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Beware of Internet Marketing Merry Go Round

by The Niche Man
18 replies
Most Internet Marketers can identify with these 4 steps.

1. You find a money making opportunity.
2. Try it a few times.
3. Fail to get the sales letter results.
4. Go to the next opportunity.

Sound familiar?

I call it the Internet Marketing Merry Go Round. And those who ride it have created scores of millionaire Guru's.

This has fueled a huge "growing" untapped market ... How To Get Off The Internet Merry Go Round. Because those who stay too long usually run out of money.

Any suggestions, thoughts or ideas on how to get off the Internet Marketing Merry Go Round?
#beware #internet #marketing #merry #round
  • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
    I'm not sure I agree totally with this way of looking at things - sorry to say.

    I like and think it's fun being on a merry go round. Trying to find something that works is more important that finishing or even persisting with something that doesn't. There seems to be this strange and unjustifiable distaste for people who don't finish something they started. I addressed this is another post but I love quitting, especially when some thing's not working. I think quitting is a healthy and natural activity and leads to success and satisfaction.

    What I don't understand is when people stick to something even though it's clearly not working. That to me would be a greater waste of time but then again I also don't have a problem with how much money someone has or makes. I thought that was the point of being here.

    "Millionaire Gurus" (you say that like it's a bad thing) got there by helping people in the majority of cases. Some of these people they helped kept getting back on the merry go round (of choice) until the found something that worked for them. I think the IM education process is fine and improving. There is lots to chose from (which is always good) and I think that trying different things until you find something that works for you is no different to a student buying lots of books and studying lots of subjects. When a marketing student finishes Psych 101 and move to Statistics 101...is that jumping around as well? It's a good all round education.

    Let's all start getting back on the merry go round a bit more (if what you are doing is not meeting your expectations) and stop wasting time flogging a dead horse. If something is not working for you or if you're not "feeling" it then quit and try something else. It's natural.
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    • Profile picture of the author BIG Mike
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      • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
        Originally Posted by BIG Mike View Post

        When's the last time you saw an offline business change their core product on a regular basis? The answer is simple enough - never.

        The underlying problem is that IM'ers doing this don't have an overall plan or business model in the first place. This leads to them "Wandering" from one thing to another fooling themselves into believing that their changes are actually progress.

        Many folks are looking for a copy and paste system, where they can do step 1, 2 and 3 and start pulling in revenue as if they were assembling something they just bought.

        I can't understand anyone buying a system, not making money with it and moving on to the next new thing instead of focusing on identifying and fixing the problems with the original system.

        The strategy of "Keep Buying and Trying" is a loser one. If these people bought into 3 reputable systems and can't make any of them work, I think it's time to take a step back and maybe look in the mirror for the real problem.

        Spending money and piling up debt amounts to chasing a fantasy. They're better off spending the money on lottery tickets.
        That's the core of what I'm saying, except you said it better than me.

        I'd just like to add that learning by focusing on a specific business plan and implementation is one thing.

        But to jump from one opportunity to the next because of easy money promises is another. I don't call that education ... I call it miss-education.
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      • Profile picture of the author sal64
        I think you have nailed it Mike. Especially the part no overall plan etc.

        The OP also makes some good points.

        Let's face it, if you discover IM like I did, it all sounds so do-able and the sales pitches are very very good to the untrained eye.

        Focus is the key.

        And in order to obtain focus, you need to have a goal, which leads to a burning desire.

        Then educate yourself. Now there will be trial and error, and perhaps it's the low cost entry that lulls noobs into a false sense of security when it comes to choosing a model... complacent even.

        The other issue that I see ( and mistake I made) is mindset.

        I am saddened that this aspect isn't discussed more often.. perhaps it just ain't sexy?

        But mindset is critical. IMO you need a business mindset first and foremost. from that, the right opportunities and decisions will materialize.

        I worked with a great coach a few years back, and he kept pointing out that my biggest barrier was my mindset because I was stuck in survival mode and this clouded my judgement.

        He was dead right and this was the paradigm shift that changed my business.





        Originally Posted by BIG Mike View Post

        When's the last time you saw an offline business change their core product on a regular basis? The answer is simple enough - never.

        The underlying problem is that IM'ers doing this don't have an overall plan or business model in the first place. This leads to them "Wandering" from one thing to another fooling themselves into believing that their changes are actually progress.

        Many folks are looking for a copy and paste system, where they can do step 1, 2 and 3 and start pulling in revenue as if they were assembling something they just bought.

        I can't understand anyone buying a system, not making money with it and moving on to the next new thing instead of focusing on identifying and fixing the problems with the original system.

        The strategy of "Keep Buying and Trying" is a loser one. If these people bought into 3 reputable systems and can't make any of them work, I think it's time to take a step back and maybe look in the mirror for the real problem.

        Spending money and piling up debt amounts to chasing a fantasy. They're better off spending the money on lottery tickets.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Originally Posted by WSOHelp View Post

      I'm not sure I agree totally with this way of looking at things - sorry to say.

      I like and think it's fun being on a merry go round. Trying to find something that works is more important that finishing or even persisting with something that doesn't. There seems to be this strange and unjustifiable distaste for people who don't finish something they started. I addressed this is another post but I love quitting, especially when some thing's not working. I think quitting is a healthy and natural activity and leads to success and satisfaction.

      What I don't understand is when people stick to something even though it's clearly not working. That to me would be a greater waste of time but then again I also don't have a problem with how much money someone has or makes. I thought that was the point of being here.

      "Millionaire Gurus" (you say that like it's a bad thing) got there by helping people in the majority of cases. Some of these people they helped kept getting back on the merry go round (of choice) until the found something that worked for them. I think the IM education process is fine and improving. There is lots to chose from (which is always good) and I think that trying different things until you find something that works for you is no different to a student buying lots of books and studying lots of subjects. When a marketing student finishes Psych 101 and move to Statistics 101...is that jumping around as well? It's a good all round education.

      Let's all start getting back on the merry go round a bit more (if what you are doing is not meeting your expectations) and stop wasting time flogging a dead horse. If something is not working for you or if you're not "feeling" it then quit and try something else. It's natural.
      Thanks for your response, you made some interesting points. I can speak on this subject because I was on that merry go round. But I didn't see much progress until I dug my heels in, faced failure and focused on one niche.

      After spending thousands jumping from one business opportunity to the next, I felt I was beating a dead horse if I wasn't making money after 3o days (the time of the guarantee).

      My philosophy was if it didn't work quick like the Guru said, the information must be faulty, but the truth is in most cases I didn't give it enough ...

      A) Time.
      B) Effort.
      C) Strategy and Planning.

      Like most new (and many old) Internet Marketers.

      Because of the low entry point, it's easy and tempting to jump from one opportunity to the next, I quess that's fine if you have bags of money and time but most don't.

      And no, I don't have anything against Guru's. I just think people worship in them a little much, instead of their own hard work and sweat -- Even most Guru's will tell you that if they're honest.

      All Guru's can do is give you their plan, system or information. You still have to put in the effort, face the learning curve and persist, no matter what the business.
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  • Profile picture of the author George Wright
    Originally Posted by The Niche Man View Post

    Most Internet Marketers can identify with these 4 steps.


    Any suggestions, thoughts or ideas on how to get off the Internet Marketing Merry Go Round?

    I say Ride it and grab every golden ring you can.

    Interesting analogy, the merry go round that is. If my memory of history serves me correctly, the merry go round was originally a training tool for young WARRIORS.

    George Wright
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    • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
      Originally Posted by George Wright View Post

      If my memory of history serves me correctly, the merry go round was originally a training tool for young WARRIORS.


      George Wright
      THAT is cool!
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Originally Posted by George Wright View Post

      I say Ride it and grab every golden ring you can.


      Interesting analogy, the merry go round that is. If my memory of history serves me correctly, the merry go round was originally a training tool for young WARRIORS.


      George Wright
      Merry go rounds can be fun, but not the best tool for making money. It forces you to go around in circles - making progress difficult.
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  • Profile picture of the author Karan Goel
    Well what can the poor rider do? He needs money, and is ready to try anything. Agreed the strategy is not good, but desperation is a killer of human spirit.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Originally Posted by Karan Goel View Post

      Well what can the poor rider do? He needs money, and is ready to try anything. Agreed the strategy is not good, but desperation is a killer of human spirit.
      That's a good question. Desperation is a killer of human spirit ... and bank accounts as well.

      Needing money and a willingness to try anything is the kind of people "scammers, spammers and shisters" make a good living off of.

      The answer is always the same...

      * Get Educated!
      * Get Focused!
      * Get Persistent!

      End of Story!
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      • Profile picture of the author Gary Ning Lo
        Originally Posted by The Niche Man View Post


        * Get Educated!
        * Get Focused!
        * Get Persistent!
        TEST TEST TEST
        And
        Optimize
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        • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
          Originally Posted by garytsang View Post

          TEST TEST TEST
          And
          Optimize
          Exactly, I agree. But most people who stay on the Internet Merry Go Round seldom stay focused long enough to do those ... "thoroughly"! My guess.

          Those activities involve analysis, attention to detail and research. Not the sexy and glamorous part of Internet Marketing that attracts most people.
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          • Profile picture of the author ExRat
            Hi The Niche Man,

            1. You find a money making opportunity.
            2. Try it a few times.
            3. Fail to get the sales letter results.
            4. Go to the next opportunity.

            Any suggestions, thoughts or ideas on how to get off the Internet Marketing Merry Go Round?
            It's really simple.

            The merry go round you mention has 'sales letters' in point 3, in other words it's a 'buying ideas from others' merry go round.

            You just get off that one and onto a different and better one.

            This one has two main methods for discovering money making opportunities -

            1) research

            2) implementation of tests

            The next stage is to analyse what you have discovered and either create your own system and then ramp it up (and possibly sell parts of it as a shovel-seller as well) or go back to 1).

            Ideally you are always doing 1) anyway, because observing and learning are almost as important as breathing and eating.

            If you are breathing and eating without observing and learning, you are not growing, just existing - not moving forward, just stationary - not producing, just mindlessly consuming.

            Those activities involve analysis, attention to detail and research. Not the sexy and glamorous part of Internet Marketing that attracts most people.
            There is nothing sexy or glamorous about pretending to be in business but simply consuming paid information.

            There is everything sexy and glamorous about using initiative, being inventive, moving up the food-chain, increasing your hourly-rate and finding independence and financial/time freedom.

            The latter is rarely achieved by following the herd, but is often achieved by independent thinking, inventiveness and originality.
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      • Profile picture of the author Karan Goel
        Originally Posted by The Niche Man View Post

        That's a good question. Desperation is a killer of human spirit ... and bank accounts as well.

        Needing money and a willingness to try anything is the kind of people "scammers, spammers and shisters" make a good living off of.

        The answer is always the same...

        * Get Educated!
        * Get Focused!
        * Get Persistent!

        End of Story!
        Well yeah. I agree.

        But that just isn't the way a starter would think. Even I have been through that phase. I anticipate you have too. Right?
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        • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
          Originally Posted by Karan Goel View Post

          Well yeah. I agree.

          But that just isn't the way a starter would think. Even I have been through that phase. I anticipate you have too. Right?
          Yes I've been through that phase - more and longer than I'd like to admit. But hopefully lots of newbies (and oldies) will read this post and wise up faster than you or I did.

          If not, be prepared to take a ride ... in more ways than one!
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          • Profile picture of the author Karan Goel
            Originally Posted by The Niche Man View Post

            Yes I've been through that phase - more and longer than I'd like to admit. But hopefully lots of newbies (and oldies) will read this post and wise up faster than you or I did.

            If not, be prepared to take a ride ... in more ways than one!
            Yup. True that.

            But experience is a better teacher than reading. Just sayin'.
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  • Profile picture of the author DanielDeus
    It is a common issue. It boils down to the difficulty of knowing when to stay and when to quit

    In many cases it is more intelligent to stop something that is not working, if after careful analysis, it is unlikely to ever succeed cost-effectively.

    But also often failures are failures because that person didn’t push through and stick with it and keep going. Most big successes only happened after something not working. Edison’s light bulb is the classic example.

    Knowing when to quit and when to persevere is a real skill, and one that unfortunately is rarely taught, so is only gained from experience…

    Equally, it is a fool’s game to not seek to educate yourself. You just need to have a simple rule with yourself.

    Never purchase any further education until you can answer this 1 simple question…

    “Have I fully exhausted and utilized all possibilities, uses and benefits of that last education/training I bought?”

    * Daniel Deus
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    There is also a need for self discipline and a concerted effort to not be persuaded by marketers telling you about the next big thing that must buy in order to succeed.

    After all, they are master marketers for a reason.
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