What is Clickonomics?
The short answer is: Clickonomics is the art and science of selling on the internet. If you can sell anything to anyone online, you have figured out Clickonomics!
The long answer?
Well, let me tell you a little story!
It is hard to imagine this but there was a time when we never had the internet. Before the greatest invention since sliced bread that we now call the internet, before software started eating the world, and before the rise of technology that businesses use today, one thing was true: sales were the heart and soul of any business. Without sales, a business couldn’t survive, let alone thrive and grow. It was the lifeblood, the breath of life that gave a business meaning and value. This idea, as old as commerce itself, I like to compare to the biblical of creation of creation: in the book of Genesis, it says, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul!” Whether you believe in creation or evolution, that is personal to you, but I like the vivid image painted by the bible, that God created man from dust, and man remained just dust UNTIL God breathed into him, giving him a living soul! There are many people who talk and wish to become entrepreneurs (I believe we call them Wantrepreneurs!), and some go on to spend money on a fancy new business logo, business cards, an office, a website – the lot but ultimately a business without sales is merely dust, a concept without life, a figment of imagination – sales breathe LIFE into every business. Without sales you are not in business. That is why getting that first sale seems the hardest thing for an entrepreneur – in fact, a lot of businesses struggle to make their first sale and majority struggle to keep making sales. Without sales, any business, no matter how big your brand is, how good your marketing is, how many people you employ – you will be out of business sooner or later.
In the pre-digital world, the formula for business success was simple but demanding: you had to master sales. This was the number one skill every entrepreneur needed to survive and grow. Legendary figures like Napoleon Hill and Dale Carnegie understood that to make many sales, you had to think right and make friends. Hill’s Think and Grow Rich and Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People became global bestsellers because they focused on the psychology behind selling—building relationships, thinking positively, and having a burning desire to succeed. Together, these books have sold over 100 million copies worldwide because they touched on something essential: to thrive in business, you need the right mindset first.
Sales: The Heart and Soul of Any Business
Sales have always been the core of business since the term ‘business’ came into the English language. In fact to be in business, was to be busy selling. Whether you were an artisan in the markets of ancient Rome or an industrial titan in the 20th century, the ability to sell defined your business success. Sales are the essential heartbeat that makes everything else possible. The same remains true today.
Before digital marketing, before the internet, it was a rite of passage that entrepreneurs had to learn and master the art of selling. Whether you were selling products door-to-door or leading a team of salespeople (your salesforce), there was no substitute for the ability to connect with customers and close deals. Businesses lived and died by their ability to sell, and many still do today. This explains why books on personal development e.g. Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, and Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People and sales psychology e.g. The Greatest Salesman In the World by Og Mandino continues to dominate the business bestseller lists—they provide the foundational mindset for success. Even today, in some of the world’s largest corporations, salespeople are among the highest earners because they generate revenue, unlike other functions that are often seen as cost centers.
The Evolution of Marketing: From Supporting Sales to Leading Growth
As businesses expanded from local to global markets, the role of marketing evolved. In the early days, the marketing function existed purely to support the sales department. Sales teams were the boots on the ground, and marketing helped them by providing leads and building brand awareness. The sales department was seen as the profit center i.e.a branch or division of a company that directly adds or is expected to add to the entire businesses’ bottom line or profits (basically the department that brings home the bacon!) , while the marketing department was regarded as a necessary cost to support sales growth.
However, as businesses scaled, marketing began to take on a life of its own. With the rise of direct response marketing, companies realized that marketing could drive sales directly, not just support them. This gave birth to a new era of advertising and marketing, where agencies like Ogilvy & Mather thrived, and advertising legends like David Ogilvy and Frances Gerety helped shape iconic brands like Rolls-Royce and De Beers (Remember Diamonds are forever!)
Marketing was no longer just a function—it became a strategic partner to businesses, driving sales and growth through mass media like TV, radio, and billboards. Direct response marketing proved that advertising could be just as effective as having a physical salesperson. Legendary campaigns, like the Wall Street Journal’s famous $1 billion sales letter, showed that you could sell at scale through words alone—copywriting became the salesman on paper.
Copywriting: Selling at Scale
Copywriting is the essence of selling with words. If sales are the lifeblood of a business, copywriting is the voice that spreads that lifeblood throughout the body. Before the internet, copywriters were the magicians behind the scenes, crafting messages that reached millions of potential customers. David Ogilvy, for example, built a reputation as the father of modern advertising by turning clever headlines and persuasive copy into powerful sales tools. His famous ads for Rolls-Royce were more than just clever—they sold cars.
One of the most legendary examples of copywriting’s power is the Wall Street Journal’s $1 billion sales letter. This simple, direct letter generated over a billion dollars in revenue for the newspaper and is considered one of the most successful sales letters of all time. Copywriting proved that words could sell as effectively as face-to-face interaction, and this idea has carried forward into the digital age.
Today, copywriting has evolved into something even more powerful. It’s no longer just about selling with a pen—it’s about selling through every type of content we consume online, whether it’s a blog post, an Instagram caption, or a viral YouTube video. The principles of copywriting—persuasion, storytelling, and connecting with your audience—are more relevant than ever.
The Internet Revolution: A New Era for Sales
The 1990s brought with it the internet—and David Bowie rightfully predicted, the internet was going to be a disruptive force that changed the way business was done forever. At first, the internet was viewed as just another new technology, something novel but not yet trusted with serious commerce. Few people could have predicted that within two decades, the internet would be the backbone of global business.
Visionaries like David Bowie described the internet as “an alien life form” that would radically change how we interacted with the world. And he was right. In the early days, only a few businesses, like Amazon and Google, recognized the internet’s potential to revolutionize sales and marketing. Jeff Bezos didn’t need a traditional sales force—he created a system that sold products 24/7 through Amazon’s website and its affiliate program, Amazon Associates. This was revolutionary—sales were now being made by a virtual sales team, powered by content and internet presence.
Instead of relying on an army of salespeople, companies like Amazon created an online sales beast. A single unboxing video of the latest iPhone can generate more sales than a thousand traditional salespeople ever could! The internet allows businesses to create what is essentially a virtual sales team that works around the clock, generating revenue from content, video reviews, blog posts, and social media.
Digital Marketing: Selling in the 21st Century
Today, digital marketing is not just another function—it’s a critical skill that every entrepreneur and marketer must master. The internet has created a level playing field where businesses of all sizes can compete for attention before they can sell their products or services. Whether you’re running a global e-commerce site or a local small business, you need to know how to sell online. Digital marketing is the art of creating and promoting content on the internet to gain attention, build trust, and drive sales.
In this new world, content is king, but engagement is the queen that rules it all. To sell online, you need to create content that captures attention and engages your audience. Whether it’s through SEO, social media, email marketing, or paid ads, your success depends on your ability to stand out in the crowded digital marketplace. Digital marketing is the modern version of sales—it’s about building relationships, creating trust, and converting attention into sales.
Introducing Clickonomics: The Essential Guide to Selling Online
Clickonomics is not just another book about marketing. It’s a comprehensive guide to mastering digital marketing and selling online. Much like Think and Grow Rich and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie trained generations of entrepreneurs on mindset and building relationships, Clickonomics trains today’s entrepreneurs on the mindset, strategies, and tools necessary to thrive in the internet age – how to sell online!
Clickonomics is different from any other marketing book. It tells the story of the internet’s evolution, the psychology of people on the internet, and provides actionable tools to help you succeed. It introduces groundbreaking concepts like Simba’s Five Forces, Simba’s Content Matrix, and Customer Ikigai—tools that help you understand what stops you from selling online, how to optimize your content, and how to create content that connects with your audience on a deeper level.
Just like self-help books of the past helped entrepreneurs develop the right mindset, Clickonomics helps entrepreneurs and marketers develop the skills to win in the digital marketplace. It teaches you how to think about digital marketing not just as a set of tactics but as a holistic strategy that will transform your business.
Why You Need Clickonomics Today
In the digital age, selling online is the most important skill any entrepreneur or marketer can have. You will not grow your business or your marketing career if you cannot sell on the internet! Whether you’re starting a business or trying to grow an existing one, Clickonomics will give you the mindset, strategies, and tools you need to succeed. It teaches you how to create content that sells, how to build trust with your audience, and how to turn clicks into customers.
Think of Clickonomics as your survival guide in the digital jungle—a must-read for anyone who wants to win customers and influence people on the internet.