Hot Topic: How do you define a truly 100% honest marketing approach?

Happy_Balance · 03-20-2010, 11:26 PM

Warning: Some people here won't like this thread

How do you define a truly 100% honest marketing approach? One which you can actually be proud of:

Great products barely need any marketing at all, satisfied customers will create a buzz for you.
Creating and selling 'information products' will possibly harm your customers, since they can get the information for free with a bit of effort.
In addition, you often provide people with false hope.
Time is valuable, so some 'information products' are legit if marketed in a completely honest way.

What is the completely honest way to market on the Internet, and how can you get attention by being 'modest' or 'humble?'

Do nice people really finish last (like Leo Durocher's famous quote), or do they have a fair chance?

Here is an attempt to answer my own questions:

* Great products barely need any marketing at all, satisfied customers will create a buzz for you. True

* In addition, typical marketeers often provide people with false hope. Very true, and some of you 'marketers' should be ashamed of yourselves.

* What is the completely honest way to market on the Internet, and how can you get attention by being 'modest' or 'humble?'

My answer to the last question is as follows:

Make quality websites with interesting, original content you actually care about.
Usage of affiliate links on those types of sites is clearly honest and legit.
Think ahead and don't expect current trends to continue forever.
Learn and remember important lessons from the recent (and distant) past.
People often pay lip-service to originality, but who is actually out there showing the courage to be truly different?

Please, help give feedback and advice to someone searching for the best possible standards in my career,
Thank you very much.

Kevin_Hutto · 03-20-2010, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy_Balance

[SIZE=1]

* Great products barely need any marketing at all, satisfied customers will create a buzz for you. True

False.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy_Balance

[SIZE=1]
Creating and selling 'information products' will possibly harm your customers, since they can get the information for free with a bit of effort.

False. A college textbook is an information product. The information can be found elsewhere with a little effort. So the publishers and colleges are harming the students by selling them textbooks for the materials they are studying?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy_Balance

[SIZE=1]
In addition, you often provide people with false hope.

False. You don't know me or what I sell... How can you say that I often provide people with false hope?

Are you kidding me?

AdInventive · 03-20-2010, 11:48 PM

All marketing is, is the art and science of selling things to people.

The best marketing focuses on offering up solutions to peoples problems, and content does matter.

Keep that in mind whenever you have an ethical dilemma.

Carlo Leon Guerrero · 03-21-2010, 02:54 AM

IMHO, there is no selfless deed. Why would someone donate to charity? To fulfill their need to care and give back to society.... Marketing? You're right! Time is valuable. Most people don't have time to search for the information. So, a person who knows how to market a product or service deserves fair compensation for their efforts to give the end user what they want.

If you know what your market really wants and you know how to create value for that market.... then there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

My question to you is: If you create quality websites with interesting, original content you actually care about, would you put a disclaimer on your website that says "All the links on this website are affiliate links and if you purchase anything when you click on those links, I will be making money off of you."

It's kinda saying, "Yeah, I'm in the Sales and Marketing industry. Yeah, this is how I put food on the table, but I don't really want to sell anything to you."

I've been in sales for over 6 years. I now run a brick and mortar business. I've asked the same question you're asking a few times over the years.

So if you're struggling with this issue, then you need to dig down deep and ask yourself if this industry is for you. Otherwise, you won't be aligning yourself with what you truly want to do.

Dennis Gaskill · 03-21-2010, 03:14 AM

I'm glad you beat me to this thread, Kevin, you saved me the time of addressing all the false assumptions the OP made. Happy, you'll get on a lot better of you stop projecting your values and doubts onto others.

thunderbird · 03-21-2010, 03:31 AM

I've seen this one guy do a great job selling things that I think are total quackery, such is holographic plastic lumps that you stick on the bottom of a vehicle to increase fuel efficiency. Complete nonsense. The guy sold huge quantities of that junk to a car dealership. Why did he sell it so well? I'm not sure, but I doubt that he really believed that those plastic lumps do any good at all, except add funds to his bank account when he sells them. Is he dishonest? Yes, I'd reckon so. He's been doing this for years. Selling crap, making lots of money, squandering his money, selling some other crap (he specializes is selling crap, that's his niche), making lots of money, squandering it. Broke, then wealthy, then broke, then wealthy again, like an accordion. It boils down not to what people really need, but catering to what they desire, so that emotions and yearnings take over logical thinking.

Pragun · 03-21-2010, 03:38 AM

I'll try to answer your questions too -

Great products barely need any marketing at all, satisfied customers will create a buzz for you. - No they don't. Nothing creates a buzz on it's own. You need to initialize it. You need to popularize it, and you need to tell the world about it. Then, if the product is really good, it'll carry on, on its own.

Creating and selling 'information products' will possibly harm your customers, since they can get the information for free with a bit of effort - False. The customers are not paying for the information, which i agree, they can find for free if they make the effort. The customers pay for information that has been tried, tested, refined and complied into one volume for easy understanding. They're paying so that they don't have to make the effort of looking for the info. You're making the effort, you're doing a service and hence, you're completely justified when you ask for money/services in return.

In addition, you often provide people with false hope. - Not really. Although I agree that a lot of products over-promise and under-deliver, but I think a wise customer will understand that all he is getting is information, and whether he makes something out of it or not depends completely on him and him alone.

~ My two cents

Michael Oksa · 03-21-2010, 07:17 AM

I ain't takin' your deeply-flawed and bi-assed poll. You know why? Because your choices clearly point out how YOU feel, not how others may feel.

First, why does the "Yes" have to be qualified with "I think so"? You have "No" standing on its own, why not "Yes"?

Second, if you had an option that said, "Yes, I'm a nice honest person, and I'm doing just fine", then I would have selected that option.

Third, your cynicism and/or ignorance is more sad than anything else.

Finally, of course "some of us won't like this thread"! You are being combative by saying that those who DO succeed must not be honest or nice. THAT, whether you like it or not, is the subtext of your bi-assed poll.

That's why I ain't takin' it, and I hope others join me in not doing so.

All the best,
Michael

p.s. To the proofreaders out there: the extra 'S' provides a subtext of its own.

R Hagel · 03-21-2010, 07:31 AM

You have a lot of faulty statements in your post, starting right off at the top...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy_Balance

Great products barely need any marketing at all, satisfied customers will create a buzz for you.

As pragun06 said, this doesn't happen on its own. Where do you think all these satisfied customers came from? Clearly, the marketer had to do some heavy marketer if there's actually a "buzz" happening. And most of the time, the marketer has actually planned to create the buzz. These things don't happen by accident.

Ok, next point in your post...

Just kidding. I'm not going to dissect every piece of your post, as the posters before me did a pretty good job of it. Listen to them.

cheers,
Becky

thunderbird · 03-21-2010, 03:23 PM

A good product or service will sell itself to some extent via word-of-mouth, but for a product or service to have any meaning for someone it first has to exist in their minds. How do you get it to exist in their minds in the first place, hopefully to inspire some to buy it? Answer: Marketing. You can also broadscast word-of-mouth (testimonials).

View Poll Results: Do nice honest people have a fair chance to succeed?
Yes, I think so	8	66.67%
No	0	0%
Maybe, depends on the details.	4	33.33%
Voters: 12. You may not vote on this poll

03-20-2010, 11:26 PM	#1
Happy_Balance HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 168 Thanks: 22 Thanked 19 Times in 14 Posts	Hot Topic: How do you define a truly 100% honest marketing approach? Warning: Some people here won't like this thread How do you define a truly 100% honest marketing approach? One which you can actually be proud of: Great products barely need any marketing at all, satisfied customers will create a buzz for you. Creating and selling 'information products' will possibly harm your customers, since they can get the information for free with a bit of effort. In addition, you often provide people with false hope. Time is valuable, so some 'information products' are legit if marketed in a completely honest way. What is the completely honest way to market on the Internet, and how can you get attention by being 'modest' or 'humble?' Do nice people really finish last (like Leo Durocher's famous quote), or do they have a fair chance? Here is an attempt to answer my own questions: * Great products barely need any marketing at all, satisfied customers will create a buzz for you. True * In addition, typical marketeers often provide people with false hope. Very true, and some of you 'marketers' should be ashamed of yourselves. * What is the completely honest way to market on the Internet, and how can you get attention by being 'modest' or 'humble?' My answer to the last question is as follows: Make quality websites with interesting, original content you actually care about. Usage of affiliate links on those types of sites is clearly honest and legit. Think ahead and don't expect current trends to continue forever. Learn and remember important lessons from the recent (and distant) past. People often pay lip-service to originality, but who is actually out there showing the courage to be truly different? Please, help give feedback and advice to someone searching for the best possible standards in my career, Thank you very much.
	Every Day Is Fun! :)

03-20-2010, 11:48 PM	#3
AdInventive Lateral Marketer War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 155 Thanks: 19 Thanked 41 Times in 23 Posts Contact Info	Re: Hot Topic: How do you define a truly 100% honest marketing approach? All marketing is, is the art and science of selling things to people. The best marketing focuses on offering up solutions to peoples problems, and content does matter. Keep that in mind whenever you have an ethical dilemma.
	My thoughts on Lateral Marketing Stategies.

03-21-2010, 02:54 AM	#4
Carlo Leon Guerrero Lion Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Paradise Posts: 83 Thanks: 8 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Hot Topic: How do you define a truly 100% honest marketing approach? IMHO, there is no selfless deed. Why would someone donate to charity? To fulfill their need to care and give back to society.... Marketing? You're right! Time is valuable. Most people don't have time to search for the information. So, a person who knows how to market a product or service deserves fair compensation for their efforts to give the end user what they want. If you know what your market really wants and you know how to create value for that market.... then there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. My question to you is: If you create quality websites with interesting, original content you actually care about, would you put a disclaimer on your website that says "All the links on this website are affiliate links and if you purchase anything when you click on those links, I will be making money off of you." It's kinda saying, "Yeah, I'm in the Sales and Marketing industry. Yeah, this is how I put food on the table, but I don't really want to sell anything to you." I've been in sales for over 6 years. I now run a brick and mortar business. I've asked the same question you're asking a few times over the years. So if you're struggling with this issue, then you need to dig down deep and ask yourself if this industry is for you. Otherwise, you won't be aligning yourself with what you truly want to do.

03-21-2010, 03:14 AM	#5
Dennis Gaskill Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Wisconsin, USA. Posts: 4,113 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,405 Thanked 3,422 Times in 1,592 Posts Social Networking	Re: Hot Topic: How do you define a truly 100% honest marketing approach? I'm glad you beat me to this thread, Kevin, you saved me the time of addressing all the false assumptions the OP made. Happy, you'll get on a lot better of you stop projecting your values and doubts onto others.
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03-21-2010, 03:31 AM	#6
thunderbird Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada. Posts: 797 Thanks: 352 Thanked 499 Times in 377 Posts Social Networking	Re: Hot Topic: How do you define a truly 100% honest marketing approach? I've seen this one guy do a great job selling things that I think are total quackery, such is holographic plastic lumps that you stick on the bottom of a vehicle to increase fuel efficiency. Complete nonsense. The guy sold huge quantities of that junk to a car dealership. Why did he sell it so well? I'm not sure, but I doubt that he really believed that those plastic lumps do any good at all, except add funds to his bank account when he sells them. Is he dishonest? Yes, I'd reckon so. He's been doing this for years. Selling crap, making lots of money, squandering his money, selling some other crap (he specializes is selling crap, that's his niche), making lots of money, squandering it. Broke, then wealthy, then broke, then wealthy again, like an accordion. It boils down not to what people really need, but catering to what they desire, so that emotions and yearnings take over logical thinking.

03-21-2010, 03:38 AM	#7
Pragun The Dragon has awoken. War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Delhi, India Posts: 252 Thanks: 53 Thanked 39 Times in 30 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Hot Topic: How do you define a truly 100% honest marketing approach? I'll try to answer your questions too - Great products barely need any marketing at all, satisfied customers will create a buzz for you. - No they don't. Nothing creates a buzz on it's own. You need to initialize it. You need to popularize it, and you need to tell the world about it. Then, if the product is really good, it'll carry on, on its own. Creating and selling 'information products' will possibly harm your customers, since they can get the information for free with a bit of effort - False. The customers are not paying for the information, which i agree, they can find for free if they make the effort. The customers pay for information that has been tried, tested, refined and complied into one volume for easy understanding. They're paying so that they don't have to make the effort of looking for the info. You're making the effort, you're doing a service and hence, you're completely justified when you ask for money/services in return. In addition, you often provide people with false hope. - Not really. Although I agree that a lot of products over-promise and under-deliver, but I think a wise customer will understand that all he is getting is information, and whether he makes something out of it or not depends completely on him and him alone. ~ My two cents
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03-21-2010, 07:17 AM	#8
Michael Oksa The Ethical Marketer War Room Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 6,066 Thanks: 1,750 Thanked 3,031 Times in 1,342 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Hot Topic: How do you define a truly 100% honest marketing approach? I ain't takin' your deeply-flawed and bi-assed poll. You know why? Because your choices clearly point out how YOU feel, not how others may feel. First, why does the "Yes" have to be qualified with "I think so"? You have "No" standing on its own, why not "Yes"? Second, if you had an option that said, "Yes, I'm a nice honest person, and I'm doing just fine", then I would have selected that option. Third, your cynicism and/or ignorance is more sad than anything else. Finally, of course "some of us won't like this thread"! You are being combative by saying that those who DO succeed must not be honest or nice. THAT, whether you like it or not, is the subtext of your bi-assed poll. That's why I ain't takin' it, and I hope others join me in not doing so. All the best, Michael p.s. To the proofreaders out there: the extra 'S' provides a subtext of its own.
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03-21-2010, 03:23 PM	#10
thunderbird Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada. Posts: 797 Thanks: 352 Thanked 499 Times in 377 Posts Social Networking	Re: Hot Topic: How do you define a truly 100% honest marketing approach? A good product or service will sell itself to some extent via word-of-mouth, but for a product or service to have any meaning for someone it first has to exist in their minds. How do you get it to exist in their minds in the first place, hopefully to inspire some to buy it? Answer: Marketing. You can also broadscast word-of-mouth (testimonials).