I remember being a freshman in high school and wanting a sleek, flashy car when I turned 16 — something I can feel proud driving in front of school. My dad told me, being the nice dad he was, “I will match whatever you save.” I had goal, and to achieve it I was forced to make magic happen.

I created a simple website with good ole’ GeoCities, placed ads on it, then increased traffic to the site. This was back in the day when websites were paid a set amount per click for advertisements placed on-site. I remember bringing in around 10-15 cents per click, and getting anywhere from 1,000-5,000 clicks per day. I would wake up, do a little work on the site, go to school, then arrive home to see my stats. To my surprise, and especially my father’s, I ended up bringing in $2,000+ per month for 6-7 months until my goal was met.

The moral of the story is for parents and teachers to ease up on children and let them explore social channels. My dad was nice enough to let me do my own thing, research what I want, go after my dreams, and that has brought me to where I am today. I ended up purchasing that first car of mine, a 1997 Saleen S-351 Mustang, and many others since then. If I was put in a box and forced to study aging material in school 24/7, I would have never achieved my goals, and would not have the Social Media and SEO knowledge I have today — over 10 years later.

I hope this post inspires parents, teachers and other role models to encourage Social Media and understand that learning online marketing techniques is just as important as educating oneself on mathematics, science, and other disciplines.

Aaron Schoenberger
twitter.com/TheSchoenberger
(310) 876-0874 x1
The Brainchild Group

Aaron Schoenberger is Founder of The Brainchild Group — a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Marketing company in Los Angeles, California. He’s known for his work with celebrity clients, top restaurants, professional athletes and Fortune 500 companies.