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My Rant - People's perception of Internet Marketing

by Bkelly301
24 replies
I love what I do. I am an honest person. I have confidence in my products, and I stand behind what I sell. I offer top notch customer support, and I never declined a refund request in my life.

Unfortunately none of that matters to this perception of the internet though. People have this idea that internet marketing is "sleazy" or "a scam".

Ironically, these same people that think that way also spend all of their time on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, whatever...and those free services are MUCH more sleazy than I will ever be in my entire lifetime. They take your data and then throw ads in your face 24/7.

Me, I'm just this one guy that offers the best possible quality that I can, selling a very affordable product as a means to monetize all of the free content that I put out. I have spent hundreds, maybe thousands of hours just on my free content alone. There are people that never buy a single thing from me, and they thank me constantly about how much I have helped them for free.

When I share a piece of free content, I make it easy to buy what I'm selling, but I don't throw it in your face either. I'm not super aggressive about pushing a sale on anyone. I focus mainly on producing and sharing high-quality, FREE content.

But because my medium of reaching my audience is the internet, I get called out for being a "scammer" sometimes.

For example, a few months ago I spent 7 days putting together a free video, which was packed with free content. This video was not designed to sell anything...it was just a video that I was really excited to make and put out for free. Getting a bunch of positive comments and "thank you's" is also rewarding to me too, so I also get "paid" through the feelings that I get by genuinely helping people.

Anyway I shared this video on Reddit, and the first comment that it got was "I hate marketing shills".

Another example from today - I just posted a 2-part video today, which is on my website. The 2 videos collectively took me 2 weeks to make, and I just gave it all away for free.

First comment I got - "It's just an advertisement".

Stuff like this literally makes me want to smash a hole through a wall.

I won't do that though. I'm just venting here.

I'm not going to stop doing what I do, and I know this perception of internet marketing as being "sleazy" will never change, but I just needed to vent.

Thanks for listening.
#internet #marketing #people #perception #rant
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    You are not just 'venting' - you are trying to convince yourself and others that while 'other marketers' are sleazy...you aren't.

    Don't we all feel that way? OUR ads are clean and honest and we give more in value than we take.... WE don't just 'advertise'....WE deserve respect and thanks....

    Are you claiming the videos you posted are not meant to advertise your site or business? Of course they are - and if you don't know by now how many trolls are on social media...well....you are smarter than that.

    Social media is a tough 'row to hoe' as they say - if you are looking for kudos and appreciations on those sites, be ready for the trolls as well.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bkelly301
      No, I actually wasn't saying that other marketers are sleazy at all. I also wasn't denying my motive behind sharing the free content.

      What I'm saying is that if I owned a store, and people could come there in real life to buy things, it wouldn't have that same "sleazy" perception that I'm talking about.

      Its about getting quickly written off as a "slime all" because my means of running my business is the internet.

      That perception annoys me. That's all I'm saying.
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by Bkelly301 View Post

        No, I actually wasn't saying that other marketers are sleazy at all. I also wasn't denying my motive behind sharing the free content.

        What I'm saying is that if I owned a store, and people could come there in real life to buy things, it wouldn't have that same "sleazy" perception that I'm talking about.
        I think you may be venting over a pretty isolated incident.
        I post plenty of videos. All are created to stimulate interest in my offers or me as a speaker.

        Do I get "It's just an ad"? Sure. When people read my books, and leave reviews, have I ever seen "It's just an ad for his services"? Yup.

        But these are in the distinct minority. Maybe 1%.

        If you are getting a few percent of your comments like this...welcome to marketing.

        If 40% of your comments are like this...it's your content. And it's a signal to make a change in how you market.

        If course, I'm not above a blatant pitch. But when it's called a pitch, I agree with them.

        In fact, yesterday, I had a customer say to me "Is this just a pitch?"

        I said "It's a pitch if you buy from me. Otherwise, it's just information". They bought, but certainly not because of what I just said.


        Added later; A far more important metric than "It's a pitch" is...how long are they staying on the video? What percentage watch the whole thing? That's more valuable information than one guy taking his bad day out on you.

        If half the viewers hate you, and the other half buy...that's a successful video. I've mastered the first half of that formula.....now to work on the second half.
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  • Profile picture of the author Declan O Flaherty
    Wouldn't it be weird if you didn't come across those people on social media? Now that would be freaky. The fact you're venting about it here, and how it bothers you so much, is more of a testament to the things you are doing right, not wrong.

    Some people get nothing but bad comments. They deserve it. You clearly don't get that many. Sounds like everything is working fine.

    I don't see the problem, just a reaction to a natural symptom of putting yourself out there.

    You'll get more bad comments. Good for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Charlotte Rosenberg
    It's okay to get critics. It's a sign of progress. Even top Marketer have people who criticize their Marketing efforts.

    Just keep pushing as all those never matter.
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  • Profile picture of the author WF- Enzo
    Originally Posted by Bkelly301 View Post

    Ironically, these same people that think that way also spend all of their time on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, whatever...and those free services are MUCH more sleazy than I will ever be in my entire lifetime. They take your data and then throw ads in your face 24/7.
    Some of these people are gullible to these viral "social challenges"
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  • Profile picture of the author 1Bryan
    The average person is: Broke, depressed, anxious, lonely, angry, obese, unhealthy, etc etc.

    Online comments are the only thing they have. Let 'em have it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by 1Bryan View Post

      The average person is: Broke, depressed, anxious, lonely, angry, obese, unhealthy, etc etc.

      Online comments are the only thing they have. Let 'em have it.
      Wrong. I am not broke.

      I think of them as thinking they are powerless.

      Being mean online has no risk. And it gives the powerless a feeling of power.

      Like people that are in the drive in line at the bank. Once they get their money, they stay parked for a few minutes before driving off. And they know there is a line behind them.

      I thought about that over the years. And my conclusion (until a better idea comes along) is that they feel powerless in their lives, and this is how that need for control exerts itself.

      Anyway, it's a theory.
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      • Profile picture of the author 1Bryan
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        Wrong. I am not broke.

        I think of them as thinking they are powerless.

        Being mean online has no risk. And it gives the powerless a feeling of power.

        Like people that are in the drive in line at the bank. Once they get their money, they stay parked for a few minutes before driving off. And they know there is a line behind them.

        I thought about that over the years. And my conclusion (until a better idea comes along) is that they feel powerless in their lives, and this is how that need for control exerts itself.

        Anyway, it's a theory.
        I think so too. But also I think people just get caught up in a moment. We're all fragile. Susceptible to being a-holes every now and again. Lol I know I can be an a-hole haha
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    Some people GIVE nothing but bad comments - they are probably complainers in real life, too.


    When I was a casino dealer I used to ignore the whiners by playing mind games with myself....my favorite 'therapeutic thought' when a player's complaints were getting on my nerves was...


    "Could be worse - could be married to him"


    Put it in perspective.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    Like people that are in the drive in line at the bank. Once they get their money, they stay parked for a few minutes before driving off. And they know there is a line behind them.
    Your idea is better than mine - I always just thought they were stupid....
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  • Profile picture of the author scidi
    Screw it. There's no shame in making an offer. In fact, you're by definition a pretty lousy Internet marketer if there are no offers in your offerings.

    Kill that inner voice.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
    It can be frustrating for sure.

    A couple of thoughts to make lemonade out of lemons (that have soured your mood to some degree):

    1. Look at where you ask for help with your marketing. For all the good people here, some people here are rightly considered spammers, scammers, and bad guys. Look at the offers here and put out by some people who frequent here. While everyone isn't bad, some are. They will spam you and then put you on another list if you unsubscribe, won't honor refunds, blatantly lie in the sales copy, etc. So, recognize that there is some truth to the perception. But just like there really are honest, decent, moral, used car salespeople and personal injury lawyers, humans tend to paint with broad brushes and group everyone together.

    2. Look at how you are operating with your marketing and offers. Is there legitimate criticism they are giving? Are there areas you may need to change? If not, still listen to the naysayers as part of being a good businessperson but ignore the stuff that isn't true.

    3. Realize that Amazon, Microsoft, PayPal, Ebay, and many other respected companies are run by people who sell stuff mostly on the internet. In other words, they are internet marketers. I get daily (or more often) emails from some of these companies, and I've never felt they were trying to scam me or weren't normal or anything negative. So, how can you build your trust level with your customers and your prospects?

    4. Many people would be jealous of you. I am, in a sense, because you step-by-step have come here asking for advice and then implemented it and are making great progress. I'm jealous because it took me a long time when I got started to ask-listen-implement. I mostly did the ask-listen part but not the third part which is the most important part. People are jealous of Jeff Bezos or anyone who makes something of themselves. Consider their jealousy a badge of honor (but don't become a prick or let it go to your head).

    That's a long way to saying this: ignore them and keep moving forward. I, for one, enjoy reading your continuing success story.

    Mark
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  • Profile picture of the author John Jonas Phil VA
    I know what you mean. But most of the time, I just ignore it. I know I'm doing honest work and making a living. Comments that internet marketing is sleazy or a scam do happen but they're rare.

    The ones that bug me more are the obviously racist/sexist comments I get with my ads. Comments on the way I look. Eeeww.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bkelly301
    Thanks for all the replies here! Ya the guy that made the recent comment was really just being a huge a-hole. He likely had some other issues going on in his life.

    I actually deleted the post that I posted on reddit, which was a link to a post on my own website, and I reuploaded the same video from youtube instead. Posting a YouTube video doesn't seem to have that "I'm trying to sell something" vibe to it. However, it's much more beneficial to view the video from my website because there aren't any ads in the video AND I include a full, written version of the video too. It is all free, no opt-in required either.

    When I re-posted the "YouTube version" of this video, it got a lot more upvotes and positive responses (despite the fact that it's better to watch the "website version", but they don't know that).

    I then messaged the guy who left the nasty comment, and I said "see I posted the YouTube version of the same video, and everyone seems to like it. It's obviously not 'just an ad' ".

    His response was "f*** you and your bulls*** clickbait. No one wants to see your scams."

    I probably shouldn't have messaged the guy, but I was legitimately trying to convince him that I wasn't a scammer (don't ask me why). However, I did come to realize that it was a hopeless attempt to try and "prove" myself to this angry internet person.

    But ya, sometimes I get a bruised ego. I have to learn to ignore these things better!
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    • Profile picture of the author Declan O Flaherty
      Originally Posted by Bkelly301 View Post


      When I re-posted the "YouTube version" of this video, it got a lot more upvotes and positive responses (despite the fact that it's better to watch the "website version", but they don't know that).
      Out of curiosity, was the YT version of the video better received by the others in the group?

      If the answer is 'yes' then what's the lesson?

      If the answer is 'no' then what's the lesson?

      What you say and what you communicate are rarely the same thing. Is it possible your first attempt 'did' come off like you were in it for yourself? Not saying you were, or that you need to change anything, but is it possible 'that what you know to be true (out to really help people) doesn't always transfer over?
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      • Profile picture of the author Bkelly301
        Originally Posted by Declan O Flaherty View Post

        Out of curiosity, was the YT version of the video better received by the others in the group?

        If the answer is 'yes' then what's the lesson?

        If the answer is 'no' then what's the lesson?

        What you say and what you communicate are rarely the same thing. Is it possible your first attempt 'did' come off like you were in it for yourself? Not saying you were, or that you need to change anything, but is it possible 'that what you know to be true (out to really help people) doesn't always transfer over?
        In this instance, the YouTube version was definitely better received by the group.

        However, I have posted the "website version" of videos many other times in that same exact group, and it was received very well (lots of upvotes).

        For some reason the website version bombed this time. It definitely didn't help that the first comment was this guy calling me out like that (which likely caused anyone else to not even give it a chance).

        So yes, this time the YouTube version was received much better by the group.

        I have been coming to realize this for a while now...YouTube videos have a much more "free content" vibe to them, even if they are cluttered with ads.
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  • Profile picture of the author Princess Balestra
    Less'n sumone strolled up to ya an' said THIS IS INTERNET MARKETING, would you know (or care)?
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  • Profile picture of the author freda12387
    I think marketing is an indispensable thing. Only through marketing can we gain more. Marketing is a very important thing. I am also trying to start marketing.
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  • Profile picture of the author adammoore
    You're on the internet mate. There's always going to be negative trolls trying to bring you down I do understand your frustrations though. Just make sure you provide enough value for your viewers, and eventually the positive comments will outshine the negative.
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  • Profile picture of the author WF- Enzo
    Originally Posted by Bkelly301 View Post


    Unfortunately none of that matters to this perception of the internet though. People have this idea that internet marketing is "sleazy" or "a scam".
    Well, it's a two-way game. Not has a thorough understanding of internet marketing.
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  • Profile picture of the author Wizardofwisdom
    I feel your pain ... but I must say, what you're describing is almost (not entirely, but almost), non-existent outside of the IM/MMO niches. People don't generally talk to each other like that in, for example, the pet niches or the personal development market.

    Yes, it happens, (someone's bound to contradict me, aren't they?), but it's rare.

    In the IM/MMO world, there is so much hype and people get jaded - then it's just easier to trust no one - and sadly, you got tarred with that brush.

    Good luck - and don't quit!
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  • Profile picture of the author CruxisKnight
    I feel the same way. I have cool stuff to share but I have this fear that there will be backlash since people will think it is spam or an ad that's just cash grab with no value and it makes me hesitant to share even anything at all.

    Sadly the bad perception of marketers is warranted because of the low barrier to entry in being a marketer. If the barrier to entry for being a marketer is low that means that low quality marketers will join the fray and be able to use bad methods of marketing which ruins it for everyone like good marketers who actually provide good value to people.

    It's like the perception of cops. Being a cop surprisingly has a low barrier to entry. I know in Los Angeles the requirement of being a cop is to have a high school diploma and no run ins with the law. This makes it hard to weed out low quality cops if the requirement is this low.

    The thing to do is to make your outreach not look and sound like an advertisement at all. But even then there is still that possibility of backlash, or just there is a segment of people out there especially in the internet that do not have the best mental health and have nothing good to say. In which case just ignore those people and keep doing what you're doing delivering value to people.
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