is only one part of the wealth-creation scenario, and while it is of course important, it isn’t the whole picture.

Consider the phrase “making money”: This doesn’t just mean taking in money from a paycheck; it literally means the creation of goods and services that have enough value that others will pay more for them. As the goods and services in a market grow, money grows with them to help meet people’s demands.

As a WSI Digital Marketing Consultant, you’re an integral part of this wealth-creation system.

It’s something of a variation on the word-of-mouth business cycle, in a way.

• You work with a client, who then pays you for your time and services provided. That’s the first part — you gain a return on the investment you’ve made in the franchise.
• The client hopefully will, in turn, see their business grow and expand thanks to your expertly-given digital marketing advice, making money as a return on their investment in you.

You see how it works? Right there you’ve affected the money in your market in two distinct ways — you have made money where there might not have been any before. But that isn’t the end of it, either.

With a WSI Franchise, one of the most important things to consider is your ability to generate leads and network effectively.

This is the process of drumming up business for yourself by investigating leads, or sources for clients. The importance of this technique cannot be overstated to a successful Internet Marketing Consultant; after all, why just wait for business to come to you when you can get the ball rolling yourself?

Now, it has been discussed and remains true that after a business has gotten its feet under it, the most consistent source of revenue is repeat business from satisfied clients. However, a business just starting out obviously can’t rely on this, and even businesses with loyal customers go through slow periods. Both of these times are excellent opportunities to look for new leads.

One opportunity that some marketers might overlook are local trade shows. Whether focused on video games, local businesses, the arts or high-end professions like medicine or science, these places are abundant sources of lead generation activity.