I’m really beginning to feel as if most of the big gurus – you know the ones who brag about making a six figure income from internet marketing are not really making their money from traditional internet marketing. Instead, they are making their money from selling the hype of “ internet easy riches”. That is, they make their money by selling product after product after product to newbies who really don’t know the difference. Take me for instance, I spent so much over the past few years purchasing materials from self-proclaimed gurus who promised to teach me the next best way to make money online. And, all I had to do was pay a small fee for their precious information. Now, mind you some of the books were good and contained great background but none of them told the full facts about how much work was involved. Instead, these gurus only told me what I wanted to hear and encouraged me to buy more books for more information.
It was like a vicious cycle that I couldn’t get away from and I fear many newbies are experiencing the same thing. Well, now I realize that there is no “magic bullet” and no easy way to master internet marketing. Internet marketing is hard work and takes persistence, patience and a strong desire to succeed. Some days you make money (a lot) and some days you don’t (or very little). This is frustrating but it is the way the IM cookie crumbles.However, to be successful you must remain faithful even when it doesn’t seem like you’re making much or anything.
Now, back to the gurus that make their big incomes is by selling “the promise of easy riches” to unsuspecting individuals who don’t know any better. Just think about it – would someone really divulge all of their secrets for a mere $19 or $29 bucks simply because they want to help? Most marketers would not however, there are a select few that would. Instead, most of these gurus simply give their “desperate readers” a tiny bit of information and then encourage them to buy more.
But, what about those marketers who give out free information, what is their motive? Well, some of them really want to help you succeed however some just do it to build rapport with their readers so that they could hit them up later to buy more stuff – yes, sad but true. In 9 times out of 10 cases, most marketers are out for themselves when it comes to internet marketing and only a select few want you to succeed at the level that they’re at.
So, where does that leave me? I’m one of the good ones of course. My goal isn’t to become a six figure guru that sells the hype of internet marketing. Instead, I want to become a respected internet marketing teacher who makes a six figure salary by teaching others the fundamentals so that they can make a respectable salary for themselves and leave the rat race once and for all. I get no satisfaction of fooling anyone and I absolutely won’t prey on unsuspecting victims. I want you to succeed and I will tell you the truth. Internet marketing is hard but you can succeed at it!
I just spent an hour analyzing my initial niche sites that were created over 3 years ago using an experienced web designer/SEO team and then compared those stats with my blogger blogs created this past year (by yours truly only) and I noticed a HUGE discrepancy in earnings and I mean huge. Out of 28 designer created sites all of them made some money. On the other hand, I have a LOT more duds with my 31 blogger blogs. Out of 31 blogger blogs only 11 have made money and the rest nothing. However, I have to clarify that I have alot more of my earners earning mere cents than dollars and that is nothing to brag about.
Now, before we assume that Google just doesn’t like me anymore or my blogger blogs – I think we’re missing the point. My designer/SEO team knew how to get those earlier sites indexed and placed in the top pages of Google and to this day, they still receive some traffic (not as much as before Google caffeine) but some. In contrast, my blogger blogs are struggling because no one can find them. Arrghhh.
Without my SEO team, I’ve got to take the initiative to get my blogs listed and found. I can’t just throw up a few blogs, place a few articles on Ezines and other directories and simply hope for the best. Nope the competition is much fiercer now and what worked before isn’t what is going to work now. So, I’ve decided that now I have to backlink like a lunatic and really see if I can get my blogs indexed and placed higher in the SERPs. By doing this, I should be able to increase my traffic and my revenues. Hopefully this will work – I’ll definitely keep you posted. Got some link building to do!
I’m going to be completely and totally honest with you – I am not a technical person but I am a successful marketer and I know that if you seriously want to make money online that you must take advantage of technological advances, like computers and computer software if you want to leave the broke struggling phase and hit the money making phase. That’s right, if you want to compete with the big marketing gurus or simply want to make more money then you need working hardware with properly optimized computer components, up-to-date software and you must be willing to take action by using them on a daily basis. You’d be amazed but many broke marketers use slow running PCs that are virus infected and this causes them to not make money and doesn’t motivate them to work hard. Duh! Without, a working and up-to-date computer, you are putting yourself at a huge disadvantage.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to break your marketing budget. In fact, if you shop around, you can find really good computer deals and obtain a multipurpose computer that propels you to take action. Take me for example, when I tried working on a broken down, old, super slow and virus-infected laptop, I wasn’t motivated to work at all. I would simply stare at the screen and do nothing and I made nothing. Then, I upgraded my laptop, and that action alone changed my outlook and propelled me to work harder. After all, there is nothing like a brand spanking new laptop (or a looming credit card bill to pay for the spanking new laptop) to motivate you and make you want to work. With my new laptop, I was able to complete my internet marketing tasks and felt good doing this. I was able to take action and make money. What will you do?
Photo: Francesco Marino
