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Internet Marketing: Hey Yo, You Talkin’ To Me?

Internet Marketing: Hey Yo, You Talkin’ To Me?
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niche problems, internet marketing gurus
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Cantankerous. Ever hear of it? If not, let me define it for you.

(stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate)

Why do I tell you this? Because this sums up what I have found to be the biggest flaw in the Internet Marketing niche. Specifically, the niche mafia liars. Now, pick your jaw up off the keyboard and hear me out.

Niche Problem #1

The problem area in this niche is that too many people claim to be gurus. They claim to know all the secrets and get you to the top of the proverbial mountain within days.

Those of us who have been doing this for anywhere from a few months to years, know the hype and can spot it a mile away. However, for beginners, this is where dreams are crushed and promises broken.

The reason? Pure and simple it is GREED. The fastest buck is made off the unsuspecting “newbie” with millionaire dreams and a credit card.

Niche Problem #2

If you are relatively new in the field, try and express your opinion in a forum or community environment. If you so much as challenge the thoughts of those “gurus,” you will face a public thrashing. I wonder if this is how they validate themselves? It’s easier to point out the mistake of a beginner than to look at oneself.

Did I say point out? I meant belittle and humiliate with name calling and cattle herding. What I mean by cattle herding, is getting their buddies to chime in and join in the bashing. Is this productive to the community? Uh yea, no.

Cantankerous People

So these two problems above are things I personally have experienced. I have also seen problem #2 many times with regards to other people. My question to those “professionals” is this: “why are you preventing the growth of the community and the development of the new blood?” Why are you always giving negative feedback?

What scares you about new people coming on board and taking a stand? My guess is that if you have been in this business for years, you are afraid of the new school of thought. The new ideologies and techniques scare you. Let alone, beginners may realize you are no “guru” at all.

It reminds me of grandparents looking at their grand kids and wondering why their pants are sagging. “Back in my day….”  Well it’s not back in the day anymore. It’s now, today, and fresh perspectives should be welcomed and debated upon.

I understand you are probably sitting there saying, “who does she think she is?” You’re right. I’m no expert, I’m no guru. But I am heavily involved in this niche and can make a contribution. I do not put myself out there to disagree with every single person who challenges me.

When I am challenged, I welcome it. I research both sides and congratulate those that voice their own ideas. See, in the corporate world we have adopted a coaching approach to team development rather than manager. You help, you guide, you teach. Every team member is different and therefore a situational approach should be taken.

This holds true for Internet Marketers as well. Especially in the field of blogging. People are at different levels of education and experience. This needs to be respected. You would think in a day and age when social engagement is a dominant metric, you would strive to form community ties.

Do not interpret this as a brown nose, kiss a** approach, because this is not what I mean. There is a respectable way to debate and argue your side of the story. You don’t think this can be done in blog form? Well, then you need to read this article:

That article is a perfect example, in my opinion, on how to handle a disagreement. There is no name calling….no instigating….just an expression of opinion. Period.

What Is The Solution?

Look, I do not have all the answers. Remember, I’m not a guru! But I do have some suggestions. Or maybe just A suggestion.

Imagine you are brand new in the Internet Marketing niche. You have a blog and you got some killer ideas. Out of the box stuff that will make people do the happy doody dance. Where do I go now you ask yourself?

How about an online forum for beginners only? Something like a Digital Point or Serpd, but all about how to begin your blog/business online. I have researched this a bit and I have not yet found any forum geared specifically for newbies. Yes, a lot of forums have a beginner section, but it is not the sole purpose of the community.

One of the sections I found in the warrior forums, was for beginners and it was a splash page! It was a sales pitch to buy a beginner Internet Marketer course. Pitiful. Why can’t a group of experienced marketers get together and create an entire community aimed at helping  new people get to the next level without having them buy something?

The forum could be discretionary of course. Manual reviews of submitted blogs to ensure that the particular “newbie” blogger has quality content and staying power. Moderators. Subject specific experts. Heck, even a graduation of sorts!

And the biggest benefit? All for FREE. Yes, we willingly help those just beginning. Remember the garbage you had to cut through to learn all of this? Let’s proactively nip that step in the bud.

The Bottom Line

It’s time to stop all the misleading and greed. Can we stop it all? Unfortunately no, but I think we could seriously impact the niche. Going back to the definition of cantankerous….you need to ask yourself, are you stubbornly obstructive? Are you unwilling to cooperate with a new school ideology?

If you are, then you need to get out of the way. This is not the place for you any longer. People are looking for a true community…a community of interaction and assistance.

A place where we teach each other and propel people to the next level of success. Wouldn’t it be great to increase blog traffic for everyone in the community? How about building quality links to beginner blogs to help them along? Helping them set up social media campaigns…all of it, start to finish.

I refuse to belittle or judge someone else solely because I disagree with them. If someone puts incorrect information out there, and it is an honest mistake, we need to step up to the plate and correct them. But show them the truth…teach them the right….and explain the why.

Every great idea began with a little light bulb going off in some one’s head. It’s only through trial and error that we truly learn and turn that idea into a plan and then into fruition. Are you a part of the problem or the solution?

Please leave your thoughts below and challenge the status quo.

Comments (70)

  • This line is very true “The fastest buck is made off the unsuspecting “newbie” with millionaire dreams and a credit card.”

    I’m not a victim of this, but I know that many out there have. So unfortunate.

    Reply
  • I really appreciate for this type of informative information about niche marketing. Many people are facing that marketing problem. You are describe good solution tips for niche marketing. The concept of niche marketing can be well understood by these problem.

    Reply
  • I too, fell into believing the quick fix some marketers push.

    I got to the point that whenever I saw a one page pitch I’d just scroll to the bottom to see it cost just 97 dollars.

    Glad I found your blog, I’m going to stay tuned,

    You are very readable and you also seem “friendly” 🙂

    Best of luck!

    Reply
    • Author

      Hi Heather:

      So glad you gound my blog. I appreciate your feedback. I also looked at the 97 dollar tag and then waited for the “but wait! special price for you!” when I tried to exit. 🙂

      Enjoy your stay here,
      Lisa

      Reply
  • Lisa,
    There are 3 ways people handle others: They enhance, degrade or dominate.

    Enhancement is the only one that works. No matter what level we are at we want to be a part of a community that enhances. I see new communities being built upon enhancement and blogs like yours moving to the forefront.

    Congratulations on making Ana’s challenge.

    Reply
    • Author

      Sheila:

      Wow, I never looked at it that way. so very accurate and I appreciate your support and kudos to you as well in Ana’s challenge!

      All the best,
      Lisa

      Reply
  • Hi Lisa,

    Awesome post. I agree with you 100%. The so-called “gurus” are only interested in filling up their pockets more than helping new marketers.

    I also like your solution to this problem – it would save many newbies.

    Thanks for sharing, Lisa and congrats on making it in Ana’s challenge 🙂

    All the best,
    Mavis

    Reply
    • Author

      Hi Mavis:

      I knew if I threw a solution out there that was in any way viable, Ana would be all over it! I appeciate your support and hope to see you around soon!

      Lisa

      Reply
  • Hi Lisa,

    Soooo true. I was so fed up after a year of BS products and trying to get traffic, that I locked myself up in a room for a month and started from scratch. I just looked at something I liked and which had a lot of interest of the general public and started testing, testing, testing, because nobody had been able to tell me anything really useful. So I took the little pieces that I had learned from studying the web on traffic and started a blog. By accident I found a traffic source I hadn’t heard of ever before and before I knew it I had days with max. 7000 visitors a day (with hard work, believe me). In total I came up till 70.000 visitors in 28 days. But then I ran into a dilemma. What if I share this just to everyone? This traffic source would be flooded with spam. So I contacted someone that I consider a serious business person on the Net who has never sold me any crap before, to see if he had any ideas how to go about it. And guess what he said? Please keep it to yourself! And believe me, this guy IS a guru and known and respected by many. So I guess there we have the problem. The guys who are really serious about their business are terrified that if they share the stuff that really works, many frantic “marketers” will spoil it for the really serious marketers.

    My test revealed a lot of other stuff and I am happy I did this test. Some findings: Writing absolute unique content is spotted by Google. Article marketing programs, autoblog plugins, etc., are spotted by Google. With my absolute unique content (I posted an average of 2 posts a day in the first month) I came up to 6000 keywords I was ranking for and got over 25.000 clicks from the Search Engines in the FIRST 30 days!

    My next project is monetization, because I now know how to generate honest and targeted traffic with no tricks, but the monetization part is something I don’t master yet.

    I am thinking of taking the challenge though and setting up a blog for newbies and give them absolute free advice and present them with my case study and more ideas on how to start a real business online. First thing I will do is share a longtail keyword secret that created 2500 clicks from Google and made my new site rank above all the big news sites FOR DAYS! This keyword consisted of 7 single words! Yet, 2500 unique visitors in one day from this one alone. And of course there is ONE element that makes this work that I have NEVER EVER heard from any guru. Again, also this one I found out by accident.

    I appreciated your blog post a lot. Just wanted to let you know my thoughts and findings and tell you what I think is the problem that needs to be tackled.

    Last but not least, I came here through the http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com website from Ana Hoffman. Thought to let you know where this piece of traffic was coming from!

    Maybe we’ll talk again later!

    Co de Naam
    right now working on another project

    Reply
    • Author

      Co de Naam:

      Thanks for your feedback and congrats on your success. I also truly appreciate the traffic generation readers! It appears you are correct that a lot of people dont want to give up the secrets. Even though most could charge a pretty penny for them. Your testing paid off so kudos to you!!

      Lisa

      Reply
  • I must say that i am in total agreement with you here lisa many online so called gurus rob the unsuspecting newbies and promise then riches over night which never happen i do wish they would read this post first great write up.

    Reply
  • Lisa!!

    OMG, if I had come into contact with people like you when I tried internet marketing, I would not still be a beginner (facing bankruptcy because I took my upline’s advice) three years later.

    This post has made a devoted fan and returning reader out of me!

    Delena

    Reply
    • Author

      Delena:

      I am so glad you liked it! And I know what you mean about that “advice!” Glad to see you are returning and this time you will rock it out!

      Lisa

      Reply
  • I really agree with you. The so called marketing gurus should leave the money behind and start to help the new comers purely for sake of the help. I believe that the money will come increasingly after leave the money behind.

    Reply
  • I am sick to death of ‘gurus.’ They are often no such thing. And their mates? Ugh.

    A little bit of technical skill plus some expertise/life experience in your field is often what we need, after that, the law of diminishing returns rapidly comes to the fore. One of my mantras this year is ‘Be your own guru.’ I have learned enough, it’s time to ‘do.’

    Reply
  • Lisa, I must say I was mesmerized by your post and I agree 100%. But we all know from which angle “gurus” are coming so this is nothing new and even though I believe it will change with time I am pretty sure we will see them for a few more years lurking around!

    So with all being said everything feels like you are the right person to start the beginners paradise, blog, forum, social group or whatever, if you do, give me a ring, I will be glad to help out with everything regarding SEO as well as anything else I am familiar with 🙂

    Reply
    • Author

      Zarko:

      Thanks for your feedback! I think I love the idea of “beginners paradise!” We’ll see what happens this year!

      Thanks for visiting my blog.

      Lisa

      Reply
  • I think the problem that most newbies face is that no one exists to tell them what to do. For most individuals and businesses it’s a matter of groping in the dark until you find something that works. Sure, there are forums and blogs like this one to point people in the right direction, but putting advice into practice for yourself is another matter. I guess that’s half the fun.

    Reply
    • Author

      Peter:

      Thanks for your feedback and yes it can be fun. However, I think sometimes the frustration levels that beginners experience can cause them to close up shop too soon.

      lisa

      Reply
  • Lisa, you’re voice rings as true as the Bells of St. Mary’s. And to echo, I’ve even seen newby friendly forums where some one HAD TO come along and sideswipe a poster. Why?

    It’s as you say, greed and ego. What a shame.

    But I have to add a qualifier to your post. Is it the fault of the self-professed ‘guru’, or the desire of the newby to ‘find’ the answer. So they believe the first slicky that comes along. The better the copy – the more believable, regardless of the quality of the product.

    The only way I seem to be able to ‘help’ the minds of the newby is to write genuine, honest copy. And you do too. The tone of your blog, the items you present for discussion and even the very words you use show that Lisa is a straight shooter. She’ll help with anything she can. So if one of her posts is ‘old news’ to you, just pass. There is no ridicule at Lisa’a blog.

    Don’t let the crap get you down, Lis. Just keep putting out the great stuff. Because your reputation precedes you. And it’s a pretty good reputation! 🙂

    Reply
    • Three cheers for your remarks, Gibson! Love the word, “Genuine”, and its first cousins …

      “Authenticity” and “Transparency”

      Reply
    • Author

      Gibson:

      You really made my night with this one! I truly appreciate your kind words and your faith in what I do. I always want my readers to know that I am upfront and it is what it is with me. I think that is what separates the girls from the ladies!! 🙂

      thank you so much!
      Lisa

      Reply
  • Hey Lisa, long time no see. This Blog Challenge is taking on a life of it’s own!

    Loved the post. never been onto a forum to be honest… maybe I should to test how thick my skin is!!??

    I totally agree with sharing freely. Naturally if there are any tools necessary, to charge for that would be ok.

    I think I might if you dont mind, make a list to ask you. I also have submitted a couple of questions to Ana. I think she will be answering them over ‘coffee’ tomorrow.

    I always enjoy your posts. So informative. Can’t wait to catch up with you in your absolute obvious leap you took these last few months! Way2Go Girl! ~Jayne~

    Reply
    • Author

      Jayne:

      thanks for the kind words! Yes, lots has changed here since my Ana audit!! So glad to see you here again as you always make my place a little nicer!

      Lisa

      Reply
  • I have always believed in giving information away freely unless a) it is a specialist info b) you had to incur costs to get info for that ONE client c) it is part of a service (i.e. a site SEO survey where you then implement changes).

    So sometimes I disagree with ‘Gurus’ charging for books or methods.

    On a side note I see your site has changed again since my last visit! it does look good!

    Reply
    • Author

      Thank you! Yes, after Ana’s audit I had some overhauling to do. Glad you like it! And I agree with you 100% on your exceptions to charge. My thought process is that a forum could give the info of what to do for free and then any tools of the trade needed obvioulsy would cost money.

      I appreciate your input!

      Lisa

      Reply
  • Hi Lisa,

    I truly agreed with you that newbie find it always very difficult to survive in this environment as there are many people who are ready to rip off them. But I think few bloggers like you & Ana are doing really good work, I really appreciate your help.

    Reply
  • I really agree with you. The so called marketing gurus should leave the money behind and start to help the new comers purely for sake of the help. I believe that the money will come increasingly after leave the money behind.

    Reply
    • Author

      Dana:

      thanks so much for visiting my blog! And I agree with you 100%. I dont know if there are many out there who will give their knowledge freely, but it’s worth looking into!

      Lisa

      Reply
  • Great post Lisa and dead on girl!!! I don’t participate in forums either because it seems like whatever comments that I do make get shot down instantly and I’m one person who is open to learning how to do things better. But don’t belittle me in the process, that’s just down right mean.

    A forum for beginners would be awesome. I recently created a training site for beginners and yes, it’s free. I just felt for all those people being told that they can make the money but no one showing them the basics of how to create their first blog or how to direct a domain name to their hosting account, those types of things. A forum would be a great place for them to learn from each other and share.

    Thanks for this wonderful information and for recently connecting with me on Twitter. So glad I hopped over here and checked out your blog.

    Have an awesome day!

    Adrienne

    Reply
    • Author

      Adrienne:

      so glad you found your way here! And it’s nice to know other people are going through the same growing pains! You should leave another comment here with the link to your training site!

      Looking forward to more communication with you!
      Lisa

      Reply
  • Good morning, Lisa – needless to say, I loved this post.

    Definitely all valid points about the niche problems and a very valid solution.

    I also think this is a great void to fill – now you got me thinking about starting a new blog. 🙂

    Ana

    Reply
    • Author

      Well Ana,,,,if you need partners for a new venture…IM ON IT!!! WOOT!! Always a pleasure to have you stop by!

      Cheers:

      Lisa

      Reply
  • That’s exactly why I had to escape the IM niche. I didn’t like the atmosphere of the niche and it was starting to affect me big time.

    I love your idea about the forum specifically for helping newbies for free. Man would I have loved that 3 years ago!

    Reply
    • Author

      Hi Marnie:

      Thank you for visiting my blog! I know what you mean and I wish I had something like it a year ago!
      Hope to see you back!

      Lisa

      Reply
  • O K…I’m a beginner, and still learning the basics of blogging 101. Your comments/post help a lot. Keep it coming. I’m able to start sorting the wheat from the chaff here in Blogastan.

    Reply
    • Author

      Hi Hansi:

      Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope you find value here! That’s my goal…to help!

      All the best,
      Lisa

      Reply
  • Hi Lisa interesting points. I hang out on the Warrior Forum but I’ve never engaged there as I never saw the point.

    Though it doesn’t exist in forum format, I think sites like Problogger and the like are great to help new bloggers. While I don’t get too much from those sites today (you all are kicking it up more notches) for beginners they are great.

    As for the freely available how-to information, it sounds like your suggestion is to put it in one big place so that the people will find it easier, rather than running into the shady places out there. All of this information exists (and is why I read 150+ blogs) it’s just scattered about.

    I’m trying to think of how this effects the information products market as well. I’ve recently purchased a few affiliate marketing products that were “how-to” and am putting the strategies into action. These were both low cost (< $100 each) and very good from people I respect. I'm not adverse to paying for knowledge that can help me leap frog a learning curve, and don't promise specific amounts of money going into my wallet within a specific amount of time.

    Reply
    • Author

      Hi Robert:

      Problogger is a wonderful place. And Copyblogger has a forum which is a wonderful addition to the community. Yes, my whole notion is based on beginners being able to find all the info they need in one place, before going out into the blogosphere!
      I also purchase affiliate products from those I trust and know 100% are not misleading. I think the issue is that we can give our knowledge for free and once beginners trust us, they will invest in the tools we suggest. This would be so much easier than having to go through all of the hype and BS stuff!

      Thanks for visiting!
      Lisa

      Reply
      • That’s where I thought you were going and thanks for confirming. Perhaps we can get some peeps to join forces to make that happen. I’ve done things like that in the past and with one person it’s near impossible to get enough traction.

        Reply
  • Hi Lisa. To be honest, I haven’t experienced much of what you refer to here. Not to say it doesn’t have merit, I just don’t frequent the forums and almost never buy anything. This much I do know though– You’re assessment of debate is spot-on. Debate, when done in a healthy manner, is good. The status-quo needs to be questioned. Notwithstanding, I think it’s also important to know there are a lot of negative, unfulfilled people out there, and when they leave their negative comments we just need to let them go, as chances are the person that made the statement is an unhappy guy/gal, living an unhappy life. Good for you for speaking up though. 🙂

    Reply
    • Author

      Marcus:

      I think you nailed it with the assessment of the negative people. Unhappiness must be a reason to make others miserable. I appreciate your input!

      Lisa

      Reply
  • Oops … meant to type, “All I can ‘say’, Lisa , is …”

    Reply
  • All I can, Lisa, is …

    I love a gal who can, courageously and confidently, open up an ugly can of worms. And I can only hope the conversation continues here!

    Been aware of this type of less-than-stellar behavior online for at least the past five years. Will it ever come to an abrupt end? Nope.

    “Greed” is greedy.

    Reply
    • Author

      Melanie:

      I have to admit I was a bit worried about posting it, but then I thought, nope..needs to be said. I am glad you feel it too!

      Appreciate you stopping by and giving your input.

      Lisa

      Reply
  • Hi Lisa,

    Luv it 🙂

    Open-mindedness. Keep the 2 words in mind and you will be fine.

    The IM flaws you speak of are the product of closed-mindedness. Arrogance, belief one can actually “know it all”, or what Emerson called the “insanity of conceit” fuel the mindsets some experienced internet marketers adopt.

    Be open and willing to receive any idea to do your part in correcting this flaw.

    Thanks for spreading the awareness on an important issue.

    RB

    Reply
    • Author

      Ryan:

      you ALWAYS add value wherever you go. I had never heard of “insanity of conceit” before…but I like it and will be looking into it! I appreciate that you always bring top level to the game.

      Lisa

      Reply
  • You just gave away my next project Lisa. lol

    I am definitely planning a forum/community of some kind to go along with my current model of helping beginners…I’ll be looking for JV’s.

    Reply
    • Author

      Awe Dennis, I didnt mean to spill the beans!! See, that’s why you’re a rockstar! I look forward to more info!

      All the best,
      Lisa

      Reply
  • Pingback:

  • So let me get this straight. Are you saying we should respect each other on a basic human level even tho we have disagreements over superficial things like “are list posts good or bad?” Why surely you’ve gone insane?

    Reply
  • Way to do it, Lisa….again!!!
    I had the luck to ran into Lisa Irby even before I started doing anything online, so I never spent even 5$ on something that was not needed or a lousy product. All I do is buy stuff she recommends or shoot her an e-mail with a question about a product.

    This will be a blatant promotion but here is a link to a community I created on BlogFrog forum with the same idea you have – to help new bloggers for free http://theblogfrog.com/1502116 (feel free to delete the promotion).

    Anyway, I am, as I know you are, always open for e-mails from newbies (although I think of myself as a newbie, too) with problems we can solve. But people fear asking for help and keep throwing away money on stupid courses that don’t help.

    And bottom line, you can learn 99% of the things for free. All you need is to dig deeper into blogs and forums.

    Thanks for the wonderful post and your thoughts

    Reply
    • Author

      Thank you Brankica. Yes you can learn for free all over the net. And if all of that could be in ONE place it would be even better! Will check out the forum as well.

      All the best shooter!

      Lisa

      Reply
  • I understand your frustration at the amount of junk products out there aimed at newbies, but like I said on another blog recently, I don’t think you can blame the product sellers exclusively. They put out the products that the never-ending flood of newbies BUY. You know that garbage that promises overnight riches on autopilot? If there weren’t a market for it, quite frankly, it wouldn’t exist.

    As far as the nastiness of some forums, I haven’t ever experienced that, but then, I don’t think I’ve ever visited DP or Serpd. I do hang out on WF quite a bit, and for the most part everyone there is quite welcoming and very helpful. At least that’s been my experience.

    So, are you going to be starting a forum?

    Reply
    • Author

      Hi Cindy:

      I see your point. However, that is where my issue comes into play. There is a market out there because we have allowed it to infiltrate the web. We know people are selling pipe dreams and that some unsuspecting newbie will fall for it. How do we start to make a bigger impact on the community and have US be the ones that make up the bulk of online business?
      I know most forums are welcoming, including DP and Serpd….however, there are occasions in all of them where I have seen the “experts” pounce. It happens everywhere I assume, have you seen some of the comments on YouTube videos?! I guess my main point is that how long are we going to let there be a market for get a bazillion dollars by 5 pm today?
      And ME start a forum?! HA!! I don’t think I have the smarts for that one!!! 🙂

      Reply
  • OK, here you go. Calling out. That is brave and brilliant. I completely understand what you are saying. But I just have a little concern.

    Do you mean to say that services for Newbies should essentially be free? Don’t those people who provide the services deserve a pay? They too have bills to pay and they need money to survive.

    Besides, everyone should be willing to spend a little to learn new stuff, get trained by professionals, outsource parts of setting up the blog and so on. These are not expenses but investments to help equip oneself with the necessary skills. I mean, if you want to earn out of your business, you must also be willing to invest a little to start out!

    Just a little thought. But I surely do understand what you say. Selling and just selling, that sucks.

    Jane.

    Reply
    • Author

      Hi Jane:

      I appreciate your feedback and I understand completely what you are saying. I do not suggest that the tools we use are free. Only the knowledge on how to use them. Most of us take part in affiliate sales so I understand that side of it. Just as when taking a class, you need to buy a book. This forum could obviously showcase the reputable tools to use to enhance and grow your blog/business. But I do think the knowledge of the how to’s should be free.
      I don’t think me telling someone to create a Twitter profile/campaign should cost them anything, HOWEVER, maybe a tool to manage that would cost something. Am I making any sense?! 🙂

      And you are right….people who create great reputable tools, deserve the pay that goes along with that.

      All the best Jane,
      Lisa

      Reply

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