About Derek

Hello, my names is Derek Armson. I have been working in Digital and Online Marketing since 2006. Not always successfully it has to be said, but the failures have always shown me another way not to do it 🙂

I guess embracing Internet Marketing in my 50’s (now 60’s) is not a Guinness Book of Records fantasy. It is simply the latest phase in my crazy career.

I have worked with multinational giants and disaster-bound start-up companies, constantly learning and absorbing. I’ve lived an A-List /celebrity lifestyle as the head of his hugely successful, international IT recruitment agency. And, I’ve seen cataclysmic lows as IT employment temporarily imploded after the 9/11 disaster.

Looking for something new to do, like many others, I was fascinated by the myriad get-rich-quick schemes that proliferate online, or in Internet Marketing as it became known. Earning millions doing next to nothing from the comfort of your spare bedroom is always going to be attractive. But rather than subscribe to the countless, “failproof” Internet Marketing training courses and seminars that inevitably bring tears before bedtime, I did my homework.

Amongst all the grubby dross and the smoke and mirrors, I discovered some sparkling gems of wisdom and common sense – marketing ideas that can truly make online businesses shine. I fine-tuned and polished them and now I’m ready and willing to share this knowledge with you.

Welcome to Derek Armson, The Online Marketing De-mystifier.

My Mission is to Provide YOU with CRYSTAL-CLEAR INTERNET MARKETING TIPS, TRAINING AND CASE STUDIES

But let’s rewind! Originally I worked recruiting for the Investment Banks in the City. I was the MD of a large business unit for a conglomerate recruitment company placing IT staff in the City. These were the roicket scientists that made the trading systems that caused the financial crash.

Having said that, something else caused my demise in recruitment! I left the conglomerate and started my own company in April 2001. We had a slow start but were just getting things rocking and rolling when 9/11 happened. The City shut down, and within three weeks my bankers had foreclosed on me.

I was in deep you know what!

Lots of recruiters were going bust and I carved out a niche helping companies on-board contractors they had bought at distressed rates from broke recruitment companies. But I’d come to hate it. So, in 2006 I went into Internet Marketing, after all it was the new gold rush! You can read my full story here.

It Didn’t Go Well

To be honest, I had no idea know what on earth I was doing in those days! I stumbled from one crisis to another, bought more shiney objects than you can shake a stick at and made very little money.

I joined a program called Adwords Excellence because I wanted to run direct traffic Google ads to the worst product you could ever imagine. It was a collection of about 6 or 7 different PLR products (that were just slung together and not even branded) and I was selling it (or trying to) for $67. It was awful, but my mentor at the time, who will remain anonymous, although he should be hung drawn and quartered for giving me such useless information, said it was the way to go.

I spent (wait for this) £1,365 (nearly $2,000 at the time) in Adwords and got about 5 sales. Huge loss”.

I partnered with a Guy called Lee Brooker and we set about building an online business.

History

By 2012 we’d failed spectacularly! I was totally broke and my wife was getting on my case. So, I got a contract for three days per week and devoured everything I could find on SEO for the rest of the time.

I went in to SEO because I realised that without traffic, any online business is a non-starter. Traffic is the lifeblood of any buisness these days if we’re honest. In becoming an SEO expert, and I mean a true expert, I finally had a marketable online skill. I also learned a lot about other aspects of Digital Marketing. For once I’d learned right and it started to pay fairly quickly.

I started small but very quickly proved the concept (that I could rank websites) with three clients. Those initial services were offered as a loss leader to get the testimonials. As I ranked these websites the clients referred me to more bsuinesses and initially, that’s how I grew. I got to 4 figures per month pretty quickly. However, it needed a quantum leap in the business to go into five figures. I needed bigger clients with bigger budgets”.

The First Biggie

Having set the strategy I signed my first 4 figure per month client in mid 2013 – that was a good day!

With the business building by referral and by driving organic traffic, and new staff on board, I started exploring the affiliate and product marketing models again in early 2015. This led me to a chance conversation with affiliate giant Michael Cheney.

Back In To Internet Marketing

“When Michael realised how much Lee and I knew, he suggested we start developing products and build an affiliate business to complement the client SEO business (which was now well into five figures per month). So Lee anmd I sat down and produced a product outline. We showed it to Michael who got very excited and helped us bring the product to life”.

In September 2015 we launched Keyword Cash Loophole, an advanced keyword research methodology that shows you how to dig deep into niches to find keywords that are easy to monetize due to the lack of competition, but attract the same hordes of hungry buyers.

With Michael on board as a mega affiliate and extensive marketing via FB JV groups, Munch Eye and Michael’s inner circle we produced a five figure launch and a JV Zoo product of the day title”.

May The Force Be With You!

I’d let the old APD Marketing site fall in to disrepair, so I thought I’d tart up my IM presence and re-branded to Authority Force.

So, having decided Internet Marketing had been pretty good to me, I put up this site to offer, for the most part, free training and some product reviews. It was my way of giving something back, particularly to aspiring marketers.

I could have easily given up, but…

In early 2018 Lee and I decided to go our spearate ways in orde rto persue different avenues within Digital Marketing. Lee wanted to go in the diretion of PPC and I wanted to provide Online Marketing training to help people build their businesses.

So, I re-branded (or changed trading style) to Derek Armson Online Marketing, which is where you are now.

Persistence Pays

I do remember what it like it was yesterday and I want to try and save you that trouble that I had. If you demonstrate the commitment, determination and “never say die” attitude, you can make it online. There will be times when you want to curl up in to a ball and just give up, but keep going. The one thing failure can’t live with is persistence. Persist, get the right information and take massive action. You will succeed”.

This is such a key point. Never give up and get the right information. Learn from the best. Only 3% of people who start out online actually end up winning the Internet Marketing game – you can be one of them. But you need the right information.

I was very fortunate to have both Steven Essa and Paul O’Mahony as my mentors. On the left is the Steven Essa course that got me started. Now, I had to pay handsome sums for the privilege, but boy was it worth it! I’ll help you along, but your own persistence, which is very much down to you, will make sure you win!” I also recommend you find a Mentor because a mentor will have trodden the path you want to tread. Steven and Paul were both able to demonstrate they hard earned the sorts of money I wanted to earn, so that’s why I picked these Guys.

I also got on with them both. They have a great sense of humour and a teaching style that I pace with. Check them out and see if they are the right mentors for you.

Remember (and this really is trite, but it does demonstrate the point)…LUCK is “labouring under correct knowledge”.

To YOUR success – see you at the top!

Cheers

Derek