A listener Mark calls “Bob” wrote in over a year ago saying he felt lost in online marketing despite following Pat Flynn, Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuck, and Tim Ferriss. When Mark finally responded a year later, Bob's one-line reply was devastating: “They're still the same.” In this transcript, Mark addresses every Bob out there who has an idea but has not started. He also covers goal setting for 2016 and shares a tech tip on scheduling social media posts with Buffer.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
- Why a 25-year photography veteran is sitting on one of the best niches for online business
- How to compete in a crowded niche when it seems like everyone is already there
- The one thing Michael Hyatt teaches about goals that makes the difference between success and failure
- How to use Buffer, Bulk Buffer, and Bulk Publish for social media scheduling
Episode Summary
Listener Feedback: Bob's Photography Niche
Bob is a photographer with 25 years of experience who wants to do something online but has not started. Mark breaks down why photography is an outstanding niche: it is complicated and hard to learn, making it perfect for helpful content. You can address specific audiences like soccer moms trying to photograph their kids in dark gymnasiums, beginners learning to move off automatic mode, or aspiring wedding photographers. The equipment is expensive, B&H Photo has a strong affiliate program, and Amazon affiliate opportunities are abundant.
The crowded niche objection does not hold up. Mark points out that he himself entered internet marketing, one of the most saturated niches online, and people are listening. Bob is the only Bob. His unique voice and perspective will reach people that no one else can reach. Even 100 or 200 loyal followers out of hundreds of millions of photographers worldwide is a meaningful start.
The action plan is straightforward: register a domain, set up WordPress hosting, and publish your first piece of content. It can be a simple introduction post sharing who you are and one photography tip. Then take action on day two. And every day after that. Small daily actions compound into results that are impossible to imagine at the starting line.
Goal Setting: Know Your Why
Mark shares the most powerful insight from Michael Hyatt's Best Year Ever course: understanding why your goals matter to you. Writing down 10 goals is not enough. You need to connect each goal to a deep personal motivation. Are you trying to leave your day job? Put your kids through college? Help people? The strength of your why determines whether you push through when things get hard.
Mark's own goal: 250 unique pieces of content for Late Night Internet Marketing in 2016, including 50 podcasts, 100 Internet Marketing Minute episodes, 50 blog posts, and 50 videos.
Tech Tip: Buffer, Bulk Buffer, and Bulk Publish
Buffer allows you to schedule social media posts instead of publishing them in real time. Mark discusses two companion tools for loading tweets in bulk. Bulk Buffer is a free tool that uploads a flat list of tweets into your Buffer queue. Bulk Publish offered the same functionality plus support for inline images, which significantly increases Twitter engagement.
Important caveat: These tools are for maintaining a steady queue of five to ten quality tweets per day, not for spamming 200 tweets. Flooding followers with repetitive automated content will drive them away.
Internet Marketing Fortune Cookie
“The limit to your abilities is where you place it.” If you decide you can build a successful online presence, you can. If you decide you cannot, you are also right.
What Has Changed Since This Episode
Mark recorded this in December 2015.
Starting an online business is easier and harder simultaneously. The tools are better than ever. WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, and no-code platforms make launching a website trivial. But competition has increased, and audiences expect higher production quality. The core advice to just start remains valid because the biggest barrier is still inaction, not technology.
Social media scheduling has evolved significantly. Buffer remains a major player, but the landscape now includes tools with AI-powered scheduling, content recycling, and cross-platform management built in. The standalone bulk upload tools Mark mentioned have largely been absorbed into these more comprehensive platforms.
Photography content creation has exploded. YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are filled with photography tutorials and gear reviews. The niche is more competitive but also more commercially viable than ever, with camera equipment, editing software subscriptions, online courses, and presets all offering strong affiliate and product opportunities.
Resources Mentioned
- Buffer — Social media scheduling tool
- Bulk Buffer — Bulk tweet upload for Buffer
Related Episodes
Listen and Subscribe
Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or subscribe at latenightim.com/internet-marketing-podcast/. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.
