Archive for the ‘What The Hell?’ Category

Something is bothering me recently…

There has been a term thrown around recently on the blogs of several well-known marketers and pro-consumer advocates…

The Internet Marketing Syndicate

A group of Internet Marketers allegedly forming a “closed door” endorsed marketing and product launch sequence that results in sales of high-ticket info-products being sold (most for  $1997 each).

My view on this trend, disturbing.  Very sad and very disturbing.

When you endorse a product, it’s extremely important that you’ve used that product, or reviewed that product so you can make a justified determination in your endorsement for the reader of your email or blog post.

This doesn’t seem to be happening in this close-knit circle of marketers.

Now, I’m no lawyer, so the legal aspects of this are best left to them to discuss…but ethically, this needs to be challenged.

In reading some of the blog posts circulating about this subject, I’m finding that to join this Internet Marketing Syndicate, you must promote a schedule of products, no matter what.  Yours then gets promoted once as a result of being part of this group…no matter what.

What…the…hell?

So…products are being promoted randomly, without a second thought to the person forking over their hard-earned $1997 to buy them?

Are these individuals that desperate for income or something?

At what point do you make the leap from teaching a market of people to do something (keyword: people), to simply trying to extract money from that market without regard to the quality of products being sold?

To me, you don’t cross that bridge.  To me, if you do cross that bridge, you cross into the dark underbelly of the marketing world, and even worse… by example as a “leader” in the market (a term I use loosely), you justify these actions as “ok” for new people entering the marketing business.

And that’s NOT ok.

Now, I’m going to admit I haven’t been 100% perfect when it comes to endorsed marketing (I don’t think anyone has), but I always strive to be as close to that 100% perfect as I possibly can.

This alleged Syndicate is far from perfect at all, or so it seems.  Do they think they’re above common business ethics?

I’m starting to wonder.

Yes…

• Yes online marketing is a valid business model…
• Yes it does require that you work hard…
• Yes it requires marketing skill…
• Yes it requires the ability to sell and persuade (not illegally, unethically, or immorally however)…
• Yes it does take some time to build an affiliate marketing business…
• Yes you will have competition in niches that make money…
• Yes you will have to do things better from time to time…
• Yes smart competitors will be watching what you do…
• Yes you could make excuses, whine, or worry about “how hard this is”…and yes you could give it all up.

So…

Can you do this? Yes.

Will you do what it takes?

And no…

• No marketing does not create overnight riches.
• No there is no magic button to fill your bank account with cash.
• No there aren’t many “untapped niches” where you will dominate anymore.
• No marketing isn’t easy.
• No there are no shortcuts.
• No you shouldn’t try to figure this business out beforehand.
• No you shouldn’t over-analyze opportunities, that will paralyze you.
• No the Internet isn’t some big shiny object anymore, so “make money online” isn’t a new topic anymore…

So…

No you’re not going to succeed without the right mindset…

…will you do what it takes to develop that mindset?

If the answer is No, maybe you should keep your day job.

Now…will you share this article with others?  Yes, or no?

I know you have a million things to do right now, and one of them could be reading and absorbing that great Internet Marketing course you just shelled out $297.00 for. You know, the one that has the next secret you can use to make massive amounts of cash.

But that is not what you are doing right now, is it?

I can probably summarize what happened with that Internet Marketing course when it first arrived…

1) You tore it open like a kid in a candy store.

2) You broke out the first manual, dvd, cd, whatever…thinking “I am going to do so much with the information I am about to learn!”

3) You were able to read the first portion of that magnificent course (and many of them are actually loaded with those secrets they promised).

But then…

4) You allowed some sort of distraction, and thought “I will just tend to this and be back in a few minutes…”

Those are the words of death for that internet course.

How many times have you actually made it back to that information that could change your business life?

Come on now, really. Not many times huh?

I totally understand. I was there myself once. You are a business owner right? Lots of important stuff to do, too many “fires to put out.”

Right?

Then why did you buy that internet marketing course to begin with?

By the way, that internet marketing course could be a book, magazine, or any other source of information that you promised yourself “you would get back to.” Is it important to keep yourself educated and on the cutting edge in the world of business?

I already know you know the answer to that question. And, you have probably referred to the title of this post and thought “I thought this was a ‘how to’ post, not a lecture.” The real title to this post should have been:

“How Do You Read And Absorb Information When There Are So Many Distractions Pulling Away Your Time?”

And the answer is…

Just do it. Make time to do it. It is that important. I mean, how much time does it actually take to read a small portion of that Internet Marketing Course and gain a useful idea that you can use in your business the next day, or plan to implement this idea another day?

Ten minutes? Fifteen minutes? Come on now, be realistic…

For those of you that are reading this post to the end here…and saying:

“But Joe, I don’t even have ten or fifteen minutes in a day to sit down and read anything!”

Well…

You are welcome to call me when the money runs out or you are closing your doors. I will try to help. But it might be too late.

Sorry for the harsh reality there. This is just too important to use that excuse though.

Set aside a fifteen minute window for “self education”, every day. Even when you have a day off. It’s that important. Do not allow distractions in this window of time…

Your business depends on it.

Period.

I remember a commercial from the 80′s about Wendy’s Hamburgers.

Where’s the beef? They would ask this about their competitor’s hamburgers…claiming that a Wendy’s Hamburger had more delicious beef than say, McDonalds.

Well, I’m asking that of email marketers now.

Where’s the beef email marketers?  What content and other trust-building offers are you creating to develop a relationship with the people who take time to read your emails?

The great unfollowing, unsubscribing, and great filtering has begun folks…and that means if you offer little more than a sales pitch in your emails, you’ll soon be toast.

Believe me or don’t, but don’t come cryin’ to me when the money runs out…people aren’t stupid, and are getting bored with crap promos being sent every single email you send them.

And yes, I will call “I told you so” on this topic.