Introduction

Below are a series of work examples demonstrating the skills outlined in my resume and showing my thought processes when completing tasks. These examples follow along as I start an online business selling online courses covering topics in real estate. I begin by developing and designing a WordPress website, proceed to content planning and market research, begin creating content, and end with analyzing sales and marketing data to continue optimizing my strategies and tactics.
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Market Research

Overview | Skip to a Section
Select A Market For My New Business
Determine My Ideal Client
Create the Buyer Persona
Competitive Analysis Research
Browser Search Analysis Research
Platform Specific Search Analysis Research
Determine Persona Semantics: Crafting My Messaging in the Same Language

Select A Market For My New Business

Before I invest my time into starting an online business and creating content, a product, and my marketing pieces, I’m going to take a closer look at the market to determine if the business is worth pursuing. I want to create an educational website that sells online courses within the real estate niche. I’ll use the criteria in the following plan to evaluate the market and determine if the real estate niche within the online education industry is likely to succeed. 

The Plan

1. Determine if the market is growing

I want to avoid a dying industry and industries that appear to be stagnant. The best probability of success is in a market that is growing. I’ll research the industry and try to obtain data within the niche to determine if this is the case, but if there isn’t good data for real estate education specifically, I’ll accept a growing online education market in general. I may need to pick a different niche or market if it’s not.

2. Consider if my product would be simply desired or truly needed

Next, I’ll consider the target audience to evaluate the product I’m interested in selling. I want to know if buyers would need my product. A product that is most likely to be deemed necessary, rather than just desirable, by a buyer is one that provides a solution to a problem they are highly motivated to change. Since people are more strongly motivated by the urge to relieve something that causes physical or emotional pain rather than seek rewards, I’m making a strong pain point a requirement if I am to pursue this business.

3. Think about whether or not my buyers will be easy to target

I’ll then take a look at my options for targeting this persona. If they’re difficult to find or hard to target, my paid marketing efforts may take a while to dial in, which would require a much greater budget for ad spend. It’s easier to succeed if I know where to find my target audience. I’ll consider this before making my decision and use my intuition to determine if this would be too difficult or not.

4. Determine if my target audience has purchasing power

If my target audience has a strong motivation to relieve the pain they’re experiencing, has become aware of their options for solutions, and decided they would like to purchase my product to resolve their problem, but can’t afford it, my marketing efforts and time spent creating a valuable product offering will have done their job while still not making a sale. The buyer would likely return to the provider stage of the buyer’s journey and look for a cheaper alternative even if a competitor’s product provides less value or they have to try to solve the problem with a cheaper solution from an indirect competitor. A lack of purchasing power can make my product obsolete. It’s difficult to sell resume services to the unemployed or a mansion to someone struggling to pay rent for their studio apartment. I’ll have a greater chance of success ruling this out before I start the business.  

Summary

Since I am starting a new business, choosing a market is an important first step to have the best chance at being successful. By answering the following questions, I’ll know if I have a market worth pursuing:

1. Is the real estate education market growing?
2. Is the persona in pain and desperately seeking a solution?
3. Are they easy to target?
4. Do they have purchasing power?

Conducting the Research

1. Is the real estate education market growing?

To answer this question, I gathered data on [Public Data Website]. 

2. Is the persona in pain and desperately seeking a solution?

To answer this question, I gathered data on [Public Data Website]. 

3. Are they easy to target?

To answer this question, I gathered data on [Public Data Website]. 

4. Do they have purchasing power?

To answer this question, I gathered data on [Public Data Website]. 

My Results

Is the real estate education market growing?

Are they easy to target?

Is the persona in pain and desperately seeking a solution?

Do they have purchasing power?

Content Planning

Determine My Ideal Client

Creating A Buyer Persona For My Ideal Client

Thinking Through the Buyer Journey

Search Analysis

Platform-Specific Search Analysis

Social Listening & Forum Questions

Persona Semantics: Language, Jargon, Slang

Content Creation

Written Hooks: Headlines, Titles, & Subject Lines

A great hook grabs your target audience’s attention, inspires questions, and leaves them wanting more. Lets take a look at how the hooks I created in video scripts, ads, email subject lines, video titles, and more helped increase viewer retention, click through rates, and open rates to convert more leads and gain more views on my content pieces. 

Visual Hooks: Featured Images & Thumbnails

B.E.N.S. Method: Big, Easy, New, Safe

Storytelling

Offer or Call-to-Action

Video Scripting

Video Editing

Content Strategy & Tactics

Dream 100

Content Repurposing

Creating a Product Offering

Problems & Solutions List

Maximizing Value

Core Offer

Bonuses

Guarantees

Creating a WordPress Website

Graphic Design: Logo, Favicon, Social Profile Images

Web Design

About Page

Products & Services Page

Landing Pages

Growing an Email List

Opt-In Strategy & Email List Promotion

Segmentation & Tagging

Writing Subject Lines Using BENS Method

Writing the Email Body: Packaging, Hook, Set Up, Loop, Points, and Cliff Hanger or Call to Action