If Warren Buffett Was Buying Ads
Warren Buffett is one of the richest men on the planet and that’s not by accident. He’s also a huge philanthropist and was said to have given away a large chunk of his wealth.
A few years ago while being interviews on a podcast, the host made me realize that I’m cut from the same cloth as Warren Buffett when it comes to how I approach buying ads online. Not in the financial sense (I’m not as wealthy as Buffett yet!), but in terms of the way I think for gaining a competitive advantage. I’m the type of guy that likes to zig when everyone else zags. I like doing the opposite of what the majority thinks is conventional wisdom. Come to find out, Buffett thinks the same way in terms of how he approaches investing.
Here’s the quote that he shared with me during our interview when I told him the zig versus zag analogy:
“Be Fearful When Others Are Greedy and Greedy When Others Are Fearful”
The premise of that quote is exactly how I decided to approach pay per click marketing way back in 2007 when I was first starting out. I wanted to find an opportunity where nobody was looking because my gut told me an opportunity existed if I looked hard enough. When I made up my mind to tackle Adwords head on, I started reading every blog, book, and course I could find and/or afford to buy.
Nearly 100% of all the people I was learning from at the time all told me to stay away from the Google Content Network (Now called the Google Display Network) because it would suck dry whatever little money I had left in my rapidly dwindling bank account.
But I didn’t listen. I followed my gut and it told me the gold was in the Google Display Network because everyone else was digging in the same places where the people selling shovels were telling them to dig.
Long story short, I found a ton of success early on in the Google Display Network and I’ve been making a full time living online ever since.
Fast forward to 2013. That’s when I decided to take YouTube Ads very serious. I had been watching the space and tinkering around prior to that. But finally one day I made up my mind that it was absolutely necessary I master YouTube Ads and add it to my ad buying arsenal. My gut (the gut strikes again!) was telling me again that there was gold to be found there. And with YouTube being such a massive traffic source, I could no longer ignore it.
I’m now considered one of the top experts in the world on the subject of YouTube Ads (Other people say this about me and it’s flattering!)
Why is that? Why is it that others think so highly of my knowledge of YouTube Ads that they brag about me to their friends, colleagues, and clients to the point I’m getting flooded with requests for podcast interviews, speaking engagements, client referrals, etc.?
The reason is because I choose to zig when everyone else zags. It’s because I’m greedy when others are fearful, and fearful when others are greedy like Warren Buffett. That’s why I know Warren Buffett would crush it if he was buying ads online like me.
And right now, he’d be crushing it with YouTube Ads just like I am. Because he’s not afraid to follow his gut and do the opposite of what everyone else is doing.
Everywhere I would turn over the years, all the rage was Facebook Ads. Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Facebook Ads and I’ve spent millions buying them.
But while everyone else was zigging on Facebook Ads, my team and I have been zagging on YouTube Ads for over a decade. And now with all the craziness happening with Facebook, I’m not scrambling to find a new traffic source like many people I know because I had to guts to try something different when everyone else was telling me not to.
If you’re like me and Warren Buffett, you know the only way to stay one step ahead is to do the complete opposite of what everyone else is doing. That’s how you get an early mover’s advantage.
I believe if Buffett was marketing online, he’d tell you you’re crazy for not doing YouTube Ads if you truly want to grow and/or jumpstart your business online.
And if you’re as smart as I think you are, you’d listen. Here’s what I’ll say:
Click here to start zagging on YouTube Ads before the herd comes rushing in. Don’t wait too long because the advertising costs are going start rising soon just like they are with Facebook Ads right now. You’ve been warned!
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