Article Marketing does not work

by Scott Ames

Posted: 14 years ago 39 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

I've seen a bunch of warnings to others about what works and what doesn't.

Article Marketing does not work
Did that.. didn't make money

CPA Marketing does not work
Did that.. didn't make money

MLM does not work
Did that.. didn't make money

Membership site marketing does not work
Did that.. didn't make money

Continuity does not work
Did that.. didn't make money

SEO does not work
Did that.. didn't make money

Writing articles does not work
Did that.. didn't make money

Creating and Selling products does not work
Did that.. didn't make money

On and on. The sad thing about the advise given a lot of times is that it stops someone else from giving it a go. Not everything will work for everyone. It depends on your talents, your drive, your interests, and your work ethic.

In each of the areas above someone has made and is making very good money. You can't be good at them all. If something doesn't work for you that doesn't mean it won't work for someone else.

How many times has someone made a killing on something, put out a course, then is called a scammer because that "thing" didn't work for 99% of the people that bought the course? It's not the method, the course, or the idea that is a fault ( in most cases ) , it's the person buying the course that has the problem.

Funny thing about humans, we know better than the teacher in a lot of cases ( in our mind ). The teacher tells us to get a yellow writing pad, we get a white one because we know better

The teacher tells us to read these 10 books on copywriting, we buy them, then put them on the shelf. The teacher (or course) tells us to test a minimum of 20 CPA campaigns to see what works, we try 2 and quit because we don't want to "waste" all that money.

Everything works, everything fails, it's the human wild card in the mix (you) that makes the difference. Good methods and techniques are golden, but what is between your right ear and your left ear determines if you succeed more than anything.

#article #marketing #work

Sipboy3000

14 years ago

Scott,

You hit the nail on the head with this one.

I saw your title and thought "This is someone who is struggling with Article Marketing."

Instead, you made a very valid point and people should definitely take your advice.

Great post!

Thanks
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Ralf Skirr

14 years ago

Lol, when I read the title I thought 'That guy will get flamed from hundreds of article marketing warriors now'...

But given your post I guess that's not going to happen.

Ralf

Thanks
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Dan C. Rinnert

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Scott Ames

The sad thing about the advise given a lot of times is that it stops someone else from giving it a go.

That's true. I remember 6-8 years ago or so, I was reading that article marketing wasn't effective anymore. So, I never gave it a try until after I joined the WF.

Originally Posted by Ralf Skirr

Lol, when I read the title I thought 'That guy will get flamed from hundreds of article marketing warriors now'...

But given your post I guess that's not going to happen.

Give it some time. Some people don't read more than the headline before jumping into the discussion.

Thanks

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shibbeymon

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Sipboy3000

That's exactly what I thought when I saw the Title. The only way I've made money so far in IM was when I was article marketing.

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JonMills 14 years ago

exactly scott

What works for some, fails for others

if it didnt. Everyone would be donald trump
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petelta 14 years ago

I totally agree. You see too many people saying something doesn't work when we all know there are people making thousands of dollars or more from it. I don't think they realize that it's not cpa/article marketing/etc. that doesn't work, its the way they are presenting it. You can sell anything if you learn how to drive traffic and how to write sales copy. All you internet sales problems will be solved if you work on those two things. From that point on, you can deliver your promotions any form you want.

The only way to learn those two things is with months of effort, neither driving traffic or copy writing skills come over night. Both require constant tweaking until you have your system.
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dksnyder2002 14 years ago

And you must remember for it to work you have to try it! I don't mean stick it up and forget it. I mean put some effort into it. If it is worth doing it is worth doing right and that is the only way you can make it work. There are no miracles out there that let us wish and the money falls into our pockets.
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- MissTerraK 14 years ago
  
  What I can't seem to figure out is why some certain people would post those types of statements anyway.
  
  In actuality, they're just proclaiming to the IM world that they themselves are failures, as there are many, many IMers that have been exceedingly successful in the above mentioned topics.
  
  What do these successful marketers think of the person who made those obnoxious statements?
  
  Then if the poster should get a business up and running, hoping to gain some success, who will want to do business with them?
  
  I wish these types of posters would think before they post, as they just are setting themselves up for a life of a tainted reputation in the IM world of business.:rolleyes:
  
  MissTerraK
  
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Dustin Cannon 14 years ago

Scott, you are a man after my own heart.

I love it.

"Everything works, everything fails, it's the human wild card in the mix (you) that makes the difference. Good methods and techniques are golden, but what is between your right ear and your left ear determines if you succeed more than anything. "
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Jonathan Ferraro 14 years ago

Could not agree with you more, Scott. We're all different. Not all of us have the same traits. What may work for some, will not work for others.

Honestly I don't think there is a "system" that doesn't work. It's just a question of who's the one that's applying the system.
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JoeHughes 14 years ago

Scott, spot on. The problem with ,most of my students is they don't stick to anything, they want instant results making tens of thousands month 1.

You have to learn your craft, implement, fail, learn and eventually you will win out.
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- fxmmorale 14 years ago
  
  Thanks to unrealistic expectations, most people expect to 'get rich' because they wrote a couple of articles or seo'd a site (which probably wasn't done properly to begin with) or just did the bare minimum concerning any of the areas you mentioned.
  
  Unfortunately the 'herd' mentality and the fear of failure cause many to follow crap advice and chime in without fully understanding what it takes to make anything work.
  
  That's why it's best to invest in something and then block everything else out while you work at it.
  
  Turn off your email if you have to.
  
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  DaveHughes 14 years ago
  
  Dead bang-on, Scott.
  
  And MissTerraK, the reason why so many people write these kinds of comments/posts is actually tied into a motivating force used in copywriting...justification.
  
  A good piece of sales copy should help the potential buyer justify to himself a purchase he's already decided to make. However, justification has a dark side...
  
  If someone fails at something, their first reaction is usually "Well, of course it didn't work for me...it doesn't work at all. It's not my fault!"
  
  (BTW, using "It's not your fault!" is a classic sales copy technique...because it works.)
  
  Those posts/comments are a way of fishing for outside validation of what they've already decided was the reason for their lack of success.
  
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mikeevee 14 years ago

Totally agree. Everything is worth a try and only time and experience can teach you what works.

There are far too many people looking for the golden bullet, the magic secret to success. But in the end success in this field comes from experience, hard work, time and sometimes a little luck!
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rimam1 14 years ago

You can only be successful if you're ready to make friends with misery and defeat. I wish things were different, but that's just the way it is.
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- DaveHughes 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by rimam1
  
  You can only be successful if you're ready to make friends with misery and defeat. I wish things were different, but that's just the way it is.
  
  Ah, but if you learn to take defeat for what it is...a visitor that brings you one step closer to success...then misery never shows up at your door.
  
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- sylviad 14 years ago
  
  Those people do not realize (yet) that some niches sell better using one technique over another. They also do not realize that article marketing does take a lot of work - and a certain amount of insight - before you can make it work.
  
  How you write your articles, what you put into your articles, how you approach the subject, whether it benefits the reader, whether or not the conclusion (resource box) entices people to click... are all significant variables that must be learned.
  
  As with any marketing, you have to do several things:
  Get AND HOLD the reader's interest
  
  Give them something they want/expect from the article/ad/promo
  
  Leave them wanting more - provide only a part of the puzzle - and you hold the other half on your site / in your product
  
  Make them want to click to find out what you have for them and how you can solve their problems
  
  Entice them with word pictures - how great they'll feel when they make that ultimate decision to click your link
  
  This will determine whether or not your "article marketing" works.
  
  And then, it's a matter of getting the work done. It would appear that many think that it takes very little to make money, but it takes a lot of effort. They've been brainwashed with all the false promises of quick riches. Everything is "Easy" and "Fast" and "Instant". Nothing is, because there is that all-important learning curve that they overlook.
  
  And then of course there's the actual "amount" of work that is vague. How MUCH work does it take? How MUCH commitment and effort? How long before results can be expected?
  
  3 weeks, 5 hours a day might sound sufficient to one person, whereas 6 months 12 hours a day makes more sense to someone else. How does a newcomer know which is right?
  
  That's why they are quick to decide that a very effective marketing method does not work.
  
  Sylvia
  
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  webwriter 14 years ago
  
  I used to buy books on writing for money because I loved to write, was good at it, and did become an article and book author. I didn't reach my goal by following one author's how-to book. If anything, I took and implemented some practical advice from just about every book I bought....and became successful.
  
  Most likely, if I limited myself to a single book on writing for money, I would not have enjoyed all of that success.
  
  I think that just about every book, ebook or report has something for users to take and use. Not everything is for every user, although that would be nice. But this is not a perfect world.
  
  Now, I like to read everything about IM and select and implement information that I know will work for me. My job then is to implement it correctly and dutifully and become successful.
  
  Thanks
  
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  Nu 14 years ago
  
  I know what you mean. Unfortunately, I was almost one of those people. I would find myself all excited about a new plan or new idea, but never follow all of the way through...until recently.
  In my case, it wasn't so much about my disbelieving these various ideas would work. It was more a case of road-blocking myself if I could get all 7 steps in a 7 step plan done right then. I never really had all of my ducks in a row. When I finally fixed that, I was a amazed and a terribly disappointed that I had wasted so much time.
  Thanks for giving others a heads up. Maybe it will save them some time and frustration.
  
  Thanks
  
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  Steven Wagenheim 14 years ago
  
  Hey Scott...the joke's on YOU.
  
  None of that stuff works.
  
  J/K.
  
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  Rich Mann 14 years ago
  
  Spot on Scott.
  
  Too many people approach Internet Marketing with the wrong attitude. It's a business. And just like any other type of business, you need to have a solid understanding of business principles.
  
  If your only intent is to "make money", then you will fail. Period.
  
  Making money is a result! The result of providing your customers or potential customers with exceptional value and unwavering customer support.
  
  Imagine going out and starting a brick-n-mortar business with the same attitude of "I'll give it a try" but all I want is peoples money, you'd be out of business in short order. That should be enough to force you to re-think your approach to training investment and time management.
  
  Instead, you must have the mindset of "What can I give my customers that will earn their trust and loyalty?" and then focusing on how can I make it even better for my customers?
  
  Every one of the methods Scott mentioned, will work. But for a specific method to work, you have to become intimately familiar with your target market and audience, have an exceptional understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses and you must be willing to work. Perhaps harder that you have ever worked before.
  
  There's no such thing as easy money and there's no such thing as overnight success. If you're foolish enough to throw your money at any type of training material or course that touts either of these two benefits, you deserve to loose your money and time.
  
  If you invest in ANY training materials and fail to get at least a 1:5 return ratio on your investment (ROI) then you've thrown the money away. Breaking even (1:1 ratio) after factoring in the initial investment, time to implementation (man hours) and overhead costs of implementation, equals a waste of time. It's a numbers game. It's business.
  
  Take a good look at your hard drive and see how much money you spent in 2009 on these materials and then calculate how much money you made from those investments. That should be enough to force you to re-think your approach to training investments and time management.
  
  Thanks
  
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  ElGatito 14 years ago
  
  Thanks for this great post.
  
  Just a thought like that, University training are scheduled on 3 to 5 years. While there is a lot of useless stuff in it, it is still forming you for a few years before sending you in the workforce.
  
  Whether you like it or not, you gain specific skills in those. You learn for a while, and screw up and relearn. Then you go at work and screw up there. And etc...
  
  It would then be presumptuous to think that an online venture would work the first time you tried. I think because of our marketing, we might have made it look a bit too easy.
  
  Thanks
  
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  Scott Ames 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim
  
  Hey Scott...the joke's on YOU.
  
  None of that stuff works.
  
  J/K.
  
  LOL... ok that one did actually make me laugh out loud.
  
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  Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. -Winston Churchill
  
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Sparhawke 14 years ago

I was going to come in here upon reading the title and 50/50 agree and argue.

Article marketing doesn't work for me because I hate backlinking, I cannot be bothered doing it and know that. Does that make me a bad person?

No, I believe that it simply that I have found one thing to outsource to others so that they can do it for me when I scale up.

I will concentrating on what I do like such as thinking up all these wonderful domain names and bashing away into the dead of night to try to find some way to make them work.

One by one.

There is much said about all this work hard and that you must struggle, but if you simply hate doing something eventually you will start avoiding it, when that happens you will start avoiding it for everything and every one of your sites and niches. So simply outsource that work from day one, wash your hands of it and pay someone to allow you to get on with what you wish to do.
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- Dean Shainin 14 years ago
  
  Scott, this is a very inspiring post and spot on to say the least! I'm amazed how many people find all the reasons why they will not succeed online with any one method. Finding ones passion and what they are great at can take some time...
  
  Your post should be the first thing any newbie reads before proceeding to make money online...
  
  I'd like to chime in mention to try and focus on one aspect at a time. Don't try to master affiliate marketing, create your own products, learn every single form of advertising in the world, master web design, learn how to use Camtasia, master article marketing, master Frank Kern style of copy-writing, and the list can be endless and go on and on and on. It's wise to focus on one aspect at a time. I know it's tough because it's like a candy store to a baby when getting started but I could have saved myself a whole lot of time if I realized this when getting started online...
  
  Cheers,
  Dean
  
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JasonP 14 years ago

I wish that there was a post of the day award, because this one would win it. Thanks Scott! So true!
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Patrik 14 years ago

The title of this thread reminded me of something I find curious and a bit "funny".

I started two smaller sites a few weeks or so ago, both around similar themes. I decided to try and optimize one of the sites, as the other is still a bit under construction. I began trying to improve pagerank and creating links, mainly from publishing articles on sites such as ezinearticles.

A few days ago I checked the ranking, and to my surprise the promoted side dropped from around 3rd page to 9th+ page (and not even listing the main page any more). While the other site, which though using similar keywords are mostly written around a different keyword, had gone up in listings a page or so.

Might be entirely coinsidential, but makes me wonder, if google perhaps thought I got too many links too quickly or something... heh.
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- Intrepreneur 14 years ago
  
  Article marketing done wrong does not work.. i.e. filling up other people's sites with your writing. I mean take a look at the most succesful sites, you don't see them running round submitting articles to ezine articles.. do you? Nope you don't. Instead you see them adding content to their own sites.
  
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thejjones 14 years ago

Right on. Not everything works for everybody... and not everybody is willing to make things work for them...
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duncanb 14 years ago

What a brilliant post! Everyone is different, everyone does things differently, If we were all the same, wouldnt the world be a very boooooring place!
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- All Night Cafe 14 years ago
  
  Great Post. I like article marketing better and better
  all the time. As long as I'm follow the steps I have
  been taught, it works.
  
  I do like what Stephen said.
  
  Thanks
  
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TheRichJerksNet 14 years ago

Great post Scott .. Very well said and I hope it motivates some to actually take action and not listen to what others say ... Just because you can't build a house does not mean it can't be done by someone else..

Kudos for the great post ...

James
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Dennis Gaskill

14 years ago

Nice post, toastie...I mean, Scott. After publishing something about article writing in my newsletter a few years ago I had someone write to me claiming that article marketing was a hoax. Seems he'd tried to get published a few times and all his articles were rejected.

U have 2 understand how he wrote 2 me to c how funny it was, r u getting it?

Thanks
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Just when you think you've got it all figured out, someone changes the rules.

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TheRichJerksNet

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill

Does U not just LUV them Emails Dennis ....

James

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Dennis Gaskill 14 years ago

Originally Posted by TheRichJerksNet

Does U not just LUV them Emails Dennis ....

James

O yes Jamz, but i r ezlee amuzd. Seriously though, I don't know if he wrote his articles like that, I didn't see them, but he wrote to me like that. I told him article marketing does work, but it's not for everyone...or something to that effect, don't remember my exact words after all this time.
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- thedogtreatjar 14 years ago
  
  Like so many others, I expected something very different from the title.
  
  Thanks for being so refreshing!
  
  Thanks
  
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bizfox 14 years ago

Never stop trying things even though everyone tells you to. We gain perfection through practice.
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- TheRichJerksNet 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by bizfox
  
  Never stop trying things even though everyone tells you to. We gain perfection through practice.
  
  Not only that we learn from mistakes, so when you "fail" at something it is not really a failure but something you can learn from....
  
  James
  
  P.S. I learned long ago to make mistakes so I can learn from my mistakes
  
  Thanks
  
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cowsgonemadd3 14 years ago

Your post was spot on! I was expecting something different when I read the title.
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Article Marketing does not work

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