When Internet Marketing Gurus Sell Their Souls

If you're just getting started in Internet ... you may be awed by the amount of ... Gurus" out there, each one making millions of dollars (or so they claim) and for some reason seem mo

If you're just getting started in Internet Marketing, you may be awed
by the amount of "Internet Gurus" out there, each one making millions
of dollars (or so they claim) and for some reason seem more than willing,
for a fee, to teach you their biggest, most intimate secrets.


Well, I believe in one thing - "If it sounds too good to be true,
it most probably is!"

While I have no doubt about the specialized skills and techniques used
by these gurus, it can get a little too frustrating simply getting tangled
and lost in all their hype, and find almost no value at the end of the
day. Hype - that's one thing I agree these guru's are really good at.
For some of them, unfortunately, hype is the only thing they're good at.

So the question, for those who are trying to master Internet Marketing,
might be:

1) Can I learn anything from these gurus without paying money?

2) Who's real and who's not?

3) Whose Internet marketing methods should I follow?

Question 1: Can I Learn Something for Free?

Most Internet guru's have opt-in newsletters on specialized subjects
like website marketing, Pay-Per-Click advertising, search engine optimization
or whatever specialized skill they have "mastered". Almost all
of them try to convince you to subscribe to their newsletter in return
for some kind of "breakthrough" report, and promise to deliver
"valuable information" weekly or monthly to your email address.
Sounds great...

Here's what happens 2 weeks later - You realize that the "breakthrough
report" is the same old regurgitated information which you can find
almost anywhere. You might also realize that the "valuable information"
almost never comes without any hidden agenda. The "valuable information"
usually turns out to be a soft-selling ad (sometimes even blatant advertisements)
for the guru's latest products or paid seminars, or even worse, some other
Internet marketer's products.

I'm not trying to shoot down any marketer here, but the irony is in their
teaching. Almost all internet gurus would advice you to offer valuable,
free information that benefits other people. Profits, as they say, is
secondary to actually helping people and making a difference in their
lives. Give before you take....what a load of BS!

How come they don't practice what they preach? Of is that how the "Internet
Marketing Game" is really played? Surely, nobody minds receiving
ads and promotions, as long as there is a fair deal of free information
being offered.

Fortunately, not all Internet marketers are the same. There are still
some jewels to be found, and they offer some great information in their
newsletters, which they unselfishly offer for free, such as:

1) Vishal Rao (http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com)
talks about starting and managing home based businesses.

2) Mike Cheney (http://www.magnet4web.com)
talks about building an effective and efficient business web site.

3) Jill Whalen (http://www.highrankings.com)
talks about Search Engine Optimization.

4) Allan Gardyne (http://www.associateprograms.com)
is the authority on affiliate programs and affiliate marketing, with an
award-winning newsletter.

Of course there are many more good marketers out there, and you'll have
to get through several bad ones first before you get to the good ones.
It is not necessary to subscribe to every Internet Marketing newsletter
just to hope for nuggets of gold that may never come. Instead, give the
gurus a "trial" month, and if you don't find anything of value
from them, just unsubscribe from their mailing lists.

It will only be a loss to them, not you.

Question 2 : Who's Real and Who's Not?

To answer this question, you really have to "get around" the
Internet a lot. Take part in Internet Marketing forums where you will
definitely find topics on info-products, seminars and software offered
by these gurus, and see what others are saying about them.

Forget about all those blaring testimonials that the gurus compile on
their site. After visiting several guru websites, you may start to find
the same faces and names, helping each other out by giving testimonials
which are seldom backed by proof. Forums are where the real testimonials
are.

If you find yourself browsing the Internet a lot, trying to find good
value for money, then you'll need the Alexa toolbar. What this toolbar
does is that it gives you an idea of the popularity of the website you're
visiting. Secondly, it allows you to see who the closest competitors are,
giving you more alternatives to choose from. Besides that, it also displays
reviews and ratings given by others who have visited the website or used
any product being sold via the website. This is where you'll find the
"not so beautifully polished" opinions and testimonials.

- Alexa Toolbar : http://www.home-business-association.com/rd/alexa/

(Alexa is owned by Amazon.com. If you're concerned about installing toolbars
on your computer, make sure you adjust the privacy settings accordingly)

You may also want to consider this site:

- GuruDaq : http://www.gurudaq.com

Taking on a Nasdaq-like approach, this site lists all gurus according
to ratings and 'stock price'. Although I would advice you to take it more
for its entertainment value than actual recommendations, perhaps this
site will allow you to get a glimpse of "who's who" in Internet
Marketing.

Question 3 : Whose methods should I follow?

Honestly, nobody's. At least not word-for-word of what is thought in
their newsletters or ebooks. The important thing to realize is that you
need to develop your own technique to be really successful. The guru's
don't teach you everything, anyway. They almost always feed you the crop
but keep the cream for themselves. In other words, no one really tells
you the "hot money-making secrets". They only teach you their
not-so-secret money making facts.

There are many places you can get reviews on internet marketing ebooks,
but be warned that most will be biased in one way or another. Here's a
good downloadable PDF resource on ebook reviews, distributed with the
permission of the author:

- "Web Promotion Products Exposed" by Mike
Cheney:

http://www.magnet4web.com/WebPromotionProductsExposed.pdf

Its really up to you to learn some tips and tricks of the trade from
Internet gurus, but set out on your own course. In order to be successful
in anything, you need to do your own thing. Be original in your approach,
whether it's writing sales letters, doing email marketing, writing articles,
pay-per-click or search engine optimization, and the world will take notice.

It is also important to realize that before you go around shopping for
all kinds of "how-to" material and software, you need to get
a good grip of what your business really needs. You'll need to develop
a strong, specific and detailed business plan before you set out on a
quest to improve your knowledge on that are critical to the success to
your business. Here are some good resources for writing effective business
plans:

- http://www.home-business-association.com/rd/bplans/

- http://www.bplans.com

When you know what your business truly needs, you're more likely to recognize
the exact type of internet marketing method you'll need to study and master.
Don't just look to someone who has sold their soul a long time ago to
guide you to the path of success.

That's just wishful thinking.

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