Sid Smith: Writer, Internet Marketer, Marketing Consultant
Unlike most copywriters, I’ve worn many hats. I’ve sold and project managed multi-million dollar IT Systems Integration projects. I am a Certified Professional Coach. I have ghost-written two high-level strategic management books. And I’ve leveraged my knowledge of SEO and Internet Marketing to create highly profitable niche websites from scratch.
I combine real-world Internet Marketing and professional copywriting to help entrepreneurs make their mark online, building websites, generating leads, and creating sales.
In short, I am uniquely positioned to help entrepreneurs to plan and create profitable internet marketing businesses.
A bit of history
My psychology teacher thought I should follow in his footsteps. My English teacher thought I had some possibilities as a writer. But my math teacher was my favorite. So, with all the awareness of the typical 17-year-old hormone-laden teen, I majored in Math and minored in Computer Science.
I loved the creative aspect of programming, the challenges of analytical thinking, and how I had to create the strategy before I could write the code.
At the same time, I thoroughly sold my philosophy teachers on the belief that I knew what I was talking about. A born marketer… One psychology professor even suggested I should become a writer.
However, graduating from college during a deep recession left me little choice but to migrate toward programming, which I knew would pay the bills.
The Early Years
Our natural strengths and tendencies cannot be denied. At Hewlett-Packard, I quickly established myself as a solid consultant, able to deliver outstanding technical services to HP customers around the globe. I was twice named the “Consultant of the Year” by helping a fledgling HP software OEM become the third largest seller of HP computers in the U.S, and was asked to be on a special global advisory team to discuss the future of HP’s proprietary operating system.
As a marketer and writer, I self-published a monthly newsletter to HP customers and delivered numerous technical papers to HP user groups. I honed my marketing skills by writing service proposals (I never lost a deal), and negotiating deals with clients ranging from Wells Fargo to Portland Community College. I was once given the “Risk Taker of the Year” award for selling services in a place management said we’d never set foot.
And, as a business developer and project manager, I had to sell the multi-million dollar systems integration projects before I could manage them. Those times were unique, as we had to wear multiple hats to build HP’s consulting business.
My Life as an Internet Marketer
HP was changing, and the demands for 100% travel were not to my liking, so I ventured out on my own, but not before earning a Masters in Depth Psychology.
I knew that as an entrepreneur and marketer, I needed to understand why we do what we do. The art of persuasion requires a deep knowledge of human behavior. Armed with my new MA, I first focused on delivering change management consulting to local companies, along with some executive coaching.
Upon discovering that I preferred writing marketing materials over coaching, I switched to marketing copywriting and read every book and took every course available on the subject.
As the Internet loomed large in the marketing world, my technical side had something of a rebirth. I knew that the Internet would be the future of marketing, but I didn’t just want to learn theory.
I created a niche website (for writers), and in six months drove the site to the top of the search engines, getting between 700 and 1,000 visitors per day. After selling the site, I have focused on Internet Marketing for mostly small businesses and entrepreneurs, taking the time to create other niche websites.
Personal
I reside in Portland, Oregon with my wife Linda and our four cats. When I’m not having fun with the grandkids, we’re either out on the Willamette River dragonboating (Google it), bicycling around town, or hiking the many beautiful trails within miles of the city.
