You can drop a lot of $'s on PPC if not careful. You may even want to try it first on MSN or Yahoo. Not as much competition, less per click, but smaller results also. Good place to do some testing though! Then if you find a good niche that works, you can step it up and test on Google.
Getting started in IM can be tough and you will probably fail a few times, but you just have to chalk it up to experience. That is the only way to gain experience. Just try to concentrate on one method and don't go chasing the next big thing or "shiny" object. Learn everything you can about the process and take action. Hope this helps someone!