Internet Marketing Propaganda Is Costing You
“There’s nothing so absurd that if you repeat it often enough, people will believe it.”
William James, author of Principles of Psychology in 1890
“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it”
Adolf Hitler
Why in the world would I quote Adolf Hitler here?
Obviously he knew how to run a propaganda machine.
The quote above applies to a lot more than just politics (although it seems some politicians in both major parties are masters of it).
Where does this apply to internet marketers?
This industry is loaded with propaganda.
The myths are big. They’re simple. People keep repeating them. And many believe them.
The propaganda machines roll out…with launch after launch in our industry.
Here are just a few of the lies being told.
1. You can make money overnight.
This is probably the biggest one. All you have to do is buy the super-duper widget and money will just show up at your doorstep. Push this button on your computer and money comes out. I’m still trying to find that BUTTON! Must only be on Macs.
“If you’re not making a million a year online, you must be doing something wrong” kind of fits in here as well. Perhaps that’s not the business model you’re going after…or you simply haven’t been growing your business long enough.
It takes work to get anything accomplished online. AND it takes a heavy learning process. I can’t say it’s hard work, because delivering pizzas in a blizzard was much harder work than anything I’ve ever done in internet business.
But you will have to think. You will have to learn. You will have to grow. And you’ll have to face your fears (this is a big one).
You have to learn how to create and share value with others to receive income in return. That’s why no one is ever going to hand you a complete whiz-bang income without you doing anything. The biggest problem with “biz opps” is that people have unrealistic expectations. They feel they will never have to “think” again…just buy the system that does it for them.
Ever wonder why we talk so much about testing…and yet so few actually do it? It’s because testing requires you to take time and think about how each element works in your business.
2. You only have to work 4 hours a week.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but I don’t have a single client who works a 4 hour work week. Nope…not one.
The most successful person I’ve worked with who worked the least was putting in about 15 to 20 hours a week. And they worked DOWN to that point. They worked much more when they were getting started.
In my own businesses, I have several passive income streams I don’t “have” to do anything for currently. They’re enough for a full-time income, but they DIDN’T happen overnight. It was a lot of work to get them to this point. But do you realize that even if you get to this point, you’d be bored if you only worked 4 hours a week?
When I first read the 4-Hour Workweek, my first thought was that he spends more than 4 hours a week just doing interviews from what I’ve seen.
The book still has some good information in it on outsourcing and your lifestyle design, but the title gives people wrong expectations.
It can be done, but you have to build a lot of systems in place and work more than 4 hours a week to get it there.
Glenn Livingston recently wrote a post on his blog about how it takes 10,000 hours to master a subject (you can make money before this – he is talking about being a master at it).
3. Give your absolute best information away for free.
You’ve probably heard the expression, “Moving the free line” and “give your absolute best information away for free.” It sounds good, and it is true to a point. You should give some valuable and useful information away for free.
But have you ever purchased from a business that followed this principle to the letter?
I have a couple of times…and I felt cheated.
There are a couple of sites I feel have much better free information than what is in their products. I continue to subscribe to their site feeds, but I won’t buy from them again.
I think Jimmy Brown nailed it when he said, “useful, but incomplete.” This means the information you give away is useful and it will add value to your reader’s lives. Incomplete means they would get MORE VALUE out of it by buying the product you recommend.
What does that mean in a blog like this? It means I try to guide you and give you good information. People have commented how they have started profitable businesses using only the information that is free on this site. BUT you would get their faster and get more detailed systems in the products I offer.
I even try to mix in the informational approach into sales copy. All of my recent sales pieces include several tips that can improve your business right in the copy itself…even if you never purchase the product. That is giving you motivation to actually read the copy – not just skim over it.
4. If only you knew this ONE secret, you would succeed.
This is the basis of many information products. There is one element you’re missing that’s holding you back from achieving success. If only you owned this software program, it would all be solved. If only you knew this one step, everything would fall into place.
Yes, I know people have breakthroughs. I have breakthroughs when everything seems to automatically click once you realize a missing piece.
But take a look at EVERY breakthrough you had…it was a building process to get you up to that point. The majority of the time, the building process took place as you grew in one of the 3 skills we all need to master.
So it wasn’t just the ONE secret that caused the breakthrough (although it was worth whatever you paid for that missing piece). It was the whole PROCESS of learning to get to that point.
That’s why I tell people to MASTER those three skills: content, traffic, and persuasion. They’re the skills your web business is based on.
Yet, when you think of those 3, it sounds more difficult than just the missing piece. Throughout your business you will find many missing pieces that will enable you to move to the next level.
It seems to be a process we all go through. You work…work…work…and not much seems to happen. You hit a breakthrough and things start flowing, but you plateau. You search…and then over time find another breakthrough to move forward.
There really isn’t anything “new.” It’s just new to us. It’s a secret to us until we discover it.
5. There is only one successful business model.
Let’s randomly take 100 people who are earning full-time incomes online, put them all in a room together, and ask them what is the best business model.
Watch them fight!
You probably have already figured out I like using an email list (and blog) to build relationships, give content, and make sales. I recommend to almost EVERYONE that they should run a list.
Yet I have 2 coaching clients right now who don’t have a free email list. And they’re doing quite well online without one. One goes for a very low ticket sale to build a customer list (so they do have a list – but its only customers). The other one makes money as an affiliate directing people into affiliate funnels.
What about traffic?
SEO is best. PPC is best. Social media is best. Affiliates are best.
See the fight coming?
The key is finding the right business model that fits what you want to accomplish.
I love the post Nicole Dean published on Jimmy Brown’s blog about considering your lifestyle when making every business decision.
(no family relation with Nicole by the way).
- How Much Do You Earn Per Hour?
- The Money Is In Your Email List
- Sink or Swim – Desperation Marketing
- Earn More by Working Less
- 5 Reasons to Create Your Own Products
Comments
19 Responses to “Internet Marketing Propaganda Is Costing You”
Got something to say?
Featured Video
Internet Lifestyle Retirement System FREE Video
Available Products
One-On-One Coaching
Internet Lifestyle System
Monthly Mentor Club
Ultimate Interview Product Solution
Email Marketing Mastery
Great post, Terry.
Keep laying out the truth!
When integrity guides you, the truth is spoken. And THAT is why I learned to trust you.
LK
I also think that was a great post. I am so weary of the constant barrage of pitches. And yet, sad to say, I spend alot of my day looking at them, signing up for other lists, watching videos when I should be doing something productive.
I get so angry at myself knowing the majority of what I’m looking at is a dead end.
I also have so many downloads and am on so many email lists, I don’t ahve a clue on how to sort them out.
I met you at the FL MeetUp a few months ago, Terry, and was impressed from the get-go. So, on your list I have remained.
I do stay busy servicing my mostly traditional business clients, helping them with some online graphics, strategies, web sites, etc. But desperately want to figure out a direction for ME that will at least take a little pressure off me trying to pay the bills only with my current work.
Anyway… already too long winded here. Thanks for the post. I hope to see you at another gathering sometime in the near future.
Christine
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Erik Luhrs, Max Jacobs, Max Jacobs, Gloria J Williamsand others. Gloria J Williams said: RT: @daegan_smithReading Terry Dean's "Internet Propoganda" post. It's good ==> http://bit.ly/SIBuw [...]
Wow… Terry, you just hit me!! Yes I got a wrong perseption.. when I read 4 hour work week.. LOL I though I don’t have do anything.. LOL.. But when I read your post, you just open my mind.. thanks man! I really love this post!
Semmy
Yes the truth has set you free..God Bless
I am so glad you sent me the e-mail link to this site. I have gotten so much misinformation since starting my e-zine, much of it I didn’t believe — like the “work a few hours a week and get rich nonsense,” but it’s nice to have my doubts backed up by another source.
Keep up the good work!
It’s quite a learning curve to get to the place where you realise these truths.
Funny thing is, that even though I know the falsity of “This is the ONE SECRET ” type of hype, I can still feel the emotional pull it has.
Just a fact of being an inquisitive kind of person i suppose
I also have felt ripped off when I buy a course and its not much more than the sampling of free tips given in the marketers newsletter. I hate returning things and rarely do, but this leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth.
A good friend of mine has told me to follow that guys advice and give away my best selling book to attract people. Horrible advice in my mind. Yes, some uselful content is Critical–but give away the full secret–Bad Advice. You’ve hit the nail on the head again.
I agree 100% with what you’ve said here. For years I’ve been saying the same things but not so eloquently . Great Post
Great post. Creating a successful internet business is no different than any other business – it takes focused action!
Five on Friday, Issue #12…
Another issue of Five on Friday, served up hot and fresh. Here are five of my favorite blog posts from the last week or so.
“The bar for success is too low in our industry” – by Jason Fried
This post was written about the tech…
Hey Terry – I have a Mac – while there’s no “instant money” button… there is an “easy” button…
But seriously… while there are people who WANT to believe the propaganda, then these “myths” will continue to earn lots of money for the various snake-oil salespeople who push that barrow.
It’s a huge shame because the end result in 99% of cases is failure!
Terry –
I really appreciate you and what you are sharing with everyone, I’m sure your are being rewarded in several ways.
Something you should know -
I visited your webpage: http://www.internetlifestylesystem.com/video.html
to listen to your free video (which has so many great tips), but the last frame with the links does not go to the right screen for US and North American Customers, I only get a screen that shows that I have an empty shopping cart. The other link works ok and proceeds to your sales page.
You may want to fix this soon!
Many Blessings to you!
Dave
Thanks for that honest assessment. I have been involved in a few MLM’s over the years and I see the same hype in the internet marketing industry. I started looking at internet marketing a few months ago and it blows me away how much fluff there is. So many people are trying to make money on the internet of people who are trying to make money on the internet, it is scary. It does sometimes look like a pyramid or ponzi scheme. I wonder how many internet marketers are really providing a product or service to John and Jane Doe who are not internet marketers, but really need a product or service. I am continuing to build my website and info product to non-internet marketers and hope that I can find some real support somewhere in this minefield. Thanks for being so honest about this industry. It is refreshing for a newbie like me to get my suspicions confirmed.
Great post – loved it. It’s just so easy to get buried in piles of ‘stuff’ arriving at your PC that’s going to make you millions. And almost without exception it’s rubbish.
Without firm self discipline its easy to get lost in the opinions of some crank somewhere, or endless updates via social networking sources.
Ultimately I find in my dealings with our clients that common business sense rules. Put lots of the right things in – you get the right results. Cut corners and and you don’t. Very simple really.
And to me that’s the point. Business is business – conducted over the web or face to face in a coffee shop. It’s about understanding customer’s needs first, and then figuring out how you can add value to them or their business. And no quick get rich scam is going to do that.
Mike
[...] came across a really interesting Blog post today ‘Internet marketing propaganda is costing you money’. One of its core points is the internet and e-commerce are great ways of doing business – [...]
There is still no free lunch. A successful business take hard work and time. Working online is one of the easiest to start.
Funny to say but our minds meet regarding this issue. Indeed, achieving success in internet marketing will take you first to a very long-winding rocky road. The cost is too big more than you can imagine – much time, effort, and money for paid inclusions and link-building software. There are many scams across the net that boast their thing as the only way, the secret, the milestone, etc., At the end of the day it’s you who spend much and end up mediocre in the internet marketing tun.
Thanks for the post. This is really motivating as you got it all TRUE!