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Six Tips for Finding Great Marketing Advice
What am I talking about?
Maybe more than any other marketplace, Internet marketing “how to” advice, both good and bad, flows pervasively around the Internet selling circles like no other niche I know. Every business owner, every business hopeful, forum and discussion group lurkers, and anyone with an opinion seems compelled to spout their wisdom about doing business online.
What’s wrong with that? There would be nothing wrong with lots of varied opinions and discussion except for this:
A great majority of the “wisdom” is not wisdom at all. People tell untrue stories, exaggerate, and outright lie to make themselves out as successful business owners because they believe that others will buy their courses, ebooks, and affiliate suggestions since they are authorities and experienced sellers. Many have the “fake it ’til you make it” mentality.
The problem with all the nonsense that is swirling around online selling “how to” is that the advice given is often counter-productive, sometimes business killing, and can even be against the law. It makes the newbies job a lot more difficult because he wastes time, effort, and money in trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t work online.
What I’m hoping with this post is to help you with some suggestions or tips on how to discover where the truth really lies – where you can count on the information being solid and doable.
Learning to sort through all the rubbish to find the gold nuggets is not an easy task but it is very important for the new marketer.
One place most newbies go to for advice is the Warrior Forum.
Most of us go to the Warrior Forum to learn about Internet marketing and how to make money online.
No doubt, you have already personally witnessed the great paradox of this forum (and really the Internet in general). There’s so much wonderful information. And there’s so much bad information. And you get to be the judge of which is which . . . what to rely on and what to discard!
It’s hard to be a good judge when you’re new to the field and you immediately get bombarded with all sorts of tantalizing offers, advice, and opinions. How do you tell the truth from the garbage? Who is serving up the good stuff and who is peddling the stuff you have to scrape off your shoes?
Here are six tips that might help you discern what is helpful and “good” compared with what is garbage and “bad.” This analysis could be used at any forum or discussion group (not just the Warrior Forum):
1. Pay attention to the source of the information. In my experience and most of the time … good information emanates from the same sources over and over again. Garbage, also, comes from the same sources. Rarely do they mix. Those with experience and longevity in _________ (add the niche) typically tend to have staying power because they have learned what works and what doesn’t. Long-standers are concerned about their reputation and will usually warn if the subject is beyond their own experience or outside their expertise. Often fly-by-nights are after a quick buck and they’re gone. Newbie advice can be either good or bad, but without specific experience a newbie is often reciting what he has heard from another (which should be considered suspect until proven otherwise).
2. Stay away from the edge of the cliff. The more you study Internet marketing, the easier it is to tell which strategies and tools push the envelope of ethics, good judgement, and accepted practices. Shady tactics, gaming the system, black hat methods and software, etc, sit at the edge of the spectrum. Truth, honesty, ethical methods and white hat are found at the center of IM. The closer you venture toward the edge, the more likely it is that you’ll do yourself harm. Your reputation in online selling can make or break you!
3. “Paid for” has no edge over “freely given” advice. Sometimes we tend to value things we’ve purchased over those that were given to us at no cost. To assume that value in IM advice can only come from purchases would be wrong. Remember suggestion #1 and find the source of wisdom, then listen to what that person says, freely given or paid.
4. Let the words “easy,” “instant,” “auto-pilot,” “push button,” “dominate,” “no work,” “30 minutes a day,” “opportunity of a lifetime,” “the only ______ you’ll ever need,” and “six figure income” be red flags that need to be analyzed further. Success in IM takes work, is rarely easy, and profits generally build over time (often slowly at first). People, ads, and offerings that tout instant success, fast wealth, and nor or little actual work should always be suspect and are most often sales pitch fodder. Marketers that sell the “no work” dream are like dirty diapers, they’re full of #*+@. I know it’s a warn out cliche, but “if it’s too good to be true” … (you know the rest).
5. Marketing is marketing. Business is business. The Internet is a delivery tool. Long-standing, time-honored, proven business tactics work for both physical and digital based businesses. The net has helped to create huge business fortunes … but it’s use has also become one of the biggest time-wasters in history for the entrepreneurs who won’t take action or who implement garbage tactics and practices. Some business owners spend all day sending and reading emails, checking out social media, and trolling the forums. These people aren’t doing what it takes to create and run profitable businesses – they are wasting their time in activities that keep them busy but unproductive.
6. Good information is also timely information. Be aware that change comes at an ever rapidly increasing pace. Products don’t last forever – they become outdated, stale, and sometimes obsolete over time. Effectiveness, utility, and therefore top quality products and advice need to be up-to-date, tested, and modified in order to remain useful and cutting edge.
And just for fun…
7. Expert, n. : an ordinary fellow a safe distance from home. Sad but true.
To your online business success,
Steve Browne
www.SteveBrowneDirect.com