Competitive Edge Of A Newbie

42 replies
Fair to say an established affiliate has several competitive edges over a newbie? Probably this person has the below:


1. Some profitable campaigns in 1 or more niches.


2. And hence a handful of working keywords, URLs etc.


3. More into rotating new and existing offers.


4. Has a bigger budget for testing new offers.


5. Better equipped and experienced in terms of tools relating to say spying and demographic research etc.


Alibaba founder used to say small has its advantages. So what are the competitive advantages that a newbie needs to be awared and uses them to the fullest?


Have a few ideas. In order not to lead anyone in one way or another, would like to pause here and see what you wish to comment at this point.


Feel free to chip in
#competitive #competitive edge #edge #newbie
  • Profile picture of the author Big Al
    I'm going to go with none.

    It's not like a small brick and mortar business where you have lower overheads and can change direction quicker to adapt to the marketplace.

    I can't think of any, maybe less cynical ;-)
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Good question. Can't say that I've heard that one before on this forum, as opposed to the same (or similar) questions over and over, congrats. That's one competitive advantage you should exploit right there.

      But there's tons more of competitive advantages you have, for example, ...
      • Having Fresher Eyes - Experienced marketers have to fight a major disadvantage. We can get lulled into missing blind spots, grow cynical, take things for granted or even slip into rut thinking easy. As a new person you can often exploit this to your advantage ... if you know what to look for and what actions to take.
      • You're More Energetic, Flexible and Adaptable - And you're more willing to learn new things. At least you should be! Where a lot (but not all) of experienced marketers have a lower flexibility tolerance, less desire to learn new things or technologies. Plus, many just get tired of having to learn something else new. Attack these soft spots aggressively to your advantage. In addition, learn to embrace change instead of avoiding or complaining about it like older marketers sometimes do. It can be an equalizer and a opportunity to leap-frog over others who hate, avoid or feel uncomfortable with change.
      • Have a Whatever It Takes Attitude - That's rare if you're involved with Internet marketing. Trust me. Instead of having a "Whatever it takes" attitude, most have a "Take it or leave it" attitude. So, you'll stand out instantly. You'll notice just in this forum alone most spend precious time looking for "the easy" ... with the least amount of work or effort. Then you have the professional posers, pretenders, and wanna bees (it's just a hobby, like golf). And others just like hanging around for entertainment, like an arm-chair quarterback would. Perhaps showing how much they know without getting on the field, getting sweaty or taking hits. So, having the right attitude is your opportunity to catch-up with, pass and even leap-frog over most of these "experienced" people.
      So, as you can see despite the rumors, 'Newbies "Do" Have Their Advantages' ... if they "Do" them. - Good Luck!

      It would be interesting if anyone else can come up with anything.
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      • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
        Good video that explains the advantages of being new. It's about new college professors, but it could be applied to Internet Marketer newbies as well.

        Notice how each main bullet point advantage can be applied to I.M if you're new. Notice anything else shocking in the video? Let's see who has the sharp entrepreneur's eagle eye.

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      • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
        Hi, thanks for the generous input and video clip. Agree a new person is likely to be more open, willing to try new stuff and possibly more hungry than others to succeed. Will keep this in mind


        In CPA marketing, think a newbie has some advantages. Of course, not necessarily true since as green as leaves. Below is what thinking aloud:


        1. Firstly, would be unrealistic that majority of newbies are as good as the established affiliates. After all, the latter group has gained precious experience in terms of offer selection, targeting, optimisation etc.


        2. This leads to the thought that perhaps a good idea not to compete head on at the beginning while giving some time for the newbies to polish up their IM skill sets.


        3. Putting in the established affiliates' shoes, they probably like to specialise in some evergreen niches like dating, games and dieting. So that they could just take an easier path of plugging in new similar offers to replace those which have either expired or reached their caps.


        4. Thus, perhaps newbies could use this to its advantage and avoid such niches when they start out. Reasoning is that it's better to earn less $ and in a much harder way than in the red for a much much longer time. And possibly get demoralised and give up.


        5. Another way to avoid a head on clash is in the ad network used. The better guys are more likely to go for network which offer them high quality traffic so as to maximise their profit. So can a newbie starts with a network which has lesser traffic or not so good quality traffic? Think worth trying out since such traffic probably costs lesser too.


        6. Does a high payout equate to higher profit? At least theoretically, a high payout seem to give more room for a fatter profit margin. If the big boys are going for that, should newbies start with lower payouts first? Moreover, lower payout also mean smaller testing budget which in terms translate into the ability to test out more offers with the same budget.


        7. As pointed out in earlier posts by the rest of the gentlemen, another way for the newbies is to think out of the box since they can bring fresh ideas into IM.


        In summary, newbies has an edge to think out of the box since they can bring in a different perspective. To avoid a head on clash, they could consider starting out with less popular niche, lower payout and work with a less established ad network. This might allow them to polish their skill sets and get profitable in a shorter time frame.


        And when they are ready, they could always consider going mainstream. After all, with more competition, it means they could grow faster professionally.
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        • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
          Originally Posted by Benedict0471 View Post

          Hi, thanks for the generous input and video clip. Agree a new person is likely to be more open, willing to try new stuff and possibly more hungry than others to succeed. Will keep this in mind


          In CPA marketing, think a newbie has some advantages. Of course, not necessarily true since as green as leaves. Below is what thinking aloud:


          1. Firstly, would be unrealistic that majority of newbies are as good as the established affiliates. After all, the latter group has gained precious experience in terms of offer selection, targeting, optimisation etc.
          You don't have to be as good. Just be better in a few things they're overlooking, dont have time to do or find unprofitable.

          2. This leads to the thought that perhaps a good idea not to compete head on at the beginning while giving some time for the newbies to polish up their IM skill sets.
          That's an excellent plan and one I always execute when going into new markets. I come at my larger competitors from an angle ... never head on.

          3. Putting in the established affiliates' shoes, they probably like to specialise in some evergreen niches like dating, games and dieting. So that they could just take an easier path of plugging in new similar offers to replace those which have either expired or reached their caps.
          That's an interesting concept, but be careful not to confuse a market with a nich. Dating, Games and Dieting are markets not niches Here's an example of a thread I started concerning this.
          The 6 Dangers of Confusing a Market With a Niche ... Are You Guilty?



          4. Thus, perhaps newbies could use this to its advantage and avoid such niches when they start out. Reasoning is that it's better to earn less $ and in a much harder way than in the red for a much much longer time. And possibly get demoralised and give up. That's true in some cases, but generally whatever your situaltion you'd just earn less money initially. However, you can often make it back by building a list and offering back-end offers.


          5. Another way to avoid a head on clash is in the ad network used. The better guys are more likely to go for network which offer them high quality traffic so as to maximise their profit. So can a newbie starts with a network which has lesser traffic or not so good quality traffic? Think worth trying out since such traffic probably costs lesser too.
          Could depend on the individual and situation. Not sure about that one, a strong comparable test over a set period of time would reveal whether it works.



          6. Does a high payout equate to higher profit? At least theoretically, a high payout seem to give more room for a fatter profit margin. If the big boys are going for that, should newbies start with lower payouts first? Moreover, lower payout also mean smaller testing budget which in terms translate into the ability to test out more offers with the same budget.
          Exactly!


          7. As pointed out in earlier posts by the rest of the gentlemen, another way for the newbies is to think out of the box since they can bring fresh ideas into IM.
          That's the value of being new. But of course it only works when you've mastered the fundamentals. Thinking outside the box before you've got the basics down can lead to disaster. You see that a lot in Internet Marketing from impatient newbies looking for quick riches.

          In summary, newbies has an edge to think out of the box since they can bring in a different perspective. To avoid a head on clash, they could consider starting out with less popular niche, lower payout and work with a less established ad network. This might allow them to polish their skill sets and get profitable in a shorter time frame.
          Good poinnts, I agree.


          And when they are ready, they could always consider going mainstream. After all, with more competition, it means they could grow faster professionally.

          Spot on.

          You have many interesting points.
          My replies are in bold above.
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          • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
            Hi, thanks for taking time replying and has just gone thru your thread. Enlightening, I suppose you mean to say that whatever challenging targets we are looking at, there is often a subset of it which presents opportunities to the ones actively looking for it (perhaps creatively).


            And to be in business, one has to differentiate to add value in a way different from others. If not, there seem no reason for the customers to choose one over the rest. Will keep in mind :^)


            Back to the rest of your comments, agree totally fundamentals need to be there before thinking out of the box. Hence been reminding myself to have the fundamental right first so that a baseline can be established against other fresh methods.


            Would just like to add onto the previous mail one more way a newbie avoid a head on. If the big boys tend to operate in a bigger country like X, then a newbie can consider starting out with a smaller country like Y.
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  • Profile picture of the author FreedomBlogger
    I would say one of the advantages newbies have today is the fact that many strategies have been proven and tested already for them!

    And all they have to do is MODEL after the successful marketers. This is the most obvious fact, and most do not even see it!! LOL

    This industry has been around for a very long time now - and it is paving the path to success for anyone willing to do the work!

    Isn't that pretty clear??

    If you want to accomplish what a successful marketer online has accomplished already - all you have to do is find out what they have done and simply OUTWORK them!!

    Most of the time you do LEARN what the successful have done to accomplish success. At that moment it comes down to how well you can model after them, and how much discipline and heart you got to take massive massive consistent action!

    Thats it!

    Hope this helps!
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    • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
      Originally Posted by FreedomBlogger View Post

      I would say one of the advantages newbies have today is the fact that many strategies have been proven and tested already for them!

      And all they have to do is MODEL after the successful marketers. This is the most obvious fact, and most do not even see it!! LOL

      This industry has been around for a very long time now - and it is paving the path to success for anyone willing to do the work!

      Isn't that pretty clear??

      If you want to accomplish what a successful marketer online has accomplished already - all you have to do is find out what they have done and simply OUTWORK them!!

      Most of the time you do LEARN what the successful have done to accomplish success. At that moment it comes down to how well you can model after them, and how much discipline and heart you got to take massive massive consistent action!

      Thats it!

      Hope this helps!

      Hey, this is an interesting observation. There was a comment from a highly successful marketer who said that it is harder to make enormous profit these days compared to say 7 yrs ago. Reason being that a newbie these days are not competing against another newbie but against seasoned marketers.

      Connecting to your perspective, because there are now more seasoned marketers who made it, there are correspondingly more marketers that a newbie can identify and model after and makes it work (aka get profitable).

      Besides taking massive actions, the challenging part is filtering out who and what to model after. This forum seem to shed some details though limited in some ways. To expand from here, guess the venues are exploring further yourself (through research in internet etc), going for a coach and learning through paid forums etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author talfighel
    The only advantage that a newbie has over the more experienced person is that there belief level is at 100%.

    The longer you are in and having some setbacks, you belief level goes down to a curtain number but not a whole lot.

    Does that make any sense?
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    • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
      Originally Posted by talfighel View Post

      The only advantage that a newbie has over the more experienced person is that there belief level is at 100%.

      The longer you are in and having some setbacks, you belief level goes down to a curtain number but not a whole lot.

      Does that make any sense?
      Seeing your reply, think below example illustrates this (belief is a big competitive edge):


      1. Let's say Tom was lost in a forest and faced with 2 paths to choose.


      2. In scenario A, he made a guess and went with path on the left.


      3. In scenario B, as he pondered which path to choose, a fairy appeared. She told him the one on the left would lead him out of forest and in return he has to help the poor whenever he can.


      4. Though in both scenario, Tom took path on the left, because he has a much higher belief in scenario B, he is likely to emerge faster from the forest in B. Even if he is met with dangerous animals, leeches, sand flies or very rough terrains, he is not likely to give up or take a U turn in scenario B since he knows that is the correct path to take.


      5. Tom in scenario A on the other hand, is filled with unsureness every time he went further with the left path.


      Moral of the day: Probably better to model after someone who has proven to make it. This will help to beef up the belief which in turn last one longer when faced with setbacks.


      And realistically, setbacks are bound to occur. If IM is that easy like just follow a proven path and sure succeed, everyone would be rushing in....
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      • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
        Originally Posted by Benedict0471 View Post

        Seeing your reply, think below example illustrates this (belief is a big competitive edge):


        1. Let's say Tom was lost in a forest and faced with 2 paths to choose.


        2. In scenario A, he made a guess and went with path on the left.


        3. In scenario B, as he pondered which path to choose, a fairy appeared. She told him the one on the left would lead him out of forest and in return he has to help the poor whenever he can.


        4. Though in both scenario, Tom took path on the left, because he has a much higher belief in scenario B, he is likely to emerge faster from the forest in B. Even if he is met with dangerous animals, leeches, sand flies or very rough terrains, he is not likely to give up or take a U turn in scenario B since he knows that is the correct path to take.


        5. Tom in scenario A on the other hand, is filled with unsureness every time he went further with the left path.


        Moral of the day: Probably better to model after someone who has proven to make it. This will help to beef up the belief which in turn last one longer when faced with setbacks.


        And realistically, setbacks are bound to occur. If IM is that easy like just follow a proven path and sure succeed, everyone would be rushing in....

        Think below can also bump up one's belief:


        a. Read on success story of established marketers, especially those which details how they started out and the obstacles they overcame.


        b. For more recent success stories, can turn to those recent follow on campaigns of newbies. If they can do it, why not you if the approaches are similar? Firstly, it beefs up confidence. Secondly, can learn from their experiences.
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  • HI Benedict0471

    Good observation, "competition" grows?

    Joke !!!! We do the best job in the world, obviously they want to do in many, they are welcome beginners!

    Beginners are lucky, there are many strategies already tested ready for them, they just start to work following a path already mapped out.
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    • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
      Originally Posted by Ilenia Internet Marketer View Post

      HI Benedict0471

      Good observation, "competition" grows?

      Joke !!!! We do the best job in the world, obviously they want to do in many, they are welcome beginners!

      Beginners are lucky, there are many strategies already tested ready for them, they just start to work following a path already mapped out.

      Agree, there are less fiddling around in the dark these days. On the flip side, likely that one can't use these proven methods without some creative twists to it.


      Guess, it's the same every where. If wishes to stay in the game, needs to be constantly looking out to upgrade oneself and explore. As Steve Job says it, 'stay foolish, stay hungry'
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  • Profile picture of the author AntonioSeegars1
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    • Profile picture of the author Peter Aaron Diaz
      Originally Posted by AntonioSeegars1 View Post

      There are only two advantages a newbie can have:

      1. Better work ethic
      2. Quicker adaptation to changing business conditions
      Check and Check
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      • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
        Originally Posted by Peter Aaron Diaz View Post

        Check and Check
        Sorry, not sure what you mean. If possible, can elaborate a bit? Thanks!




        Since this thread was started, received several comments and grateful for the lively discussion and comments. On a closing note, would just like to add in the below comment.

        Someone commented that a newbie with strong belief is more likely to succeed as he/she is more likely to grind on when head wind is strong. Guess one way for a strong belief is first taste of success. If that is not forthcoming, how about success in just something from the internet? What I did was doing survey online and received a cash voucher in the letter box today. Not something worth the time spent. Nevertheless make me believe earning $ from internet is possible :^)
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  • Profile picture of the author TB Ann
    a newbie can take advantage of all the tutorials and information all over the webmaster forums as they were all laid for them to learn.
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  • Profile picture of the author ookami007
    The biggest disadvantage to newbies is the sheer VOLUME of get-rich I.M. marketing material out there with dreams and statistics that promise fortune and glory and fail to deliver.

    The fact is, there are no REAL plug and play systems. Every REAL system is going to require effort and experienced IMers know this. The amount of effort varies, but there IS effort.

    Newbies can get lulled into a false belief that they can make money with no effort and I have NEVER seen that to be the case... heck... even winning the lottery requires the effort and expenditure of going out and buying the ticket.

    The other disadvantage I see a newbie having is not knowing what is real information, what is BS information and what is OLD information. In the IM world, techniques, strategies and methodology is constantly changing and evolving. An experienced IMer knows (or hopefully knows) what works and what no longer works.

    Where I think newbies DO have an advantage is in having an open mind and perhaps a fearlessness born of lack of failures. I think many of us experienced IMers have a hesitancy to jump into a lot of the new things, because honestly - we've seen so many things that promise to deliver and don't that we're jaded. That's both good and bad. It's good in that we don't get taken for a ride, but bad because that ride might have actually been going where we wanted to go.
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  • Profile picture of the author DRP
    Noobs, in general, have NO competitive edge. Zip, Zero, Zilch, Nada.

    A Noob might have a competitive edge IF they possess specialized knowledge about a market, trade, industry, or trend. This would require them to Transfer that knowledge into an online business project. Most people fail at transferring what they know to IM...never mind noobs.

    So a super noob might have a competitive edge. Not likely. Noobs in general have zero competitive edge.

    Originally Posted by ookami007 View Post

    The biggest disadvantage to newbies is the sheer VOLUME of get-rich I.M. marketing material out there with dreams and statistics that promise fortune and glory and fail to deliver.
    NO! The biggest disadvantage to noobs is that they're unskilled, unmotivated, and LAZY. It's why they can't get jobs and most of them have no education.

    They EXPECT easy money. They feel that they deserve the easy street to fortune and glory. It's this culture of entitlement that's so prevalent nowadays...and makes them easy prey for opportunistic lifestyle gurus and make money online prodigies who prey on their own selfishness.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Originally Posted by DRP View Post

      Noobs, in general, have NO competitive edge. Zip, Zero, Zilch, Nada.

      A Noob might have a competitive edge IF they possess specialized knowledge about a market, trade, industry, or trend. This would require them to Transfer that knowledge into an online business project. Most people fail at transferring what they know to IM...never mind noobs.

      So a super noob might have a competitive edge. Not likely. Noobs in general have zero competitive edge.



      NO! The biggest disadvantage to noobs is that they're unskilled, unmotivated, and LAZY. It's why they can't get jobs and most of them have no education.

      They EXPECT easy money. They feel that they deserve the easy street to fortune and glory. It's this culture of entitlement that's so prevalent nowadays...and makes them easy prey for opportunistic lifestyle gurus and make money online prodigies who prey on their own selfishness.
      Wow! That's a pretty broad brush you're painting in regards to newbies. Especially the lazy label. For the record I know many experienced people who are lazy too, maybe even more so. I respect your opinion, I just don't agree with them.

      I equate Internet Marketing with Hip Hop Music. When Hip Hop first came out all the more "experienced" music experts wrote it off as a bunch of music "newbies" with zero, zilch, nada competitive advantages.

      They to "appeared" unskilled, unmotivated (to learn music by traditional standards) and even "seemed" lazy. But they used the advantages I mentioned (see post 3, 4 and link below). Now a decade or two later Hip Hop music dominates the music industry. Relegating many of the experienced artist who laughed at them to oldies music concert tours and off the Billboard charts.

      I've already given a few examples/ advantages newbies have (see post #3 and #4). But here's more in case none of those moved you.

      Hidden Advantages of Being The Least Experienced Person In the Room.

      I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.
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      • Profile picture of the author freedumb
        Some good comments here.

        Take note that one thing that matters is the attitude of the newbie. If the newbie has the attitude and beliefs that "this is too hard" or "I can't do this" than that can hinder progress drastically. However if their attitude is that they can do this and they lack fear of the obstacles ahead--this can be a serious advantage.

        Some of the biggest breakthroughs in human history have been from people that were ignorant to the fact that they "shouldn't have been able to do that". They pushed forward with absolute certainty. Fear and doubt is learned. That doesn't mean you want to keep touching the hot stove, but a newbie's blind determination can definitely help them make progress quickly.
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    • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
      Originally Posted by DRP View Post

      Noobs, in general, have NO competitive edge. Zip, Zero, Zilch, Nada.

      A Noob might have a competitive edge IF they possess specialized knowledge about a market, trade, industry, or trend. This would require them to Transfer that knowledge into an online business project. Most people fail at transferring what they know to IM...never mind noobs.

      So a super noob might have a competitive edge. Not likely. Noobs in general have zero competitive edge.



      NO! The biggest disadvantage to noobs is that they're unskilled, unmotivated, and LAZY. It's why they can't get jobs and most of them have no education.

      They EXPECT easy money. They feel that they deserve the easy street to fortune and glory. It's this culture of entitlement that's so prevalent nowadays...and makes them easy prey for opportunistic lifestyle gurus and make money online prodigies who prey on their own selfishness.
      Originally Posted by ookami007 View Post

      The biggest disadvantage to newbies is the sheer VOLUME of get-rich I.M. marketing material out there with dreams and statistics that promise fortune and glory and fail to deliver.

      The fact is, there are no REAL plug and play systems. Every REAL system is going to require effort and experienced IMers know this. The amount of effort varies, but there IS effort.

      Newbies can get lulled into a false belief that they can make money with no effort and I have NEVER seen that to be the case... heck... even winning the lottery requires the effort and expenditure of going out and buying the ticket.

      The other disadvantage I see a newbie having is not knowing what is real information, what is BS information and what is OLD information. In the IM world, techniques, strategies and methodology is constantly changing and evolving. An experienced IMer knows (or hopefully knows) what works and what no longer works.

      Where I think newbies DO have an advantage is in having an open mind and perhaps a fearlessness born of lack of failures. I think many of us experienced IMers have a hesitancy to jump into a lot of the new things, because honestly - we've seen so many things that promise to deliver and don't that we're jaded. That's both good and bad. It's good in that we don't get taken for a ride, but bad because that ride might have actually been going where we wanted to go.
      Hey, thanks for the sombre reminder above though won't agree fully.

      Yes, good reminder that there is nothing such as easy money in IM even if one is able to filter out a system that works from the maze of information out there. And probably such a system requires not only effort but also a somewhat creative mind that accumulates from the effort invested on it.
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    • Profile picture of the author TheGMa
      Originally Posted by DRP View Post

      Noobs, in general, have NO competitive edge. Zip, Zero, Zilch, Nada.

      A Noob might have a competitive edge IF they possess specialized knowledge about a market, trade, industry, or trend. This would require them to Transfer that knowledge into an online business project. Most people fail at transferring what they know to IM...never mind noobs.

      So a super noob might have a competitive edge. Not likely. Noobs in general have zero competitive edge.



      NO! The biggest disadvantage to noobs is that they're unskilled, unmotivated, and LAZY. It's why they can't get jobs and most of them have no education.

      They EXPECT easy money. They feel that they deserve the easy street to fortune and glory. It's this culture of entitlement that's so prevalent nowadays...and makes them easy prey for opportunistic lifestyle gurus and make money online prodigies who prey on their own selfishness.
      Well, yes and no, DRP.

      When I started in the late '90's, it was because a web site made me very angry. I mean, I was one pissed off little grandma.

      The next day I bought an FP on sale @ CompUSA and started pounding away as soon as I got home. I knew nothing about building a web site, but followed Declan Dunn's instructions. I bought books on international finance and banking because the web was still too young to have all the info I needed, and began writing and teaching from my readers' point of view.

      Now, I didn't pull my head out of the monitor for about 5 years. In the process, I built a nonprofit with volunteers from all over the world and a completely unique, 2,000 page web site. At the time the niche community consisted of a mere 6 web sites.

      So, a newbie is not a dud. After all, you were one, once.

      It has been and always will be a world in which only a small percentage of peeps succeed financially. There are many other ways of counting success, but in here we speak in terms of dollars and cents or yen or Pounds, Euro or Deutsch marks.

      The sneaks and spammers should be put in their place, yeah, but the newbies provide us all with the opportunity to teach and from that teaching - learn. Come up with new ideas and perspectives. Feel good about giving someone a hand up, not a phony hand out.
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  • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
    Originally Posted by Benedict0471 View Post

    So what are the competitive advantages that a newbie needs to be awared and uses them to the fullest?
    You can enter a smaller market.

    Here's the fun part. That smaller market might have a whole hell of a lot of money in it.

    When you say "smaller market," people usually think some trivial little thing like selling ice water to Inuits. It's hard to do and not many customers are out there and the product is cheap anyway.

    But if you have something people pay $100 a month for, on the average, you only need a thousand customers to make a million bucks a year. And a thousand customers is manageable.

    That's such a small group, you can personally interact with each and every one of them. You can do all kinds of things that are prohibitively expensive with millions of customers, and those things will be perceived as high quality.

    But people are risk- and loss-averse.

    Which means once you have a list of a hundred and fifty thousand people, the idea of trashing that list and starting over so you can have a better list?

    "Nooooooo, I worked hard on this list, I want to keep it."

    So you have all these people with massive crappy audiences who just plain refuse to go seeka smaller, better audience because they're too bound up in the idea that a big audience means success.

    Try small. It's better than you think.
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    • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
      Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

      You can enter a smaller market.

      Here's the fun part. That smaller market might have a whole hell of a lot of money in it.

      When you say "smaller market," people usually think some trivial little thing like selling ice water to Inuits. It's hard to do and not many customers are out there and the product is cheap anyway.

      But if you have something people pay $100 a month for, on the average, you only need a thousand customers to make a million bucks a year. And a thousand customers is manageable.

      That's such a small group, you can personally interact with each and every one of them. You can do all kinds of things that are prohibitively expensive with millions of customers, and those things will be perceived as high quality.

      But people are risk- and loss-averse.

      Which means once you have a list of a hundred and fifty thousand people, the idea of trashing that list and starting over so you can have a better list?

      "Nooooooo, I worked hard on this list, I want to keep it."

      So you have all these people with massive crappy audiences who just plain refuse to go seeka smaller, better audience because they're too bound up in the idea that a big audience means success.

      Try small. It's better than you think.
      Think this gels with what "The niche man" comments in the beginning of the thread. Think the challenge is to think/research hard enough in your interested market and break it into smaller segments. From there, identify a segment that is neglected by the bigger boys.
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  • Profile picture of the author Pete J
    That's a really good thought, CDarklock. It seems to me that these technology related things are usually a matter of leap-frogging. Newbies have a clean slate and no attachments to old ideas and investments.


    I did toy with the idea of becoming a newbie but decided the business is too complex for my brain. One advantage the newbie has is the option of walking away. I remain fascinated by it though.
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  • Profile picture of the author nicenet
    Newbies are not lazy.Thanks for the insight.
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  • Profile picture of the author alweeks
    I personally don't think a newbie has any advantages over an experienced marketer. True a newbie can bring a fresh approach and an undaunted work ethic and has all the potential answers available to him.

    But speaking from personal experience, where does he start from? I suffered from the dreaded " Information Overload ". The more I read, the more I found I had to read. One article that appeared to be pertinent, led into another 10 with even more detail and further info. One suggestion came with even more suggestions. The more prepared I thought I was, the more I realised how little I really knew. The more ready I thought I was - another doubt scuppered my good intent

    Then I was reading an email from a well known and successful marketer and he was saying that it didn't matter how successful he became, he still needed direction and guidance. The point he was making was that he had a mentor that he could always go to for help, advice and support. In my opinion every newbie should have a mentor - a shoulder to lean on - when things get tough and whatever you do doesn't seem to work.

    But as well as a mentor, there is something else that is essential to a newbie's success. That is a PLAN.

    A newbie should work out his plan of action, before he gets started. Then he needs to WORK HIS PLAN

    It doesn't matter if he makes mistakes. You can learn from making mistakes. The most important thing is to give it a go and not to quit.

    This is how you will go from being a newbie into that experienced marketer. Your question then becomes purely rhetorical.
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  • Profile picture of the author clockface
    None. Maybe they are more keen as it's new....maybe. 6 months down the line they'll probably jump to the next idea.
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  • Profile picture of the author DaveTheSinister
    LOL, arent we all supposed to be marketers here? Arent marketers able to take ANYTHING and spin it and find a unique and emotionally triggering affect?

    I would say it depends on your angle and or vertical. If you are trying to be a affiliate, well, guess what? You are just like the customers you are trying to market to. Not only does it make it easier for your target audience to relate and connect with you but it also gives you a great advantage in understanding them and their own wants and needs. You can take one look at your landing page or website or blog or whatever and quickly assess how your audience will interpret it.

    Hope this helps
    D
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Originally Posted by DaveTheSinister View Post

      Arent marketers able to take ANYTHING and spin it and find a unique and emotionally triggering affect?
      Those are the rare ones. Most of today's marketers scramble to find what everyone else is doing or worse cling onto or defend the old ways like a life preserver.

      The ones you describe are the small minority, because it often requires standing alone, being subject to temporary ridicule, and going against the grain.
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      • Profile picture of the author DaveTheSinister
        Originally Posted by The Niche Man View Post

        Those are the rare ones. Most of today's marketers scramble to find what everyone else is doing or worse cling onto or defend the old ways like a life preserver.

        The ones you describe are the small minority, because it often requires standing alone, being subject to temporary ridicule, and going against the grain.
        You speak truth, but I see from a different perspective. Those are not marketers imho, they are followers and be as such do not even have that mentality to begin with. They are nothing more than a self employed employee.

        I do get it though, most wont even get to that point. Most will fall by the wayside claiming IM is a scam and for fools only. LOL, All it takes is one person to show that it can be successful and then it is possible to succeed.

        I dont look at the "gurus" so that I can copy them. I look at the gurus so I can understand what separates them from those that are not successful. Its not their methods or strategies that will get you to where you want to be, but their attitude and decision making that will.

        I have read about some marketers spending thousands and thousands of dollars. Endless sleepless night. Drowning in debt. Yet they never stopped. They never thought this is a scam or impossible. They just kept going until they finally found the path for them. Why does that even matter, because when all those people where ridiculing them, when all those people were standing alone, they didnt allow the BS to overtake their drive to achieve their goal.

        A strong suggestion to anyone reading this. If you cant stand on your own two feet and be ready for the hardships and difficulties involved in this industry, then maybe you should just go get a traditional job. This requires much more than "copy & paste" tactics and $7 ebooks.

        Skip to 20:20 in this vid:
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        • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
          Intelligent newbies (a low % of all newbies) have a competitive advantage in two aspects; fresh ideas that they are capable of implementing and a lack of fear that sees their first few projects through to the end.

          Just look at how many of yesterday's success stories can't build a decent app or a good mobile website or get a good following on social media. Whereas today's newbies just go straight for that stuff.

          Originally Posted by DaveTheSinister View Post

          Skip to 20:20 in this vid:
          Newbies would be better off not listening to a word of anyone in that video. When are you people going to wake up and stop worshiping sellers of get rich quick schemes?
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          • Profile picture of the author DaveTheSinister
            Originally Posted by DubDubDubDot View Post

            Intelligent newbies (a low % of all newbies) have a competitive advantage in two aspects; fresh ideas that they are capable of implementing and a lack of fear that sees their first few projects through to the end.

            Just look at how many of yesterday's success stories can't build a decent app or a good mobile website or get a good following on social media. Whereas today's newbies just go straight for that stuff.


            Newbies would be better off not listening to a word of anyone in that video. When are you people going to wake up and stop worshiping sellers of get rich quick schemes?
            LOL, ok. That's your opinion, that's your opinion. Mine however is that "newbies" hear what they want to hear sometimes. That doesnt take away from the message that was originally shared, it just means there was a gap in communication.

            I never thought about not paying attention to people who are successful and not modeling after them.... Who should I listen to? To be perfectly honest you didnt even read my post. I said I dont listen to them for strategies or tactics but to study what separates them from those who are not successful. Its about mindset and attitude which plays into your own reasoning of competitive edge for a newbie.... Which is exampled in the video I shared..... after the 20:20 mark.

            Who is worshiping them? I simply posted a video to help illustrate my point. If three millionaires are all in agreement about something, my personal preference is to give that agreement some credence. Thats just my take on it.

            You do make an extremely valid point about yesterday's success stories, but wouldnt that just further illustrate mindset. Markets change and grow all the time. If you can't grow and change with it, your business stands a strong chance of going under.
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            • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
              Originally Posted by Benedict0471 View Post

              Hi, not sure if following correctly what you are saying. If possible, can elaborate on the point made above? Thanks.
              The goal post is constantly moving online, but few people are willing to shift resources away from something that has a history of success until it's too late. Then the newbies who were "wasting their time" on something (and usually by coincidence rather than being forward thinkers) suddenly find themselves in the middle of the spotlight after their business model becomes the new standard.


              Originally Posted by DaveTheSinister View Post

              I said I dont listen to them for strategies or tactics but to study what separates them from those who are not successful.
              The qualities that make those men "successful" are not admirable enough to even want to study.
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              • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
                Originally Posted by DubDubDubDot View Post

                The goal post is constantly moving online, but few people are willing to shift resources away from something that has a history of success until it's too late. Then the newbies who were "wasting their time" on something (and usually by coincidence rather than being forward thinkers) suddenly find themselves in the middle of the spotlight after their business model becomes the new standard.


                Thanks for the clarification! Clear now
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              • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
                Originally Posted by DubDubDubDot View Post

                Newbies would be better off not listening to a word of anyone in that video. When are you people going to wake up and stop worshiping sellers of get rich quick schemes?
                Originally Posted by DubDubDubDot View Post

                The qualities that make those men "successful" are not admirable enough to even want to study.
                Actually, the video had nothing to do with get rich quick. It explores ways to follow through on your goals, overcome fears and changing your negative beliefs to get results,etc. That didn't originate with those 3 men, it's more like a reminder of the same success principles that worked thousands of years ago.

                So, don't worship the men (or anyone), but the principles they talk about works.
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          • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
            Originally Posted by DubDubDubDot View Post


            Just look at how many of yesterday's success stories can't build a decent app or a good mobile website or get a good following on social media. Whereas today's newbies just go straight for that stuff.



            Hi, not sure if following correctly what you are saying. If possible, can elaborate on the point made above? Thanks.
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        • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
          Originally Posted by DaveTheSinister View Post



          Thanks for the vid, visualising the end result is indeed something to explore further!
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  • Profile picture of the author sparrow
    it all depends on our makeup/personality

    if you can think out of the box and adapt quickly you can make it as a newbie

    lots of information overload out there and lots of it is good but I see people repeating over and over things they have no idea what they are talking about

    this brings me to my point test and test a lot more till you find your voice in this
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Another obvious but major advantage you have as a newbie is your willingness to ask questions many experienced marketers won't or would feel embarrassed, intimidated or hesitant to ask in a public forum.

      Many have "Images" to uphold (I know it all) and would never be caught dead asking questions many newbies ask instinctively.

      I'd guess many of those same "experienced marketers" quietly read threads to learn the answers to the questions many newbies make. That's how much quiet power you have. The power to set the tone, the pace and the content of the largest I.M forum on the planet. Don't blow it.
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      • Profile picture of the author Benedict0471
        Originally Posted by The Niche Man View Post

        Another obvious but major advantage you have as a newbie is your willingness to ask questions many experienced marketers won't or would feel embarrassed, intimidated or hesitant to ask in a public forum.

        Many have "Images" to uphold (I know it all) and would never be caught dead asking questions many newbies ask instinctively.

        I'd guess many of those same "experienced marketers" read threads to learn the answers to the questions many newbies make. That's how much quiet power you have. The power to set the tone, the pace and the content of the largest I.M forum on the planet. Don't blow it.
        Cool, slipped the mind newbies have the advantage to ask questions as they come across them :^)
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        • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
          Originally Posted by Benedict0471 View Post

          Cool, slipped the mind newbies have the advantage to ask questions as they come across them :^)
          Well, actually everyone has the advantage of asking questions and starting threads. But you'll notice most of the experienced marketers don't start threads for the most part. The newer members do. Therefore they're "given" the "advantage" of setting the tone, the pace and the conversation/content that takes place in this forum by default.
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