Is Facebook and Google's domination of media advertising really bad for digital entrepreneurs?

Just wanted to share an interesting article – ‘Beware of the big beasts as Facebook and Google squeeze rivals’  – by Gideon Spanier, head of media at Campaign magazine, for the London Evening Standard.

If you are a digital marketer, where do you advertise your product? Chances are Facebook, Google and Instagram take up the lion’s share of your budget.

The author is concerned that from a media point of view Facebook and Google completely dominate the online media and their internet advertising revenues increased by a combined $18 billion (£13.7 billion) last year. This figure is the same amount that the entire digital ad market grew globally, with the exception of China, where Facebook and Google are not active.

“Two companies generated growth equal to 100% or more of global digital advertising outside of China last year,” Brian Wieser, an analyst at Wall Street firm Pivotal Research, says. 

“Other media owners’ digital growth either came alongside Google’s as part of their ad network activities [through revenue-sharing] or displaced declines from other digital media owners.”

Both are set to grow at a faster rate than in 2015 and should add $23 billion in revenues between them this year, according to Wieser.

Facebook, still only a third of Google’s size, is catching up and has reinvented itself for what it calls a “mobile-feed” world of media consumption. Its messaging app, Messenger, hit one billion users this month, its photo-sharing app, Instagram, passed half a billion in June, and it keeps poaching senior staff from the ad industry.

Meanwhile. half of the world’s top 30 media owners saw their ad revenues fall last year, according to Zenith, the media-buying agency.

Robert Thomson, chief executive of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, the owner of The Sun and The Times, complained that Facebook had changed its algorithm to “reduce, if not remove” news publishers’ stories in favour of other posts. 

Kath Viner, editor of The Guardian, which is about to post a loss of £173 million, attacked Facebook.

“Social media companies have become overwhelmingly powerful in determining what we read — and enormously profitable from the monetisation of other people’s work,” she warned.

The author points out that while in the explosion of the digital economy, we enjoy unprecedented limitless media choice as consumers, the power lies with a decreasing number of technology giants.

Whilst the traditional print and other media players are naturally worried about their diminishing market share, smaller advertisers and digital entrepreneurs have never had it so good.

There has never been a time in history when a small business owner could so quickly launch a product worldwide and go toe-to-toe with the big boys.

In the past, businesses had to rely on a scatter gun approach using the likes of the Yellow Pages, local news advertising or leaflet drops to drum up customers. In most cases, we never knew if any of these methods actually worked, as it was almost impossible to measure.

National media coverage was and still is hugely expensive and there is still no guarantee of measurable success. Looking at a newspaper, distributed freely in London, I can see glossy ad’s costing tens of thousands of pounds for big brands – Samsung, Hilton, Virgin and VW - however, these ad’s are increasing awareness rather than directly pulling in business.  

Smaller entrepreneurs cannot afford the luxury of placing a series of £25,000 ad’s in the hope of building a brand!

That’s where Google and Facebook comes to our rescue, giving us low-cost targeted advertising with accurate measurable results. Nimble, agile digital entrepreneurs can market any product online, and even compete with larger rivals, using internet platforms like Amazon, Google and Facebook.

Millions of people are now working from home or running home-based businesses, some part-time but others escaping the 9-5 rat race to join the digital economy.

If you would like to learn more about launching an online business, escaping the 9-5 or joining the digital revolution from the comfort of your home, click here.

How to make money online and retire rich

We have all had the emails promising that you can 'retire young and rich' by buying the latest 'secret' or make 'tons of money' with no work.

You know what I mean, a 'once only' offer that will expire in a few hours, and the price is reduced if you buy today for a variety of amounts all ending with the figure .97! Apparently, we are more likely to but something if the price ends with '.97' - $29.97 or $47.97. And who are they fooling when they hire a big house (with no personal effects) and a Ferrari for the day and pretend they own them?

If you bought the product blindly, you were probably disappointed when you clicked the 'buy now' button only to find it was some useless course or complicated software that failed to bring in an 'avalanche of income' - either because it never worked or you did not understood how to use it?

Over the years I have researched and tried a number of different online affiliate marketing programs (selling other people's products for a commission) and courses with varying degrees of success. I had made money from the internet, but never quite found the company or product that could help me earn money while I slept or live the 'digital laptop lifestyle' lying on a beach - having said that, I can't read the screen in bright sunshine!

Yes, I'd made some money, but many of the methods I used 5 years ago were no longer bringing in the same results. Things move fast, technology changes, so I needed to upgrade my skills and knowledge. To be truthful, at this point I was beginning to wonder if it was really possible to earn a living and 'retire' though online marketing or low commission affiliate schemes like Amazon.

Then one evening I saw an ad on Facebook posted by a group of young Australian kids who were 'living the dream' on a beach in the Philippines. Having spent a lot of time in the Philippines over the years (recruiting Filipino nurses), the content caught my eye.

What interested me most was the fact that they were offering something of real value without asking me for any money upfront or credit card details. Not just some cheap ebook, but a free online 7 Day Video Course showing you how to earn money on the internet with no strings attached. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, so I thought why it a try?

After giving my email address to access the course I immediately started watching the professionally made videos and soaking up the easy-to-read content packed with money making ideas. Although sceptical at first (based on past experience) I had, to admit that I was amazed by the amount of valuable information freely given. I could see exactly where I had been going wrong and what to do about it in order to get out of the rat race and retire through internet marketing.

So can you really make a living or retire through online or internet marketing working from a home-based business?

Having doubted this, I am now convinced that you can work from home and make money online provided you have the right internet training and support and real products of value to market. If you try tinker at it on your own you will reduce your chances of making enough money to quit your job and living the life you really want. Nearly all businesses use the internet these days, so it's not some obscure idea. The internet boom is only just starting, according to the experts, and we can all ride the next wave.

Millionaire who made an online fortune from his spare room

On a sunny July weekend in Brighton over 2000 people fill an arena to see a marketing genius who has reputedly made over £50 million from a UK home-based businesses.

Andrew Reynolds started his home-based business from his living room over 15 years ago and has gone on to make a fortune selling products through direct mail, TV shopping channels and more recently on the internet.

What's even more remarkable is that Mr Reynolds, who admits to being little known outside his own industry, has done all this with almost no employees, no fancy offices and no flying around in balloons.

The 'Entrepreneur Boot Camp' is the brainchild of Andrew Reynolds who shared the stage with a host of leading speakers on subjects ranging from social media and internet marketing, online currency trading and property investment. Entrance was free, but with a optional donation paid direct to a charity.

The audience is made up of a wide cross-section of people of all ages from budding teenage entrepreneurs to retirees looking to supplement their pensions. Some I spoke to were already in the online marketing or home based business, whilst others were complete beginners hoping to find a way out of the rat race and daily grind of work.

With Andrew Reynolds holding his Free Book

Following his hour long talk before his adoring fans, I grab a chance to meet the £50 million man and pose for a photo whilst he promotes his latest money making plan - to give away 100,000 copies of his best-selling book 'Copy This Idea' for free. Yes, that's right, he is giving away copies of a book which sells in WH Smith's for £9.99, absolutely free (apart from a small postage fee)!

Copy This Idea was the No 1 WH Smith business book and earned a place in the Sunday Times top 10 list when it was first published and is a fascinating and easy read for a business book. The book takes you though Andrew Reynolds's personal journey from attending a seminar in the U.S. to building a huge fortune in direct mail and online marketing.

The photo is taken by his personal security man, keeping a close eye on the marketing guru, who is constantly surrounded by his subjects wherever he goes in the arena.

The multi-millionaire is friendly and quite unassuming, smartly dressed in a dark blue suit and open collar sky blue shirt. We chat briefly before he is whisked away by his PA for another meeting.

Unlike some of the speakers, who came from as far afield as Ireland and America, the event organiser and main attraction, made himself available to speak to endless lines of attendees for pretty much the whole of the three day marketing extravaganza.

After giving their talk, the lineup of expert speakers offer delegates an opportunity to enroll on courses and programmes designed to them get started in the business. It's easy to get carried along by the wave of enthusiasm and I soon find myself rushing to the 'back of the room' and signing up for courses including Andrew Reynolds's own VIP Accelerator programme of learning and coaching.

So why would anyone want to give away 100,000 books, worth over a million pounds on the retail market, at enormous cost for free? The reason is simple - to build a larger customer base. If you want to find out more, order a free 'Copy This Idea and learn about the £50 million pound man for yourself. Click HERE for more information.