Think!

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Be aware that this post contains what my Gran would call ‘language’ and I have edited some of the emails quoted to protect the innocent (or should that be guilty) but the context and tone have not been changed in any way.

A friend sent me an email today with the heading “…………dismal……”  It contained a copy of a newsletter she had received from an IM aggregation service for want of a better description together with her comments

 I’ve just unsubscribed from this.  In fact unsubscribing seems to be all I’ve done the last few days!  When you read through it……do you find it dismal? (edit)  The word ‘crap’ springs to mind.  Hope you’re having a good day……”

The following is my response

 “It goes back to what  we keep saying - every one talks about ‘how to do it’ but no one actually does it!  Or am I missing something.  The overwhelming message seems to be ‘I’ll tell you how to….. if you pay me heaps of money’ but no-one actually goes out  there and does it!  They just recycle it.  Those of us that do go and do it and ignore the self satisfied, ‘look at me I’m a smart arse crap’ actually seem to be making some money.  Honest money, real money, my mantra - real stuff to real people for real money.  Long term it’s the only way!  I hasten to add that I include good ebooks as real stuff, not the rubbish etc etc etc…

The only income claims they have are for selling this dross.  There is a HUGE market for real products which is what people really need - look at eBay, people buying real stuff….

I pay less and less attention to these hyped up whizz bang puffs of hot air, and go on doing what I do best - talking to people - albeit via websites and blogs, and what a surprise - they make money, steady small streams that I can rely on.  Stuff like the excellent script  we bought help us do just that and are worth having but the rest of it - dismal and deceitful if you ask me.  Like you I unsub from more and more, not that I was ever subscribed to much of it anyway!

I’m having a fairly productive day - article writing.  Some for ‘the wires’ as I refer to it - ezine, isnare et al, not forgetting scrib’d, and some for the various blogs. I put a nice recipe for soda bread on The Healthy Eating Guide, posts on gardencuttings and on the golf one (edit),  just the daily grind of an online marketer which, in truth I find quite satisfying when I get chance to have a good run at it…”

The reason I am putting this here is because it really is time we stopped pretending that working on the internet, whether you call it Internet Marketing, or like me, Online Marketing (small change in words – big change in focus and ethics)  is an easy fix to all your financial worries.  There is no magic bullet , there is no get rich quick.  However, if you work, if you do a good job, if you give value then you can make good money.  It takes time.  It takes effort.  It is very satisfying when it all comes together but please, please do not get caught up in all the hype.  It’s like those god awful pyramid marketing schemes that  wrecked, and still wreck, so many lives with their promise of easy money.

We are apparently in for some tough economic times and this is when so many innocent, maybe naïve, people get caught  by this pernicious claptrap.  I see it every day when I do my voluntary work at Citizens Advice.  I have one simple plea – please think before you  pin your hopes and dreams to these claims – is it realistic, would they be sharing it if it was that good,  why are they still working if it is that good…..

My friends response contained the following sentence

Your posts always make me smile. I can imagine the steam coming out of your ears at times! I perhaps shouldn’t wind you up…”

Keep winding me up!  If between us we stop one person being suckered….

Tagged as: , im, online marketing