97% Fail To Earn Anything Online – There MUST Be A Secret to Internet Marketing!
Well, what do you think?
Hidden Secret of IM Success?
The headlines of this post appear to contradict each other, or do they?
Today I want to discuss the truly great and most obvious Secret to Internet Marketing. A secret that has the potential to explode the business and popularity of those that know and practice it. A secret that can create an unlimited amount of money online and propel exponents of this secret onto the world stage to become an instant global celebrity in that elite group of the most respected, followed and sort-after Internet Marketers.
Does that opening paragraph sound like a load of unsubstantiated BS hype to you? I know that I have certainly seen too much of this nauseating clap-trap on the Internet and I have forgotten just how many email lists I have unsubscribed from because I’ve gotten so fed-up with this sort of thing.
Too many marketers out there become so obsessed about the money making aspect and treat their subscribers like biological ATM’s. Any trust or authority they might have built up will quickly wither away and the long term viability of their Internet Business will become irrepairably damaged.
It’s a strange phenominon that seems to affect people online far more than those with a traditional bricks-and-mortar business. Maybe it has something to do with a perceived sense of anonimity afforded them by the Internet – who really knows? It seems they start to totally disregard the fact that behind every one of their subscribers email addresses is a real live person. And anyone who has run any kind of business knows: “If you aint got no customers, you aint got no business”
However, before I go off-track too much, I do actually have a great tip which is cool and most importantly, true.
Ah, So This is The Real Secret to Internet Marketing Then!
The obvious fact is that Internet Marketing is actually a real business. As long as it is treated like a business, with customers given the respect they deserve.
A very good chance of success should then follow.
Did you see the tip, or was it so obvious that you missed it?
OK, here’s the tip again – and this time I’ve made all the relevant words uppercase, underlined & orange: INTERNET MARKETING IS actually A REAL BUSINESS
Now, just as with any business, success requires the wilfull participation of customers – and as we all know, customers are actually Real People that buy stuff. Notice the subtle emphasis on the two words ‘Real’ and ‘People’?
I’ll repeat what I said earlier: “If you aint got no customers, you aint got no business”
In the virtual world of the Internet, it can be easily forgotten that there are Real People interacting with a computer, tablet or smartphone. Funny videos of kids, cats, dogs or people doing stupid things don’t just magically materialize in cyber-space.
They are uploaded to sites like Facebook or YouTube by people that could very well be potential customers of your Internet Business.
So, what is that supposed to mean? How can some lady from Milwaukee with an uploaded funny cat video be a potential customer?
Well, she could be interested in learning how to make some extra income online and we also know that she really likes cats, especially funny videos of them.
But, you’ll never know what people really want unless you reach out to them first.
Offer More To Keep Or Get New Customers
Owners and managers of traditional bricks-and-mortar business’s know that to gain customers, they have to give something first. That something could be free advice; a free trial of a service; a free product to new customers who sign-up or buy a specific product.
The list of incentives is endless, but the goal is the same. Which is, t o position themselves or their company directly in front of people by giving them value before, or even if, they become a customer. It also allows the company to begin instilling trust by demonstrating to the potential customer their depth of knowledge, experience and willingness to assist them now and in the future.
In the traditional bricks-and-mortar – or offline – world, as it has come to be known. Just how long do you think the business will survive, if someone set themselves up in a business area (or niche) they actually knew nothing at all about?
Common sense should be enough to tell them that they should, at the very least, know something about that specific area of business, or make it their number one priority before making that important first step.
If you’re anything like me, I would make sure that I at least knew a little about the type of business I was planning to open.
Just to throw open the doors and hope for the best isn’t the kind of business plan that leads to success. It’s certainly a good way for someone to waste any money they may have, unless they have a lot more money than sense, of course! As no bank would lend them a dime with a business plan that consists of “open the doors; coax people inside; ignore their requirements and just sell them the product with the highest commission”.
So imagine that scenario.
His Only Business Plan Is To Get Money!
A new business just opened, with a sign outside saying “Grand Opening Come On In Be Amazed!!” A guy standing in the doorway, enticing people to enter, with nothing more than a pretty window display promising them that he has the solution to whatever they need. He may be able to lure in the odd one or two curious passers-by who would, no doubt, be amazed – as the sign says – when he tries to take a deep-dive into the funds of their credit cards!
Personally, I would hope that they just didn’t enter in the first place, or at the very least, make a hurried exit back out the door. I t should be abundantly obvious when he tried to steer them into buying the most expensive or inappropriate item. This guy actually knows or cares very little to nothing about people or their requirements. It’s a sad fact that there are marketers out there who operate just like him.
Beware – He Only Wants Your Money
Internet Marketing has more than its fair share of so-called ‘gurus’ who really regard their customers as ‘suckers-with-credit-cards’. An endless source of easy funding for them, as they know there are plenty of eager newbies dreaming of that push-button Internet Lifestyle.
Marketers like this give Internet Marketing and online business in general a very bad name. They are just after money and are not interested in giving away any value, they don’t care and do not have any respect for anyone.
The guy with the bricks-and-mortar business above would eventually be shut-down when it becomes well known that he’s just ripping people off. But having a real business premises means that he’s a lot more easier to find.
Affiliate Marketing may be touted as a quick and easy way to make money – and I’m certainly not knocking it – in fact, I cover it in my free eBook ‘Internet Marketing Entrepreneur Kick-Start’ or just ‘IMEKS’ for short. It’s free and there’s a lot of valuable content in it that I have personally learned along the way.
There’s no doubt that Affiliate Marketing can be very lucrative. However, just like most things, it can be abused and over-used to such an extent that it can have a negative affect on marketers who make constant and aggressive use of this marketing model.
Every business, whether on or offline, must have something that either solves a problem or addresses a specific need. Indeed, all successful companies owe their success to some type of product or service that addresses a need or solves a problem. Other than my free IMEKS eBook that I created, I am actually an affiliate for most of the products I offer.
Get my Free eBook ‘Internet Marketing Entrepreneur Kick-Start’ or IMEKS. Just enter your email below.
Though in time, I will have products & services of my own.
Consider the launch of a new product.
What I regard as abuse or over-use of Affiliate Marketing, is the sheer number of affiliates who jump on the bandwagon of each and every product launch. Every one of them competing directly against each other and all of them taking space in your inbox.
When you realize that the emails from different marketers are all exactly the same, it means that those marketers have put in zero effort themselves, because they are using the vendor supplied emails (or swipe files) as-is. Also, they don’t bother with offering any bonuses of their own. I guess the tactic may work with some people who are extremely new to IM, who just buy from the first email they read, but as far as I’m concerned, these are the types of marketers to be wary of.
They may as well just send emails that say “I’m only interested in the commission, I don’t care about the product or giving you any extra value of my own!”
It’s also obvious to me that the hype surrounding the latest-and-greatest-shiny-object is the same as the hype that surrounded the last one. And the number of times I have read and heard the phrase: ‘…ABC… is the last and only product you will ever need to buy for…XYZ’.
Just who are they kidding?
Resist The Lure of Bright Shiny Objects
Alas, it would seem that serial consumers of bright-shiny-objects (BSO’s) are also afflicted by a sudden loss of common sense when it comes to the Internet and the promise of untold riches there for the taking.
They’re always ready, with credit card in hand, eager to click the Buy button and take advantage of that ‘special early-bird price’ before the deadline. Some may promise you the earth and show ‘proof’ of how they’ve made $$$$$’s thanks to this “truly amazing product – a game changer!”
Yep, heard it all before and ‘game changer’ appears to still be a popular and over-used phrase now that we’re in 2016!
Don’t get me wrong though, I think most people do go through the BSO phase. I certainly did and openly admit to having hard disk folders stuffed with BSO’s, a lot of which have never even been looked at again after all the hype had finally died down.
Do you also receive emails with subjects like “GO, GO, GO..”; “GO NOW!”; “GET…XYZ…BEFORE THE PRICE GOES UP!”….
I’ve had emails like these and a lot of them have been directly from the vendor of XYZ themselves. At this point, you may ask: “so what’s wrong with promoting your own product then?” And the straight answer is “nothing at all”. It’s the way they have chosen to market products of their own to their subscribers that really should start to ring alarm bells. Also consider that their continued survival in Internet Marketing is heavily dependent on a continuous stream of product launches.
So, be very wary if any of them release a product and state something like: “This really is the last and only IM product you will ever need to buy!” because the implication is that they will never, ever, need to produce another product – and that would go directly against their business model and would mean the end of their business!!
Mixed Messages of the ‘Guru Mentors’
Marketers that present themselves as mentors, who warn against all the hype and the money-pit that BSO’s can become. Yet, they also use these very same tactics themselves to encourage people to buy their own products, which, I am sure they will put forward convincing arguements of how ‘essential’ their product is – and certainly nothing like a BSO!
Guro Mentor Marketers Mixed Messages To Loyal Followers
Take a good look through your email inbox and see how many there are from marketers who are said to be gurus or even mentors. Maybe you are already a member of one or more of their private Facebook groups. I’m sure you must have come across them. Groups where people are banned for self promotion, but the ‘Guru-Mentor-Marketer’ takes full advantage of their loyal followers to use the group as their own private sales machine.
I don’t intend to dig any further into this and will instead leave you to examine your own inbox and form your own opinions on this matter.
Some products launched, though, can be genuinely useful as long as you don’t get swayed by all the hype. Focus instead on direct benefits to your business; whether the product will fit into your business plan; is it a useful tool or just a nice-to-have toy? I’ll freely admit that some products can advance your business, when used correctly.
When I’ve seen something that appears to be a good fit and really useful for my own business, I always check out Brett Retucky’s site first. He conducts and publishes in-depth tests on the latest IM product launches and is not afraid to give his straight and unbiased opinion.
At this point, I’ll remind you again that the greatest secret of an online business is the fact that it is a business, as long as you are serious enough to treat it like one. And always give your subscribers and customers the respect they deserve – and never forget that they are real people.
Now, concentrate on all the basics you need to get started. Download my free IMEKS eBook and use the information contained in it to start on your own journey. You will expand on your knowledge as you go and eventually start to make some money . Seriously consider signing with a genuine and successful mentor whose business is not dependent on their own continuous flow of product launches.
One such mentor, whose business does not depend on constant product launches – and also happens to be my mentor – is a well respected and successful marketer by the name of Dean Holland. His Business Commission Blueprint was the thing that finally enabled me to make my first ever income online.
Whatever you decide to do is obviously your choice, but remember to never stop learning. Keep up to date with new methods and techniques which are always being developed and can potentially grow your business even more.
Momentum is key!
Take action and don’t hold off doing something until you know it all, because the fact is, you never will know it all.
Just get started once you have the basics in place and in time, your knowledge will also grow.
Until Next Time…
Twitter: glennshep
on January 29, 2016 at 11:52 pm
Hi Michael,
I absolutely LOVE this post! There is so much in this post, I don’t know where to start!
Suffice it to say, I’m completely on board with you on this. There are far too many ‘play acting’ at business online, in my opinion. I think the reason for this is that the Internet is, of course, so accessible to the masses and therefore gives a lot of people a shot at things they wouldn’t have had just a few years ago. this means that every man and his dog can, potentially, make money online.
However, I believe that there is a big difference between making money online and having an online business. Honestly, the way I see some so-called “Internet Marketers” behave, it’s astounding that they’ve actually got as far as they have!
It’s people like yourself, indeed, others of like-mind, who will bring a change to the dross-filled industry. More and more people are seeing through the drivel and it’s going to be the honest, ethical, hard-working, value-driven and customer-oriented who will be left standing.
Thanks for sharing these vital points, Michael! Keep it up, my friend! 🙂
»Glenn«
Glenn Shepherd recently posted…“Are You Talking to Me?”
Hi Glenn,
Thanks for your comments.
I’m really pleased that you agree so much with the things I have found and my own observations within the Internet Marketing industry.
When I first thought about writing a post like this, I was wary that some people may think that my opinions might either be too ‘obvious’ or that I was ‘out-of-line’ somehow, for suggesting that some closed/private forums or social groups are really nothing more than ‘holding pens’ for enthusiastic fans of some Internet Marketers, who are only really interested in milking their credit cards.
But during the process of writing, it became clear to me that if anyone did feel offended by this post, then it is they who are the ones’ ‘out-of-line’.
Mike
Mike Flanagan recently posted…There Is No Secret to Internet Marketing – Now That Is A Strong Tip
Hey there Mike great post. Always giving value is important and you have hit the nail on the head with your post
I too Am in BSO Recovery mode and have also started creating a decent income as Dean Holland is also my mentor. When you find someone who gives so much value you soon realise what it takes to have a real business
Jenelle
Hi Jenelle,
Thanks for your comments and I fully agree that having Dean Holland as my mentor, along with Louis Doughty, Glenn Shepherd and the whole Internet Profits ethos is a fantastic antidote for recovering BSO-holics!
I’m so glad that my own experiences with some of the so-called ‘gurus’ out there have resonated so well with you. It really is good to know that there are like-minded people like ourselves who are correctly focused on doing things the right way, with honesty and ethics.
Mike
Mike Flanagan recently posted…There Is No Secret to Internet Marketing – Now That Is A Strong Tip
Twitter: villagemarketer
on January 30, 2016 at 12:40 am
Hi Mike,
Many thanks for sharing such an awesome post.
For anyone even thinking about an internet marketing career this post is essential reading and research.
It’s sad but true that the online marketing world is full of unethical operators who prey on the ignorance of newbie marketers.
As far as the “shiny objects” issue is concerned I am living proof of the scurge of this problem. Way too often in the not so distant past I spent way too much money chasing that magical overnight solution.
Thankfully I finally learned my lessons but it was an expensive learning curve.
So Mike I hope newbie (and not so newbie) marketers take heed of the valuable advice you present in this post.
Great share mate.
Best wishes from a remote Thai village entrepreneur.
Peter
Peter Beckenham recently posted…Why Havenât You Got Started With Your Blog?
Hi Peter,
Thanks for dropping by, from your remote Thai village!
It’s really great that you think my post should be essential reading. I’m honored, flattered – and I guess a little embarrassed by the endorsement :O
Shiny objects are certainly a scourge and I have total empathy with you regarding the expense. My poor credit cards also took quite a battering during my quest for that magical ‘thing’ that would bring overnight success.
The lure of easy riches have always attracted people in all walks of life and I suppose Internet Marketing is no different. So I guess that BSO’s will always be part of the learning curve for Internet Marketing newbies, as long as they do actually learn and progress away from them and focus on what really matters.
Mike
Mike Flanagan recently posted…There Is No Secret to Internet Marketing – Now That Is A Strong Tip
Great post Mike….as you say, there is no real secret…just old fashioned work.As regards the BSO & scam merchant’s, i feel it is part of our learning curve as marketer’s to go through this process of discovery, getting burnt along the way….not only does it teach us how not to behave….but also spot the warning sign’s of people that do…
Hi Darren,
Thanks for the comments.
You’re spot on with BSO’s being part of the learning curve, I agree entirely!
As long as people do learn and progress away from BSO’s, rather than just continue to bounce around from one to the other.
Mike
Mike Flanagan recently posted…There Is No Secret to Internet Marketing – Now That Is A Strong Tip
Thank’s for the reply back Mike..the irony of this post is that as i am writing i paused one of Glenn’s videos on the importance of blog commenting
( Dynamix Mod 12,p3 ).
Having re-read you post i 100% agree with the business mindset.
Being self-employed myself in the construction industry, i realised early on the value of delivering a quality product or service to your customer’s
As yet i am still not fortunate enough to make the full transition on-line,but i am getting closer by the day
Regarding the “Get rich quick” mentality i feel that this is a plus for the more serious marketer,as the on-line community is wising up to these “snake oil” tactic’s.
And finally, on the subject of learning. In my humble opinion ,self-education is a vital part of our learning curve.
During Christmas i re-built my lonely, dormant site…..all ready to start the next phase in my plan’s……as i was blowing the cobweb’s off my old post’s my heart sank….CRIKEY…..these post’s are terrible….my copy is awful (and that’s being generous).
Hence, since yuletide i have been locked away studying…..blog’s ..copywriting……basically anything i could find, i just wasn’t prepared to give people this rubbish.
Anyway….thank’s again Mike
PS… Apologies if this reply takes up too much space….i am relatively new to all this…..
Hi Darren,
No apologies necessary, my reply here also takes up a lot of space – but it’s only virtual space anyway!
As you are already self-employed, in your case it’s the construction industry, you already understand that regular – or ideally a rolling open-ended contract of – work for a construction company is vital for your continued cash-flow. The majority of people work as full or part-time employees and panic at the thought of not receiving a pay-packet at the end of every week or month. It’s something I certainly had to get used to, the first time I became self-employed as a freelance IT consultant back in 1998.
However, you are accustomed to being your own paymaster and know that the amount of pay you get is directly related to the amount of work you get. Also, you know that the way to get the work is to convince your customer, or client, that you are the best man for their project as you fully understand and respect their requirements, schedule etc and will give them excellent work. It appears to me, what a lot of people seem to forget when they start an on-line business, is the need to sell themselves to potential customers by being able to see problems/issues/needs through their eyes and communicating in a way that resonates with their situation, as if they are speaking directly with them on a one-to-one basis.
The risk is that many marketer’s talk too much about themselves. Their websites or blogs are a monument to their own greatness – and they may consider ‘helping’ others, as long as they pay a fat-hourly-fee!
I have to admit, though, that some of the things I have written on my own blog do seem to veer towards Me, Me, Me. As I learn more, I will be continually making adjustments to my own site and the way I do things. We are indeed always learning and self-education is both vital and a continuing process.
Mike
Mike Flanagan recently posted…There Is No Secret to Internet Marketing – Now That Is A Strong Tip
Dear Mike,
the more I read the more I see that so many people are living in a kind of fantasy world. Now I am not saying there is anything wrong with that, I’m all for the imagination. But that part needs to stay in one’s head instead of “Buy this new software now and you will be rich in 28 days”. People are just fooling themselves and fooling others when they think this overnight success thing is really going to happen.
I love that you have kept it real and that is where true success begins.
I am with you all the way on this one….seeing way too much of it and I think it is a case of “don’t want to do anything, but want everything for it!” Open and shut case. Thanks for bringing it to light, we need more people like you…..Jennifer Giacoppo
Hi Jennifer,
Many thanks for dropping by and leaving those nice comments – and apologies for taking so long to reply, as I’ve been focused on dealing with some family matters over the last few days.
I agree entirely that people do fool themselves about making money on the Internet.
Their imaginations do run wild as they watch; listen; read and really believe in the latest ‘sure-fire’ thing that will make them overnight millionaires. I’ve certainly day-dreamed about instant riches, like winning the lottery, as I’m sure many people have. Imagination is a good thing and has been attributed with many scientific and business successes. Ideas come to us when our minds run free and sometimes as a result of bizarre images, or dreams.
The trick is to keep it real and understand that success requires focus, work, commitment, determination and patience. But, sadly, we have grown up in consumer-oriented societies and have always been bombarded with advertisements which have done a good job in convincing the vast majority that anything is there for the taking, no work required, zero money-down and easy finance.
There are a great number of people who are, unfortunately, trapped in this fantasy and complete with a finely-nurtured consumer-mentality of ‘want it all NOW….instant gratification/success/money…no work/easy life’ and with very little patience, always ready to buy the next ‘sure-fire’ thing that comes along.
Mike
Mike Flanagan recently posted…There Is No Secret to Internet Marketing – Now That Is A Strong Tip
Twitter: abubakkor1212
on November 15, 2016 at 11:42 am
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Twitter: firepitsarefun
on December 30, 2016 at 6:05 pm
Excellent info shared about internet marketing. I especially love this: “Internet Marketing has more than its fair share of so-called ‘gurus’ who really regard their customers as ‘suckers-with-credit-cards’.” Yep!! Thanks for the info – much appreciated!
Jenn T (www.backyardfirepitfun.com)
Twitter: DeonChristie
on August 31, 2017 at 8:22 pm
Excellent post, I agree with Jennifer. It’s astonishing how many “Experts” and “Gurus” are out there. Engaging your audience with proper product knowledge should be your objective, not strong arming them into a desperate sale. In my opinion I think one should promote what you are personally willing to use and even purchase.
Deon Christie recently posted…7 Ways to Boost Your Google Rating
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