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Article Marketing - Here's Some COUNTER-intuitive Advise

by drmani
48 replies
Warriors have always been BIG thinkers.

Year ago, I still recall how (when I excitedly posted about my first $100 day), Robert Puddy urged me to try for $1,000. And at the even higher milestone of a $10k day, there was Jack Humphrey pushing for a $50,000 day!

That's why it kind of saddens me to see so many talented, hard-working article marketers settling for less. Thread after thread endlessly thrashes out the mechanics of submitting to directories and spinning content to suit various semi-automated systems - when the same effort could be put to more productive, profitable and longer lasting impact.

So here's some COUNTER-INTUITIVE article marketing advise. Feel free to take it or leave it as you like. My dream and desire is that it stretches your mind to possibilities beyond ones you're already aware of - and takes you to a higher plane and dimension of success!

1. Write from AUTHORITY:

When Warren Buffett writes about stock investing, financiers around the world listen. It's because he's an AUTHORITY. You too are an authority at something. If you are, and write on that subject, people WILL listen.

My first articles were for a website about heart disease. I was a qualified expert. For the first 8 months, I averaged 8 readers - per month! Then, a guy saw my work - and hired me to write for a startup. 6 months later, my articles were being read by 300 to 400 people - per DAY! The site? 'The Mining Company', now About.com

2. Write to BECOME an expert:

Article writing requires research. Do enough of it, and you'll become an expert. That's if you narrow your focus to a niche or sub-niche - and grow to become the 'go-to guy (or gal)' in that area.

In IM, I was first recognized as an expert at ezine marketing. That came only after YEARS of publishing an ezine and writing about email marketing... and ignoring other elements of IM for my article writing.

3. Write to build a BRAND:

Your articles should stand-alone as samples of all that you represent. You want prospective clients to be captivated by your work to the point where they'll track you down and hire you to work for them.

To this day, I get people looking me up after reading my articles from 2003 and earlier on SitePoint.com and similar authority sites. The 'resource box' links on those articles point to 'dead' or changed URLs!

4. Write to INFLUENCE:

Good writing can touch hearts and minds, shift sentiment and perspective, and evoke lasting change in your readers. Great writing goes further - and influences what they do afterwards! That should become your goal.

It's why I write and give away long articles (or short reports) like the 'Passion Manifesto' and 'How To Cross The Road'. They touch lives.

It doesn't take more skill or talent or time to shift to this kind of writing than it does to keep pounding out articles by the dozen. It however does take a shift in thinking, strategizing and focus.

* When you write from your heart, with passion and purpose, and put out top quality content that you're an expert at, you get READ.

* And when people read your articles, and know you're the 'real thing', they want to share your work with friends, and you get SYNDICATED.

* As more and more people read what you write, and are impressed by the value you deliver, you get REMEMBERED.

* When you keep doing this, constantly delivering on the promise of quality and value, you get RESPECTED.

* Eventually, you get HIRED.

* And then, you get RICH.

By that time, you've already realized that's merely icing on the cake!

All success
Dr.Mani
#advise #article #article marketing #article writing #counterintuitive #marketing #passion
  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    Originally Posted by drmani View Post

    Good writing can touch hearts and minds, shift sentiment and perspective, and evoke lasting change in your readers. Great writing goes further - and influences what they do afterwards! That should become your goal.

    It's why I write and give away long articles (or short reports) like the 'Passion Manifesto' and 'How To Cross The Road'. They touch lives.

    It doesn't take more skill or talent or time to shift to this kind of writing than it does to keep pounding out articles by the dozen. It however does take a shift in thinking, strategizing and focus.

    Dr. Mani: Great contribution.

    I might be silly, but I have always felt that every person on the earth is capable of creating content of this caliber.

    Unfortunately, most people are too busy looking at their shortcomings as an impediment, rather than as something to strive to overcome.
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    Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
    Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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    • Profile picture of the author drmani
      Originally Posted by tpw View Post

      I might be silly, but I have always felt that every person on the earth is capable of creating content of this caliber.
      Oh, absolutely, Bill. It just takes some practice and looking to find one's "voice".

      Unfortunately, most people are too busy looking at their shortcomings as an impediment, rather than as something to strive to overcome.
      Or even leverage INTO one's strength and unique advantage. After all, "There's only one you - and there's no one you-er than you!"



      All success
      Dr.Mani
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      • Profile picture of the author drmani
        Originally Posted by John Taylor View Post

        I don't see that as "Counter-Intuitive" at all. I think
        the mass produced spun articles are what is really
        counter-intuitive.
        Agreed, John, it isn't (and shouldn't be) - but I used that term because
        of a quote we have in Tamil:

        "In a kingdom where everyone goes around naked, the one wearing a loin-cloth becomes the joker!"
        On the dozens of discussion threads about "article marketing" I've seen
        lately, the "common wisdom" is about writing for SE's, getting back-links
        and scraping past minimum thresholds of acceptability by article directories
        - when, with just a little more effort, the same writers can create GREAT
        work that'll have readers (and clients) flocking TO them - just like you're
        hunting for them.

        It's high time people started writer articles to be
        read by their target market instead of writing search
        engine fodder.
        John
        Amen to that

        All success
        Dr.Mani
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        • Profile picture of the author drmani
          Originally Posted by thebitbotdotcom View Post

          It is interesting to note that money comes as the last item on that list. So often we are led to believe that the exact opposite is true.
          Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

          It's the immediate appeal of money, though, that causes many to cut serious corners... Which came first, the chicken or the egg? People tend to expect the money to come first...
          Just to clarify, I'll state that money IS indeed important.

          And it flows in proportion to the value you add through your writing.

          That's why, even if in the beginning your writing skills aren't great,
          you can still maximize your time and effort by doing your best... and
          then steadily raising the bar as your talent improves with practice.

          Too many "write" with a specific dollar amount in mind (or another
          lesser purpose such as getting into a directory or having the
          submission 'stick' for a back-link) - and then scale DOWN their
          skill to barely meet that standard.

          In the long run, that's a self-limiting behavior pattern - and one
          that too many TALENTED writers slip into, citing market forces as
          their excuse.

          Sure, you may get paid less in the beginning than others who write
          worse than you... but sooner or later (and sooner rather than later)
          you WILL be recognized by your merit and skill, and suitably
          rewarded in financial terms as well.

          That's why it makes so much sense to write AT YOUR BEST - and keep
          on improving your personal standard, until the market recognizes
          you and pays your asking price. It's how writers command fees of
          $500 or $1,000 for an article someone else is willing to work on
          for $15 (or even less!)... AND have happy clients who come back
          for more!

          To a certain kind of writer, that simply is NOT comprehensible.

          Yet it's true

          All success
          Dr.Mani
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          • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
            I'm in the medical field, as well, Dr. Mani. Maybe it's our highly analytical minds, or the fact that we have so many thoughts running through at any one time, but, I had always thought I was a bit strange by using the "...." quite a bit at the end of each 'sentence'. It's nice to see someone so esteemed and trusted use them as well. lol

            Great posts, and your wisdom and insight are certainly appreciated.

            Originally Posted by drmani View Post

            Just to clarify, I'll state that money IS indeed important.

            And it flows in proportion to the value you add through your writing.

            That's why, even if in the beginning your writing skills aren't great,
            you can still maximize your time and effort by doing your best... and
            then steadily raising the bar as your talent improves with practice.

            Too many "write" with a specific dollar amount in mind (or another
            lesser purpose such as getting into a directory or having the
            submission 'stick' for a back-link) - and then scale DOWN their
            skill to barely meet that standard.

            In the long run, that's a self-limiting behavior pattern - and one
            that too many TALENTED writers slip into, citing market forces as
            their excuse.

            Sure, you may get paid less in the beginning than others who write
            worse than you... but sooner or later (and sooner rather than later)
            you WILL be recognized by your merit and skill, and suitably
            rewarded in financial terms as well.

            That's why it makes so much sense to write AT YOUR BEST - and keep
            on improving your personal standard, until the market recognizes
            you and pays your asking price. It's how writers command fees of
            $500 or $1,000 for an article someone else is willing to work on
            for $15 (or even less!)... AND have happy clients who come back
            for more!

            To a certain kind of writer, that simply is NOT comprehensible.

            Yet it's true

            All success
            Dr.Mani
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      • Profile picture of the author smwordsmith
        Fantastic post, Dr. Mani. This is one I will read and re-read to keep me on track.

        This is the type of article marketing that yields only the best in content and brings great value to the reader. Provide the value first and the money will follow.

        Quick question:

        ... After all, "There's only one you - and there's no one you-er than you!"
        Is this a Dr. Suess quote?

        I loved and miss Dr. Suess.
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        Sheila

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    • Profile picture of the author paulie888
      Originally Posted by tpw View Post

      Dr. Mani: Great contribution.

      I might be silly, but I have always felt that every person on the earth is capable of creating content of this caliber.

      Unfortunately, most people are too busy looking at their shortcomings as an impediment, rather than as something to strive to overcome.
      Bill, the unfortunate fact is that many people tend to rule themselves out as good writers before they even start writing; writing, as with any skill, requires effort and consistent practice to get right, but these people are looking for the "quick fix".

      Ironically enough, all the time and effort they put into trying to avoid writing well (i.e. article spinning, automated software, techniques to "game" the system, etc.) would have been much better served in learning to become a better writer!

      Paul
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      • Profile picture of the author Britt Malka
        Originally Posted by paulie888 View Post

        Ironically enough, all the time and effort they put into trying to avoid writing well (i.e. article spinning, automated software, techniques to "game" the system, etc.) would have been much better served in learning to become a better writer!
        I took part in the Rhodes Brothers' challenge last year, and besides writing a lot of articles (which I loved), we also had to spin them and submit them to other article directories.

        This part was BORING, took ages, and I felt it like a huge waste of time. But since I'd decided to follow along, so I did, until my husband told me that I could spend my time better doing something else (no, not cooking).

        Since then, I haven't even tried to spin as much as a single word in an article. I prefer writing from scratch.
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        • Profile picture of the author paulie888
          Originally Posted by Britt Malka View Post

          I took part in the Rhodes Brothers' challenge last year, and besides writing a lot of articles (which I loved), we also had to spin them and submit them to other article directories.

          This part was BORING, took ages, and I felt it like a huge waste of time. But since I'd decided to follow along, so I did, until my husband told me that I could spend my time better doing something else (no, not cooking).

          Since then, I haven't even tried to spin as much as a single word in an article. I prefer writing from scratch.
          You've just proved my point, Britt. I couldn't agree more, trying to manually spin an article is probably one of the most idiotic, tedious and boring tasks you could ever do in IM. I think I could probably write an original article of the same length in less time, and I'm almost certain it'd be of much higher quality as well.

          Why anyone would subject themselves to this kind of torture is beyond me. I find it ironic that they're going through all this just to avoid writing original articles, which would have been far more enjoyable and also a more efficient use of their time.
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          • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
            I've never spun an article ever. Call me naive...I really don't have any opinion (and, no experience) in article spinning or article spinning software. I've seen it promoted by alot of bloggers, but when I reviewed softwares/products, I kept thinking "this sucks, I'd rather just do this myself". I'm sure some benefit from it, but doesn't just the idea of spinning articles automatically seem like a bit of a "short-cut"?

            Maybe I have a faulty perception...never quite understood the appeal of it. I'm all for making myself/business more efficient, but, err...its just something I've never done.
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            • Profile picture of the author drmani
              I've been thinking about how I wrote this post - and realized it's a near-perfect example of the method itself... writing from the heart!

              So I deconstructed my process, in case it's of help to others struggling to write articles in this 'style'.

              Here are the steps:

              1. FEEL: After reading one more misleading thread about "article marketing", I felt some effort was needed to at least point out an alternative that's worked so well for many other writers - for a long, long time.

              2. THINK: I walked away from my computer, sat on a comfortable sofa with a notepad and pen, and let my mind wander. Free form thinking. About what I wanted to say. And why. Jotted down notes.

              3. PLAN: I knew everyone wouldn't accept or agree with this approach, ESPECIALLY those who follow other ones. So my message had to avoid 'attacking' or 'condemning' them, and only spotlight this alternative. That took some planning.

              4. WRITE: This part was actually easy, because when I sat at my keyboard, I already knew exactly what to say, how to say it, and WHY.

              5. WHY? This is the crux, the heart of any writing. Why do it? In this case, it was to convince at least a few readers that article marketing was a lot more fun, much more profitable, and way more easier than spinning, submitting and slaving over SEO'd soup.

              From start to finish, this took around 30 minutes.

              And the most rewarding part is when someone (like DR's Fynest on this thread) says: "I want to thank you because I will finally just put this plan into motion due to what I read here.")

              Sure, I could have spent the 30 minutes it took to post here to earn $50 or $100 writing a 'real' article... but wouldn't YOU rather do THIS?

              All success
              Dr.Mani
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  • Profile picture of the author thebitbotdotcom
    It is interesting to note that money comes as the last item on that list. So often we are led to believe that the exact opposite is true. Thanks for the nice reminder Dr.
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    • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
      Originally Posted by thebitbotdotcom View Post

      It is interesting to note that money comes as the last item on that list. So often we are led to believe that the exact opposite is true. Thanks for the nice reminder Dr.
      Found this interesting, as always.

      It's the immediate appeal of money, though, that causes many to cut serious corners. They are essentially flipping Dr. Mani the bird--completely neglecting his wisdom and succumbing to the temptation to lie/deceive/etc...effectively ruin their reputation and influence. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? People tend to expect the money to come first...

      but....

      Dr. Mani's wisdom throws that logic on its head. Develop influence, a reputation, and a brand as a trusted high quality source, and people will be attracted to. Not only will they become attracted to you, but they'll WANT to hear more from you....they'll actively open up your emails, rather than deleting them without even opening them. Just my thoughts...
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  • Profile picture of the author John Taylor
    Hi Mani,

    Originally Posted by drmani View Post


    So here's some COUNTER-INTUITIVE article marketing advise.
    I don't see that as "Counter-Intuitive" at all. I think
    the mass produced spun articles are what is really
    counter-intuitive.

    Recently I've been on a quest trying to find good
    writers and I was saddened to see the appalling quality
    that some people believe is good enough.

    Thankfully there are still a few great article writers
    who understand the importance of writing for real
    traffic.

    It's high time people started writer articles to be
    read by their target market instead of writing search
    engine fodder.

    John
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  • Profile picture of the author M Thompson
    Originally Posted by drmani View Post


    3. Write to build a BRAND:

    Your articles should stand-alone as samples of all that you represent. You want prospective clients to be captivated by your work to the point where they'll track you down and hire you to work for them.

    To this day, I get people looking me up after reading my articles from 2003 and earlier on SitePoint.com and similar authority sites. The 'resource box' links on those articles point to 'dead' or changed URLs!


    Dr.Mani


    Pure gold! Building a brand will help your business through the good and bad times.
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    If you are serious about online marketing come and Join our free community The Foundation
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  • Profile picture of the author DR's Fynest
    Wow, this was a very nice post.

    It was sort of a slap to the face for me.

    I've been an avid tech-enthusiast ever since the doctor pulled me from the womb. I'm pretty darn sure I came out of it holding an iPad and an Xbox 360. (lol)

    I'm just saying this because I've always "wondered" about sites like Gizmodo and Engadget. Always thinking to myself, "Wow. How do they do it? How could I do something similar?" But for some reason, I am always at a loss of words to answer this.

    I came into IM in very late December 2009 which is when I first started to wonder about how to make money using a medium (the internet) that I use for several hours each and every day. I knew there had to be a way for me to make money. That's where my "IM" journey began.

    I'm saying all this because as I mentioned before, my true passion is electronics and such, and if I had to pick 1 thing to do for the rest of my life it would be to be a review or tech blogger. However, as I came into IM I sort of threw that idea out of the window or put it in the "someday, maybe" drawer in a secluded corner of my mind.

    I always come up with excuses as to why it wouldn't work. Always asking myself "do I really have something to say/contribute that all 48903498324 other tech bloggers aren't saying? I'm sure whatever I write about would not be able to compete with the big dogs such as Gizmodo or Engadget, etc."

    This has kept me paralyzed on taking action and following this dream. Then I started learning all this IM stuff and became worried with SEO, promotion, and a whole slew of other things to keep me from taking action and actually starting a technology blog.

    I've had a great domain name registered since last year (again, I had the hope of SOMEDAY starting it all up) which is catchy and would make for a very cool authority type of site. Have I done anything with it? NO! :|

    This post by you Dr. Mani has kind of opened my eyes that I shouldn't be writing expecting the blog to become popular within say a month or even six months. By just giving my own views and opinions on things, and writing from the heart with passion about my subject, the readers should come even if little by little.

    I am having some success with IM (not nearly as much as I would like though lol) but it's not a subject I am 100% passionate about. However, as soon as I hear there's a new android phone coming out from Samsung with a 3402390 inches LCD screen I'm all over it and it excites me (even though I wouldn't be able to buy it lol)

    I want to thank you because I will finally just put this plan into motion due to what I read here. It's helped me realize that in the end, the readers (and eventually the money) would come if I just provide them my own twist and it shows I know what I'm talking about through my writing.
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    • Profile picture of the author drmani
      Originally Posted by DR's Fynest View Post

      I want to thank you because I will finally just put this plan into motion due to what I read here.
      You just made my day!

      Originally Posted by DR's Fynest View Post

      This post by you Dr. Mani has kind of opened my eyes that I shouldn't be writing expecting the blog to become popular within say a month or even six months. By just giving my own views and opinions on things, and writing from the heart with passion about my subject, the readers should come even if little by little.
      I'll dig out a report and PM you a link to it (it's called "How Long Does Success Take?"
      and outlines my early experience with IM). Believe it or not, it took me EIGHT YEARS
      before I reached (what I consider) significant success in my online business.

      And it's NOT impossible to hit that level in 6 months, or even a month - just not
      'typical'. So shoot for that target - but be prepared to wait a little longer, if you're
      not there sooner

      All success
      Dr.Mani
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      • Profile picture of the author DR's Fynest
        Originally Posted by drmani View Post

        You just made my day!

        I'll dig out a report and PM you a link to it (it's called "How Long Does Success Take?"
        and outlines my early experience with IM). Believe it or not, it took me EIGHT YEARS
        before I reached (what I consider) significant success in my online business.

        And it's NOT impossible to hit that level in 6 months, or even a month - just not
        'typical'. So shoot for that target - but be prepared to wait a little longer, if you're
        not there sooner

        All success
        Dr.Mani
        Wow, eight years! Yikes! lol - But I get the point.

        This post has just made me realize that some of these technology blogs I follow and sort of "look up to" most likely started from scratch without much to go on.

        I REALLY don't know why I didn't take action on this a long time ago. It sort of makes me mad now that I'm actually thinking about this. If I had started the blog last year when I bought the domain, by now I would have at least a few hundred posts and most likely a trickle of regular visitors.

        However, I'm one to learn from my mistakes. Heck, I'm my own worst critic. I'll be the first to admit when I've done something wrong and try to see what it was to never do it again.

        In this case, I waited too long and now only have two choices... a) I can either leave it be, or b) I can start the blog and ride it out doing something I would actually enjoy doing.

        I see a lot of the IMers in this forum actually have a PASSION for what they do. It shows in the way they reply to others' questions and try to help. This is what I would be like in my technology "niche."

        I'd definitely appreciate that report you suggested. Thanks a lot
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  • Profile picture of the author mikemcmillan
    Mani said,
    Good writing can touch hearts and minds, shift sentiment and perspective, and evoke lasting change in your readers. Great writing goes further - and influences what they do afterwards! That should become your goal.

    In W. Clement Stone's book, The Success System That Never Fails, he relays a Hindu proverb describing the creation of man and God's desire to give man great gifts to help him survive. He looked for a place to hide these great gifts so they could not be stolen and kept from all men.

    The God(s) finally decided upon the perfect hiding place for these gifts. The gods greatest gifts were hidden in the hearts and minds of men.
    .
    .
    .
    I always like that. It does make one think.

    I have told writers I've worked with to share their great ideas of moment and purpose with the world. Give your ideas broad wings with which to fly... to fly high and touch the world.

    The world is patiently waiting for good ideas. Taking the time to craft good articles, --as Dr. M. pointed out, can touch the hearts and minds of readers. When I think of Dylan Thomas or James Joyce sitting for hours, pondering whether a comma or semi-colon was appropriate in a particular setting--and then I see people writing hacked up, third rate articles--and them spinning each into 1,000 derivative articles and auto-submitting them to dozens of directories, well--it does tend to creep me out a bit.

    Work on seeing how much you can give and the getting will come! --Mike
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  • Profile picture of the author Ronak Shah
    I liked the part below very much:

    When Warren Buffett writes about stock investing, financiers around the world listen. It's because he's an AUTHORITY. You too are an authority at something. If you are, and write on that subject, people WILL listen.

    I think most people enter the wrong niche just looking to make a ton of money by finding shortcuts. Never do people think that they need to build a long term business that will make them money on a daily basis.

    Most people choose niches that makes other internet marketers a ton of money irrespective of calculating whether it will make THEM MONEY. In this game of making money fast using shortcuts, most internet marketers get lost never to make any money. Most want to copy what other profit making internet marketers are doing but they never see to it that they must choose only those niches where they are an AUTHORITY which grows as a scalable long term BUSINESS.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
    Hey Mani,

    There's some great advice there.

    I think a lot of people come here with a very limited mindset of "I just want to make 'something' - 'anything will do'" and they set really low goals and frame their whole approach with that in mind.

    This may seem to them like logical thinking but it's actually the opposite. If you want great results - you have to start with that end in mind. It's easy to create an online business that just makes a little money - but the model will not necessarily scale easily and you can find yourself writing hundreds of articles and only making a few hundred bucks when you should really be getting thousands for that work - even if you worked for minimum wage you'd make more than a few hundred for that time, but people seem to ignore this and are happy to accept poor results because they achieved 'something'.

    At least if you think big and try to make $50k - you'll come up with approaches that you never would to try and make $100.

    Andy
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    nothing to see here.

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  • Profile picture of the author Barry Unruh
    Originally Posted by drmani View Post

    When you write from your heart, with passion and purpose
    And that is the exact moment writing goes from being tedious to being fun and exciting....
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  • Profile picture of the author Zeus66
    Oh Dr.Mani. Don't you know that articles should be used for backlinks and to blast all over the Web? What's all this about building authority and branding? Just get the links.

    As if there's more than one way to use the written word online.

    Now get back inside that box before you catch your death of cold.

    John
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  • Profile picture of the author TimG
    Originally Posted by drmani View Post

    2. Write to BECOME an expert:

    Article writing requires research. Do enough of it, and you'll become an expert. That's if you narrow your focus to a niche or sub-niche - and grow to become the 'go-to guy (or gal)' in that area.

    In IM, I was first recognized as an expert at ezine marketing. That came only after YEARS of publishing an ezine and writing about email marketing... and ignoring other elements of IM for my article writing.

    3. Write to build a BRAND:

    Your articles should stand-alone as samples of all that you represent. You want prospective clients to be captivated by your work to the point where they'll track you down and hire you to work for them.

    To this day, I get people looking me up after reading my articles from 2003 and earlier on SitePoint.com and similar authority sites. The 'resource box' links on those articles point to 'dead' or changed URLs!

    Dr.Mani
    Dr. Mani,
    Your whole post is simply fantastic so please excuse me for only highlighting the part above.

    Becoming an expert should now be one of the top goals for serious minded article marketers. I think we have left the days of one person producing content for 50 different niches.

    Narrowing down on one niche and than creating high quality content for it with a zest and drive not previously achieved seems like a very viable strategy right now. Once a writer has established themselves as an expert they will find that more doors open for them.

    Of course expansion is possible using pen names for other niches but depending on how many niches can be expertly covered should now be the deciding factor.

    In other words, don't cut the corner on quality for the sake of quantity.

    I think too many online marketers forgot that we don't work for the search engines.....they actually work for us and all the online web surfers!

    Articles written purely to game the search engines provide little to no value to anyone, when the exact reverse should have been taking place which is to create.....no make that craft, content for the visitor/reader.

    Once that is accomplished others will recognize the quality leaving the search engines no other choice but to also properly recognize the quality of the content.

    Respectfully,
    Tim
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  • Profile picture of the author moneyjunkie
    Wow, very insightful. Well spoken. Thx
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    • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
      Originally Posted by moneyjunkie View Post

      Wow, very insightful. Well spoken. Thx
      I'll see your worthless post, and raise you another worthless post. lol

      Any opinion on what Dr. Mani said? or...just an effort to get your post count up?
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      • Profile picture of the author cjreynolds
        I went through much the same odyssey as many of you did. I started out thinking I should stick with marketing something I'm passionate about, mainly since I wasn't an experienced writer in the first place, and wanted to make things easier.

        Then I let someone talk me into marketing a relationship ebook which was "flying off the shelves" - a book about how to get back with your ex (wife, husband, girlfriend, etc.).

        I have no interest in this subject, and I have no business writing about "how to get back with your ex" - if anything, I should be writing about how to stay the h*ll away from your ex!

        Needless to say, that campaign was a failure - one sale in 6 months and counting.

        I learned my lesson - no more hacking for a living! I'm writing about things I enjoy writing about. No, I might not make $10,000 overnight. But I know I can do well, and I'll enjoy my job.

        And in my years of experience in the job force, I've learned that enjoying my job trumps a big paycheck every time

        joe
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        I just added this sig so I can refer to it in my posts...

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        • Profile picture of the author Nocatchm
          Originally Posted by cjreynolds View Post

          Then I let someone talk me into marketing a relationship ebook which was "flying off the shelves" ....
          I have no interest in this subject, and I have no business writing about ......
          Needless to say, that campaign was a failure - one sale in 6 months and counting.
          I learned my lesson - no more hacking for a living! I'm writing about things I enjoy writing about. No, I might not make $10,000 overnight. But I know I can do well, and I'll enjoy my job.

          joe
          This is good advice (sorry I cut your quote a bit).

          I have seen the same thing myself. And usually if something is flying off the shelves it is because so many people are throwing them off you can't even get near the shelf yourself.
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          • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
            Originally Posted by Nocatchm View Post

            This is good advice (sorry I cut your quote a bit).

            I have seen the same thing myself. And usually if something is flying off the shelves it is because so many people are throwing them off you can't even get near the shelf yourself.
            But, sometimes things are "real" flying off the shelves and sometimes they are "fake" flying off the shelves...and, sometimes they become "real" by somewhat trying to develop social proof that they are, in fact, flying off the shelves...so, the hardest part in internet marketing is developing that social proof WITHOUT lying, cheating, stealing, etc...
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          • Profile picture of the author cjreynolds
            Originally Posted by Nocatchm View Post

            And usually if something is flying off the shelves it is because so many people are throwing them off you can't even get near the shelf yourself.
            I Love That! Thanks!

            joe
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            I just added this sig so I can refer to it in my posts...

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  • Profile picture of the author dezchamps
    A very inspiring post. i love writing to share information of all kinds. It's like you said
    "2. Write to BECOME an expert"
    The more I write, the more I learn. When people comment on my writing, i learn even more. The chain goes on and on.
    As a writer you touch lives that you will never know about, even if it's a technical posting about a new product, or a rant about the government. Like this forum post. How many mindsets were adjusted by reading it? More than have posted here I'd wager ...
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  • Profile picture of the author Allen Graves
    Great post - but I think it should also be said that you should not FAKE being an expert. This is very dangerous and can get you into trouble. Yes, I know that isn't what drmani meant, but I also know the minds of fledgling Internet Marketers. ;-)

    Also, if you say something wrong - or even out of order, or use the wrong word - then you run the risk of completely ruining your credibility and any momentum you had built up to that point.

    Article marketing has just made a huge change. You need to use it to your advantage and give it your 100%, absolute, complete respect and seriousness!

    So people, the advice drmani is giving is (obviously) sound and comes from a lot of experience. But PLEASE do not FAKE being an expert. You should, in my opinion, be able to talk the talk before you walk that walk.

    Good luck and KEEP WRITING!
    Allen Graves
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    • Profile picture of the author drmani
      Originally Posted by Allen Graves View Post

      Great post - but I think it should also be said that you should not FAKE being an expert.
      Allen Graves
      I completely agree, Allen.

      The hype around "instant expert" status is just that - hype.

      Would you get your heart repaired by a surgeon who took the crash course
      and finished in 3 months - or would you prefer someone like me who studied
      10 years and spent another 15 refining my expertise?

      My message was also about BECOMING an expert (a 'real' expert) simply by
      writing about a narrow subject after researching your material carefully.
      The study that entails will, in time, take you to expert status naturally
      and visibly, as reflected by the style and nature of the content you put
      out.

      It's a steady evolution, an upward spiral, and will take you to the top.

      All success
      Dr.Mani
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      • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
        Dr. Mani,

        Do you think that there is a natural propensity for some IM'ers to take short cuts by violating ethics and morality in this trade? I've seen even the 'best' succumb to the 'hype'. I've posted the video before, but, recently, a "6 figure" earner ended up doing an apology video on YouTube, and several A-list bloggers had interviewed him and appeared to support him.

        Interestingly enough, the marketing effects that his video had were positive--with several people commending him for his bravery and saying that they would now join his email list because he came clean about the 6 figure deception that had occurred while he built his business.

        Originally Posted by drmani View Post

        I completely agree, Allen.

        The hype around "instant expert" status is just that - hype.

        Would you get your heart repaired by a surgeon who took the crash course
        and finished in 3 months - or would you prefer someone like me who studied
        10 years and spent another 15 refining my expertise?

        My message was also about BECOMING an expert (a 'real' expert) simply by
        writing about a narrow subject after researching your material carefully.
        The study that entails will, in time, take you to expert status naturally
        and visibly, as reflected by the style and nature of the content you put
        out.

        It's a steady evolution, an upward spiral, and will take you to the top.

        All success
        Dr.Mani
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        • Profile picture of the author drmani
          Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

          Do you think that there is a natural propensity for some IM'ers to take short cuts by violating ethics and morality in this trade? I've seen even the 'best' succumb to the 'hype'.
          ANY discussion on ethics and morality over the years on this
          forum has denigrated to an argument - where no one agrees with
          too many others.

          So I'll side-step that for the moment, and respond to you via PM,
          if that's ok

          All success
          Dr.Mani
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          • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
            Originally Posted by drmani View Post

            ANY discussion on ethics and morality over the years on this
            forum has denigrated to an argument - where no one agrees with
            too many others.

            So I'll side-step that for the moment, and respond to you via PM,
            if that's ok

            All success
            Dr.Mani
            Handled very wisely and professionally, Dr. Mani. I look forward to the early morning (EST) read you provided me with! Thanks.
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            • Profile picture of the author taxtorpedo
              Dr. Mani:

              Your emphasis on QUALITY is the epitome of wisdom.

              Not only should this be applied to article marketing, but
              it will have a huge impact on guest blogging.

              Quality article marketing + quality guest blogging = tons
              of targeted traffic.

              If one masters the technique of never "ending" an article
              but closing with a couple of sentences that are a seamless
              lead in to the "resource box", then the list building conversions
              will go way up if that is what one wishes to emphasize in
              the resource box.

              Thanks again for the pearls of wisdom.

              Robert
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        • Profile picture of the author paulie888
          Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

          Dr. Mani,

          Do you think that there is a natural propensity for some IM'ers to take short cuts by violating ethics and morality in this trade? I've seen even the 'best' succumb to the 'hype'. I've posted the video before, but, recently, a "6 figure" earner ended up doing an apology video on YouTube, and several A-list bloggers had interviewed him and appeared to support him.

          Interestingly enough, the marketing effects that his video had were positive--with several people commending him for his bravery and saying that they would now join his email list because he came clean about the 6 figure deception that had occurred while he built his business.
          This propensity could originate from what they've been taught. I've lost count of the ebooks and courses I've come across that seem to advocate "rewriting" and "rewording" original material into your own, and of course this advice is very dangerous as many will take it to imply that it's okay to rip off some original material and just change a few words here and there to make it "original". This is a deplorable practice that simply needs to stop, and hopefully with Google's latest algorithm changes it'll become more difficult for such devious and underhanded tactics to be employed.

          Paul
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    • Profile picture of the author TimG
      Originally Posted by Allen Graves View Post

      Great post - but I think it should also be said that you should not FAKE being an expert. This is very dangerous and can get you into trouble. Yes, I know that isn't what drmani meant, but I also know the minds of fledgling Internet Marketers. ;-)

      Also, if you say something wrong - or even out of order, or use the wrong word - then you run the risk of completely ruining your credibility and any momentum you had built up to that point.

      Article marketing has just made a huge change. You need to use it to your advantage and give it your 100%, absolute, complete respect and seriousness!

      So people, the advice drmani is giving is (obviously) sound and comes from a lot of experience. But PLEASE do not FAKE being an expert. You should, in my opinion, be able to talk the talk before you walk that walk.

      Good luck and KEEP WRITING!
      Allen Graves
      Allen,
      Sound advice and words of wisdom as always.....been missing you around here. Glad to see you back

      Respectfully,
      Tim
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Now THAT is a fine piece of writing and darn good advice by Dr. Mani. If that's counter-intuitive, I guess I'm intuitively challenged.

    I did want to add to this...

    Originally Posted by drmani View Post

    2. Write to BECOME an expert:

    Article writing requires research. Do enough of it, and you'll become an expert.
    Folks, this is absolutely true. I started out online making web graphics. I found I needed to write tutorials about web design because I was getting the same questions over and over. To write the tutorials, I had to research the questions. I learned a lot ... to the point a publisher called me and asked me to write a book about web design for them. That was three books ago.

    When you teach, you also learn.

    Edited to add: A good place to practice writing is in your forum posts. Surely if we try a little harder we can do better than "nice post" and similar throw away remarks.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jack J
    2. Write to BECOME an expert:

    Article writing requires research. Do enough of it, and you'll become an expert. That's if you narrow your focus to a niche or sub-niche - and grow to become the 'go-to guy (or gal)' in that area.

    In IM, I was first recognized as an expert at ezine marketing. That came only after YEARS of publishing an ezine and writing about email marketing... and ignoring other elements of IM for my article writing.
    I always remember hearing a guy called Daniel J Levitin on the radio. He may not be the first to have said it but it was maybe something in the way he said it that made it sink into my mind.

    What he said was this, "If you concentrate on learning and practicing something for 10,000 hours you'll become not just an expert but a world expert, and maybe the world expert".

    Questioned further by the interviewer he said, "Look at it this way. If you had 10,000 hours to learn to play Beethoven's 5th - that's 40 hours a week, for 50 weeks each year for 5 years - you'd play Beethoven's 5th better than anyone else in the world, and probably in several different styles too!"

    I suppose the question arises whether this guy knows his stuff? Well, Professor Daniel J. Levitin, Ph.D. is a cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, record producer, musician, and writer. He is currently James McGill Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal, with additional appointments in Music Theory, Computer Science, and Education. So maybe he's qualified to comment.

    It just struck me that for a guy whose main full-time job is being a paediatric heart surgeon, eight years to reach expert status in the IM field wasn't such a bad achievement. Others have come and gone in that time and some have disappeared with their song still in them. Dr M is regarded widely as an expert, respected by many, including other experts.

    I agree with quite a few postings that query the intent of some IM websites. Members in these forums obviously see products marketed that tell how to make multiple series of niche content sites, it all means that there are numerous people, products and companies that promote the idea that anyone can be an expert in several areas and all they've got to do is outsource and/or spin articles. Piece of cake, money for old rope.

    Those folk are followers, not leaders. They're maybe making money, but hardly adding anything to the world. (And I suspect many of them are not making that much money anyway.) Experts add to the world.

    Setting that aside, it should be a warning to us all that the principle of caveat emptor is still paramount. It should also tell us that when found, integrity and expertise will be highly valued in the market place. The ability to write just ain't the same as being a subject expert. Too many people make that mistake.

    Jack

    (As for the "I like it too!" posters? It's a bit like having toddlers, they're a part of the family but they haven't learned communication and polite behaviour yet! Have patience and compassion for them - they're probably only at the 100 hours out of 10,000 stage!)

    Jack
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    • Profile picture of the author drmani
      Originally Posted by Jack J View Post

      What he said was this, "If you concentrate on learning and practicing something for 10,000 hours you'll become not just an expert but a world expert, and maybe the world expert".
      It's the "become an overnight success - after 8 years" thing!

      And true. To be REALLY world-class in anything takes 10,000 hours - or MORE.

      For example, in heart surgery, 10,000 hours will probably get you to the mid-
      level. Even at 8 hours a day, that's only 3 and half years! Think 50,000
      hours or more to get close to the top!

      Others have come and gone in that time and some have disappeared with their song still in them.
      And that's a whole different discussion, one that should focus on 'meaning'
      and 'purpose' and 'REASON WHY' at its core. Money is a good starting point.
      Too many make it "everything" - and sooner or later, a point comes when you
      simply can't get excited by that alone.

      Experts add to the world.
      Wow!

      That sentence is golden. And concisely sums up this entire thread.

      Experts add to the world.

      Thanks, Jack.

      All success
      Dr.Mani
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  • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
    This post has so many "thanks" for many reasons.

    Even if not the entire thread, I wish there were some way to have this post displayed to every new member. (and, some old ones, as well)

    Dr. Mani...great job with this.
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    • Profile picture of the author paulie888
      Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

      This post has so many "thanks" for many reasons.

      Even if not the entire thread, I wish there were some way to have this post displayed to every new member. (and, some old ones, as well)

      Dr. Mani...great job with this.
      This should be required reading for every newbie who thinks that article spinning and rewriting software can take the place of real human expertise and passion. It'd certainly stop many of the idiotic threads from being posted in here!
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  • Profile picture of the author deannatroupe
    Dr. Mani, this is just what I needed to start my day. It's funny, when I first started writing articles to promote my sites, I always wrote for people instead of search engines. I figured that people were my customers not Google. Thanks for such an awesome post.
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