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Internet Marketing: Hire Pros vs Teach Yourself?

by neshaword
18 replies
It goes without saying that Internet Marketing isn't the rocket science. OK, I get it. Yet, I somehow find it hard to believe that this is something you can easily learn just like that. The thing that annoys me the most is when I hear a self-proclaimed Internet Marketing Brainiac giving me a word of precious advice. If you have more money than time to invest, then go for an option, which will mean that you hire a pro to do all the marketing job for you. Or, if you're a penniless Internet Marketing enthusiast, then you probably have all the time in the world at your disposal. So, you can teach yourself all there's to know about it. Well, this is just the thing I've been waiting to hear.

What if I'm a newbie Internet Marketer with no money and no time to waste? Does it mean I'm doomed? I don't have money to invest and I don't believe in DIY marketing. What are my options?

Internet Marketers: All for One, And One for All?

OK, let's say I want to hire a professional and highly experienced Internet Marketer. What should be my priority? Should I ask him or her to do a particular job of me, or to teach me something I'm dying to learn? I know the fisherman's legend all too well. You know how it goes, don't you? I give you a fish and you can call it a day, but if I can teach you how to catch it, then you don't need me. Right? That's the problem. Those Internet Marketers aren't giving away free fish products nor do they provide free lessons. They've figured it out that's better to sell a fish every single day than to teach you how to do it yourself. You keep coming back for as long as you need them. You buy books, eBooks, sign for courses, etc.

Guess, I don't have the right to complain. I would've done or become the same, probably. You work hard to achieve or learn something. Not sure, how eager I would be to gladly share it with the world. Heath Ledger nailed it flawlessly in the Dark Knight. If we're good at something, we should never do it for free. OK, it makes sense. Yet, the trouble is that I have to become good at Internet Marketing, so I won't have to do it for free.

DIY Internet Marketing

So, here I am. Maybe there's a fair chance to stumble upon a precious jewel of knowledge and wisdom in this field, for free. And, I keep searching. And, I keep hoping. But, I have this "condition" and I guess I have to be honest about it. If it's not free, then I can't stop complaining about it. If it's free, then I can't stop doubting it. It's just like someone put a huge warning sign over the most questionable word you can find on the Web - FREE! The best things in Internet Marketing are (NOT) free.

Wait, maybe there's an Internet Marketing fairy with a non-profit heart, I can learn a thing or two from? My cynical mind is clouding my marketing horizons and I can't find it. Yet, my experience just can't let it go. I have seen, read and admired hundreds of so-called "gurus." I just couldn't believe how vain you have to be to present yourself as Internet Marketing from A to Z online edition. In most of the cases, these guys just want to find some desperate admirers, who will post heartbreaking comments any ancient goddess would die for. If you can show me how it works, and I can make some money out of it, then I really don't have a problem with recommending you to all the people I know. Yet, in the meantime, I'm in no mood to waste my enthusiasm on someone else's insatiable ego.

Hey Bro, How To Become A Pro?

To be painfully honest, I don't expect to find a to-do-Internet-Marketing list, which I need to follow in order to get what I want. I've realized that this is can be an endless ocean where you can easily lose your motivation and drown all of your available time without the proper navigation. I began writing this article with an aim that it would help me see things clearer. Instead, I feel like I'm trapped in a labyrinth. I'm back at the beginning.

I refuse to believe that you can do it with the help of the step-by-step system. You hire a pro, then you do some things on your own. Then, you repeat the whole thing over and over again. I just want to be sure that I'm about to do the right thing. If the pro way is the only way, I will accept it. I need to find a pro and pay him for the things he'll do for me. No regrets about it. The money has to be spent, because that's the only and the best way. Or, if there's a DIY way that works, I'm willing to learn 24/7. At least I will have a peace of mind knowing that I just saved a lot of money from being invested in something I could've done myself, in the first place.

The more I write and think about it, the more difficult it becomes to decide. Believe me, I already tried with the pros and cons list for both available options. It supposed to be a simple math. Just look where you have more pros and you're good to go. This list definitely has no beginning and no end. Eventually, I got tired and extremely frustrated. This was the moment when I decided to ask this simple question. Should you hire a pro or teach yourself Internet marketing? The answer won't save the world, but it can certainly save me some money and lots of time. There's has to be someone, who's walked down this road before. I just have to find him/her.
#hire #internet #internet marketers #internet marketing #marketing #pros #teach
  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    As your photo includes a freelancer.com tshirt - looks like the forum is going in the direction of an article directory?
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    Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
    ***
    Dear April: I don't want any trouble from you.
    January was long, February was iffy, March was a freaking dumpster fire.
    So sit down, be quiet, and don't touch anything.
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    • Profile picture of the author neshaword
      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

      As your photo includes a freelancer.com tshirt - looks like the forum is going in the direction of an article directory?
      I already ordered a Warrior T-Shirt, lol.

      I am not a Freelancer employee, if this is what you're implying. Just a regular freelancer. This is my profile pict.

      I couldn't get any more handsome than this, lol.
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  • Profile picture of the author EPoltrack77
    In the end I feel one can do better if they understand what they are doing. Outsourcing is good but who are you outsourcing it to and if you don't understand how are you really suppose to know how well of a job is being done.

    It's like give somebody who says they can invest your money a hundred thousand of your money and the guy has the worst track record and a negative balance in his own account. And your going to give this guy your money because he says something that sounds good.
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    Working to achieve higher results...
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  • Profile picture of the author Steven Heron
    I used to recommend WF for SEO advice. Kay King nailed it if this is indeed a sponsored post. I think a lot stick around here because we don't have anywhere else to go for now - but if it keeps going like this it can't be good.

    In all honesty, I left the SEO scene from 2012 after panda updates hit my business and have only returned recently. As far as I can see, within competitive niches, the name of the game now is investors. You need to invest substantial capital into purchasing guest posts from high quality blogs. Gone are the days of ranking competitive new sites with old school backlinks. Matt Cutts can rant and rave about paid links, but the reality is that his crusade has simply increased their value and weeded out most of us that can't afford them in the new playing field. It's a revelation for me that the major newspaper sites and Fortune 500 companies spend millions a year in paid links purely for SEO benefit. And little is done by Cutts et al, other than isolated example punishments.

    Research the backlink profile of top ranking sites under any competitive niche now and you can confirm this.

    My takeaway is this: Forget IM, and start learning business. Learn to acquire investors to play the high stakes game as part of a larger group. You can no longer do it anymore as a solo individual unless you're part of the elite. And if that isn't the case now in your niche, it will be soon.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    I'm with Ed on this one. It's fine to hire people to do things for you. But the only real way to protect yourself in an era of fake reviews and purchased endorsements is to have at least a basic understanding of what you are hiring for.

    Originally Posted by Steven Heron View Post

    My takeaway is this: Forget IM, and start learning business. Learn to acquire investors to play the high stakes game as part of a larger group. You can no longer do it anymore as a solo individual unless you're part of the elite. And if that isn't the case now in your niche, it will be soon.
    And yet your sig offer "free Internet Marketing training"? Does that mean people should just forget you, too?

    Sometimes irony leaves bruises...
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Heron
      Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

      And yet your sig offer "free Internet Marketing training"? Does that mean people should just forget you, too?

      Sometimes irony leaves bruises...
      You're quite right, most of the advice I have there is outdated anyway. Removed it now.
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  • Profile picture of the author hdantle
    I look at it this way: You're going to pay for your education, either in time or in money.

    I've been doing this for years. I've taught myself a LOT, but I'm definitely self-taught. And it's taken YEARS to figure it out, and I've spent a lot of time seeking out resources and stuff like that. For me, I didn't HAVE the money, but I did have the time. I know that I would've had success much faster if I had taken a class or hired a coach, but I didn't have the ability to do that.

    I think it depends on what you have the most of. I had a friend who chose to specialize in social media marketing & copywriting, and she signed up for a coaching plan. In her case, she had a decent severance from being laid off but she needed to get profitable again quickly, so the coaching program got her up to speed faster.

    Do you have more time or more money? Either way, you'll pay for your education. The question is which one you want to spend.
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    • Profile picture of the author neshaword
      Originally Posted by hdantle View Post

      Do you have more time or more money? Either way, you'll pay for your education. The question is which one you want to spend.
      You've taken these words right out of my mouth. What you have is what you spend.
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  • Profile picture of the author danieldesai
    Originally Posted by neshaword View Post

    Should you hire a pro or teach yourself Internet marketing? The answer won’t save the world, but it can certainly save me some money and lots of time. There’s has to be someone, who’s walked down this road before. I just have to find him/her.
    The answer to this is...

    Why not do both?

    I've hired skilled email marketers to write emails for me, despite knowing how to do it myself.

    If you know how to do something but you know someone who's even better at it, why not invest in that person's services?

    On the flip side, you need to at least have some level of competence in marketing, otherwise your biggest problem won't be whether or not you can afford an expert.

    Regards,
    Daniel
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    • Profile picture of the author neshaword
      A pro is a pro. I see your point D.

      Appreciated =)
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Originally Posted by neshaword View Post

    Internet Marketing: Hire Pros vs Teach Yourself?
    I would hire a consultant, then after i've utilized their services, i'd take their advice on how to maintain the good results. This can save you years of learning and testing. It's a shortcut essentially. But the cost is high for a consultant - but worth it in my opinion - if the person is really good.
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    ==>> Free book reveals make money with affiliate marketing
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  • Profile picture of the author Steven Heron
    I think Daniel's answer is spot on. Learn how to do every part of your business, but then outsource it to someone else who specialises in that area, and focus on the business itself. As the old adage goes "work on your business not in your business".
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  • Profile picture of the author GetPLRhere
    I prefer do it yourself, or teach yourself as the first option. Only hire when it's cost-effective or when you just can't do it on your own because of some limitation.

    For example, if you got a killer idea to make a great software or App, but you're not a programmer, your only option is to outsource it. But what happens if the software or app becomes a best seller. Now you're highly dependent on that outsourced programmer to keep upgrading the software on your behalf, or be there for you to fix the bugs whenever it arises.

    If you can do it yourself, or if you're willing to learn programming myself, you'll at least give yourself the chance to create your products without being too dependent on others. At least make time to learn on your own. You might save some money down the road this way.
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  • Profile picture of the author affilorama-portal
    Experience is always the best teacher. Learning things yourself and doing things first hand will really make a big difference in doing affiliate marketing. If you have the budget to invest on a one-on-one coaching, it will help a lot as well, especially if you are the kind of person who does not like to have a lot of risks along the way. One of the biggest advantages of having an expert on the side is you can really be guided on what to do and what not to do. But this does not mean that learning things yourself is a bad idea. You can get really good with affiliate marketing by learning things yourself, especially if you are the kind of person who is up for challenges.
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  • Profile picture of the author MobRich24
    Learn and do it your self. Once you have a grasp of the basics then you can out source. For example If you hire someone to make back links to you but you don't know how to check the quality of those links then your possibly paying for crap links that will just penalize you.
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  • Profile picture of the author discrat
    Taught myself with watching and listening to a few experienced knowledgeable Warriors...who I see a few have made their presence on this very thread


    - Robert Andrew
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  • Profile picture of the author HeidiMendez
    I would recommend hire somebody however, if you hire someone and they are providing services for something you do not have know-how for they can make a fool off you (been there, done that)
    Talking from experience question their work not in a way to sound like a douchebag but just to better understand what is happening.

    As much as we would like to do everything ourselves we cant - therre are not that many hours in the day. Start delegating but also understand what they are doing for you even if it makes you feel stupid you wont regret it.

    p.s. Google it
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  • Profile picture of the author marks2424
    I like many of the answers here for different reasons but here is mine. Everything here is difficult if you don't know how to do it, just like everything else in life.

    You can join one of the many marketing courses that are out there many of which do everything showing you their click and drag system and teaching you how to use them, and many that teach you everything you need to do yourself.

    However like everything in IM how do we know who has the best program and will teach us what we really need to know without trying to sell us every little bit of information we need on top of what we bought already.

    In your question you said farm out the work but if you don't know anything about the business or niche how will you know if the work you paid to have done is any good.

    So my thing is learn everything you can even if you have to pay for courses on everything which also means you will need to do research on who's course to join because after all how can you make decisions about any aspect of your IM business if you don't know how to do it yourself.
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