The Truth About Internet Marketing Conferences
I’ve been disappointed by most internet marketing conferences I’ve attended…and I’m a speaker at them!
I remember a couple where the majority of presentations were simply sales pitches for products without delivering any content (even though it was constantly mentioned how great the content was).
In addition there are a couple of popular speaking courses that teach you step-by-step how to build an hour (or longer) “training session” with no more than a couple of minutes of real content. The rest being a covert sales pitch. How do I know that’s what they teach? I bartered for one and bought another when wanting to improve my speaking ability – only to find out I couldn’t use what they taught.
This weekend was different.
Mark Hendricks put on an excellent event which I spoke at yesterday in Orlando. There was a good group of speakers including experts like Willie Crawford, Doug Champigny, Elsom Elridge, Jr., Joey Smith, and others (please don’t anyone be offended for me not publishing a full list – everyone did a great job).
But Mark didn’t something a little different that helped create the tone of the event. He had each speaker do their presentation and then do a 20 minute workshop on a subject they discussed. During the conference, attendees wrote a press release, wrote a post for their blog, prepared goals in multiple areas of their life, scheduled their weekly plans, looked for potential JV partners, choose projects to outsource, and more.
They didn’t just sit and listen. They put what they learned into practice.
I’ve been at a few other workshops like this in the past (I remember speaking at 2 Joel Christopher did like this). Without fail, including this workshop element increases the value for everyone involved. It’s been true every time I’ve seen it used.
The workshop element with every presentation not only forces the audience to take action (and to see just how easy the actions really are), but it also forces the speakers to think in terms of providing a step-by-step system the attendees can follow.
I recommend attending workshops like this instead of just “seminars” because there is so much more value in this type of setup.
Another element I noticed is how the message stayed pretty consistent throughout the weekend.
Many of the speakers for example talked about how a WordPress blog (like this one) is the “center” of their business. Content is provided here. Products are sold out of the blog. Participation in social media is directed back to the blog. It’s your center of authority in your business.
Instead of promoting a dozen different sites (products and services you may offer), you focus on pulling people back to your blog site and getting them on your list. Then everything else flows out of here.
The other major core emphasis I could see was on quick and easy product development. Instead of struggling for months on products (like many people do in the beginning), get started quickly and test the market with quicker, easier products such as an interview with an expert. IF that first product sells well, then expand out to larger kits and more complete elements.
By the way, here’s a quick statement Elsom Elridge Jr., author of The Obvious Expert, and Linda Elridge said about me. I have a ton of respect for them and HIGHLY recommend The Obvious Expert as a great book to pick up if you want to be seen as the obvious expert in your market.
- The Truth About Internet Marketing Conferences
- A Totally Different Internet Experience
- Is Internet Marketing Just a Millionaire Boy’s Club?
- Making a Lifelong Difference
- Ted Nicholas at Internet Success System
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19 Responses to “The Truth About Internet Marketing Conferences”
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Thanks for your astute comments. As a producer of events for many years I am allergic to very little content and interaction and hard sell tactics. I interview all my speakers in advance and let them know no hard sell from the platform.
I often get comments from potential attendees who do not know us saying why should I attend your event? They do not want to be sold to.
The annual Speakers Summit is coming up March 12-14 and attendees will be pleasantly surprised and very modest fee http://www.speakerservices.com/speakerssummit10
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Terry,
You’re right – Mark Hendrick’s ISSC was such an awesome event. For anyone wondering….you are “the real deal” – you’re expertise along with your willingness to share real actionable plans and ideas made me glad I was one of the lucky ones in the room – down to even eating lunch and taking time to chat with attendees like me!
I’ve been to pitchfests called “educational conferences” and having experienced both it’s easy to know the difference and I’m amazed with all that I accomplished while there. It’s easy to see, like Elsom said why you are an “Obvious Expert” – looking forward to continuing to learn from you!
P.S. If you’re ever near Clearwater Florida – let me know and I’ll buy you lunch
Excellent advice. Your honesty is refreshing, like a bucket of ice water after a long run.
I hope many marketers who create products will take your advice and follow the same line of thinking.
There is way too much theory and precious little “how to do this today in the trenches”.
Education without application is simply entertainment.
Over here in the UK we get our fair share of the same problem. I recently went to an event run by an Australian “thought leader” and at the end of the morning I stil hadn’t taken any notes .. because he hadn’t said anything of any value. Perhaps he did in the afternoon but I didn’t go back!
Anyway I deliver a lot of workshops myself and always pack them full of useful information that people can use …. and often build in a practical session such as the “Write a media release” mentioned, … other good ones are set up an Google Alert and download the Analytics code and send it to your webdesigner
Our prospects and customers deserve better than a lot of BS and it is great to see someone coming online and saying so.
Hey Terry’
I was not attendan in this event which you a talk about,.but i think that you are absolutly right. I know this because i loaded and read many ebooks’ and bogs
of networkers.In this texts which i have read was great part that has not any values.
Thanks for your comment.
Lea Sedan
I attend conferences to stand in the hall and network. Going in and listening is usually a waste of time, but the networking at many of them is worth it. And I always ask for a refund afterwords so I don’t reward bad behavior.
Hey Terry,
I was really impressed how you spent your whole lunch one on one with one of the attendees; giving him ideas and a game plan. Many successful marketers would not been so free with their time and help.
Kudos,
Peggy Baron
P.S. It was nice to meet you.
I agree Terry, when you follow up action with what you have heard it reinforces the lesson right away. A presentation plus workshop is a great teaching tool. One which I have also adopted as an HR trainer.
Peggy: I should mention in interest of full disclosure that the person I spent all lunch one-on-one with is a coaching client. So it was a gift I gave to him as a customer to help him reach his goals quicker. I have spent lunch with someone before and I did try to help people as much as possible that I spoke with, but I thought that needed to be said to make it clear for this case. I give my time when I’m at the events, but a coaching client would get first pick and dibs on anything they needed.
Hi Terry
Refreshing thoughts you have on ‘seminars’
I’ve been to a few here in UK and as you say, they are usually just ‘pitches’
I sometimes wonder if these so called ‘gurus’ have any idea of the time and costs involved in a 2/3 day marketing event including travel and hotel accommodation.
Then when it starts – you are often shouted at from the stage, notetaking….. don’t make me laugh! I agree with Stefans comment here.
Mass hysteria prevails!
At the end of the event, I always ask myself was it worth the time and money spent and did I learn anything?
In most cases I’m sure you can guess the answer can’t you.
I think I learn more from listening to you than I’ve ever learnt at a seminar.
regards
Graham in UK
Terry, I appreciated your presentation at the conference. You are correct. Each speaker gave 100% and I, as an attendee, felt valued because they gave me content that I could take home and implement. Much of what was said will need to be listened to again and again to distill even more value. The exercises gave even more value as we saw what we could do. That reinforces what I learned and shows me I can do the same when I return home. Thanks again for your time with us. Having spent two days at another conference in November, which was truly a pitch-fest, I appreciate what Mark offers. I plan on going back.
Sounds like that would be a great format for a seminar. Actually getting things done in a workshop environment adds a lot of value.
It’s too easy to fill up a notebook with pages of notes — and then never look at them again. I know that from experience!
Ryan
Terry, I have the same felling about presentations like sales pitches for products.
In some cases not even a workshop works. If the content isn’t very good, a good workshop wont fix it.
Maybe Woul Mark Hendricks presentation would be nice even without the workshop!
Just my 2 cents
Hi Terry,
Like most things , you have to sort out the wheat from the chaff in all aspects of life and not just in selling / marketing circles !
It does seam to me that seminars (not all) are mainly there to promote goods and services as well as make money on the event itself !
But on what you describe above it seems to be a departure from the norm and to involve the audience / attendees to actually get involved and put what they had just learned into practice gives real value to the seminar, for me at least !
“Have the best day you can have……….its your choice”
Regards
Andrew
Hi Terry,
I like the Internet Marketing seminars. Most of the ones I have been to have been a mix of content and sales pitch so to speak. Each presenter was different, some were excellent and some not so good.
I do like the workshop idea. I have only been to one other seminar like that one, however the seminar was run by the one person not a panel of speakers.
See you back here soon!
Jacinta
I went to a “world” internet seminar twice during my first year as an internet marketer. Every product was $3995 or $4995. I was amazed at the people running out to put another product on their credit cards. People who had never had a website in their lives were spending $10k that weekend on super-specialized products and longterm coaching.
The best thing to do is learn how these people are marketing their products, then find a good coach like Terry to help you ethically apply the good marketing and copywriting tactics, while leaving the bad strategies for rip off artists and FTC fight over.
Good post!Well There is no formula for an effective Internet marketing strategy. It depends on your individual situation. When you realize your strengths and weaknesses, you’ll be able to come up with a great marketing plan. No matter if you’re thinking about Adsense site, affiliate site or your own product.
I have not heard of Mark before, but I like you have been to a few conferences where I don’t feel that I have gained anything and leave feeling a little disheartened. I think it is great when you find someone who you can relate to and offers some good advice that you can implement and sometimes even expand on. Will search him on youtube see if there is anymore of him. Thanks