There are millions of dollars to be made online with Internet Marketing. And yet you haven’t made anything. Why? It’s likely because you’ve just been scammed.
Here’s what to look out for and how to identify a scam from the next big thing.
I hope this saves you money and gives you an idea of the type of “gurus” to avoid in the future. Yes there are some good marketing gurus. And, there’s plenty of money to be made online. You can do it. But it’s a lot easier if you don’t waste time and money on scams while on your journey.
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- Tony Darrick Baker
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I can confirm that there are some shady deals out there when it comes to Internet Marketing. I’m always on the look out for the latests innovations in online promotion and received an email a couple of months back for this “amazing” method that was “guaranteed” to make you “$1000 in one week.” You didn’t have to be a technical guru. You didn’t have to do PPC. You didn’t have to have a product to sell. You didn’t even have to have a website. And apparently there were only 5 copies left at the cheap price (lol).
I thought to myself “What can someone possibly have figured out where you didn’t have to meet any basic requirements of Internet Marketing?” So, I purchased the report. What I got was this half baked way of installing WordPress in 5 minutes. Piece of Cake.
Then what I got was a long list of premium WordPress plugins (that each had their own affiliate link). The nice thing was that a free alternative was offered with each one. I went ahead and bought a premium plugin because I needed it for a client anyway.
Then I was told about Adsense and how to set that up. Okay, I guess we’re making our money off of Adsense.
Then I was told that in order to make money I had to set up about 300 different minisites, each one optimized to a different niche to prevent duplicate content and was told to purchase dedicated hosting to utilize multiple IP addresses to basically cloak the blog network and was told that after you do all of this you can just set it and forget it and watch the money start rolling in…
Honestly, I considered myself somewhat in the know when it comes to these things and I was honestly surprised that this was the strategy. There was no way I was going to purchase 300 different domains and dedicated hosting, as well as a long list of premium plugins to get the best result. The outcome would have been at least about $5,000 out of pocket expenses for the first year. Plus, if I don’t have the time or the money to invest in proven Internet marketing strategies, why would I wast all of my time and money on this insane Gray Hat tactic?
So as an experiment I ran the strategy on three sites that I already own. After two months I have yet to make a single penny off of this strategy. I was smart enough to ask for a refund but now I can see the total pipe dream these guys try to sell in order to make a quick buck off of someone.
I think the smartest thing I have done is go through and start unsubscribing from all of these “Guru Offers.”
James Bullis recently posted..Need Your Own Social Networking Site
I have to ask myself. If I can make $540,000 in six months, would I really sell that information for $37? Of course not! $10k per seat, and that’s a minimum. And yes James you are right… the guys who say everything you don’t have to do, are exactly the ones I’m talking about. I’m still amazed that people get away with the “only 5 copies left” when it’s an ebook!
Great post. One should always be well aware of what they are putting their money on. Just to add a little to it, one should never invest in a product or business opportunity just because some so called popular folks are doing it. I have met many people who put their last few hundred bucks on an internet opportunity expecting to get a great deal of help from the “guru” but the guru often becomes illusive just minutes after money exchanges hands.
I agree Anissia. I would add that you should never spend your last dollar on any investment. I say this from experience! Thanks for your input.
GREAT blog post! It constantly amazes me how brazen some of the offers out there are becoming. It’s also interesting how more and more gurus are starting to go behind the scenes and anonymously produce and endorse products. Bravo!
Ed Tatum recently posted..Internet Marketing Secrets – WHEN and WHERE to Market a Funded Proposal
I liked it when you said UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE GURUS. I used to do this myself, and it’s all hype, and just them promoting high priced products. I hate it so much.
Thanks for the video, it was really useful.
It’s true that it is a good idea to unsubscribe from all the guru’s list, but it can help alot to find out what you’re business model is and find a product, that can improve your business with traffic or conversions.
Not all products are bad
Eric
Hey tony, I’m sure glad that i found your blog. You have great info as i’ve been reading this blog everyday when i get off work. I’m currently working for a pretty popular bakery here in tulsa, oklahoma and i’ve been living here for over 15 years now. As a soon to be young entreprenuer(24) I look forward to learning more from you. Thanks again for some much needed info. I’ve been facing this problem for the last couple of months.
Good stuff: keep it coming. I’m constantly amazed at the things people fall for: that’s why I blogged on how to avoid frauds and scams (see link on name). Alas, as long a speople are dsperate (and greedy sometimes) the scammers will prosper.
The reason people fall for anything is that they don’t stand for something.
If you don’t have a purpose in doing business online, any shining object will do. And yes, good marketers understand the psychology of a person buying that shining object and then feeling overwhelm or shafted. The thought being, “Oh well, it’s my stupidity and laziness (and not that of the guru) that brought me to this point. I’ll let things slide.”
Whether it was a buck trial, a buck trial that renewed on continuity or a full-price scam or misfit – every time you don’t take action will leave you deeper in debt and more and more disillusioned, while the guru pays for his latte or his laptop with your inaction and intention.
This must be the absolute truth: less than ten percent of buyers of any product, system or promise will ever get more than a few days or a few pages into the course or whatever. Of those that do, less than 5 percent will – without personal coaching and instruction on the product – ever get in the black. And if they do get into the black, the fire of the product will burn out or be replaced by the next shining object or up-sell.
To me, most marketing is based on the correct premise that human beings enjoy chasing their tails. They are lazy and lost – not necessarily in that order – and want to have the big fish…a successful internet product…without putting a hook or bait on the line.
And the real hook and bait is a product of your own imagination, not that of others already driving a Maserati. That success level takes work,pain,at least some money, and requires a visionary rather than a “quick fix” mind.