Does IM still work?

I would suggest a crash course in writing and grammar before you even consider IM.

This is the correct answer..... Leave it for the rest of us.

nice one. Super lol?

hit the nail on the head.

THIS!!

There is no quick fix, no magic button..

It is a job, a career, a business and you need to treat it like that and put the work in.

Statistics of success and failure in IM are irrelevant to your potential for success.

Once you master the understanding of that concept go out and fail until you succeed.

Once you master that concept you will no longer post these types of questions in the warrior forum.

Here is one equation for success in IM:

1. Identify unmet or under-met needs in a healthy market (one where people pay a lot of money for tools and solutions to their problems).
2. Create a product that solves the problems in an easier, cheaper, or more comprehensive way than other solutions.
3. Create an irresistible offer.
4. Automate the sales process and add an affiliate program.
5. Advertise and market your offer.

If you want the real truth then stay with forex. This way you will lose your money without all the hard work. IM is a lot of hard work and for those who are hard working and with little bit of luck can succeed.
There is no easy way except the Forex way.

The people who succeed are the people who actually stick with it and don't give up. Consistency and patience is definitely key. Some get lucky and don't have to wait for their first bucks, but most people have to try a few things (and stick with it for a while) before they see any money.

Good luck. Learn about different ways you can make money (because there are tons of ways) and then choose 1-3 different things you think you'll actually enjoy doing. Because it's true, you will definitely have to do work, so hopefully you can find something that doesn't feel like work

~Lisha

Thanks for some direction, Pcity. My impression is that people should be careful about SEO due to Google's dislike for over-optimization. Affiliate network/marketing is interesting. However, I envision a website or blog page that is edged with low-value offers. Whenever I visit a good website with low-value ads, it degrades the experience. I don't click on ads, generally.

Is that the reality, though? Is that the bread-and-butter of affiliate marketing?

Thanks again.

Thanks Robert. Does this subject continue elsewhere in the Forum? I'd like to know more.

yup. sad but true

No thats not exactly what i said. I suppose you misunderstood cause of my english.
What i mean is that i have realised that its much easier to make money in forex by selling false hope to other traders (and i translate taht as IM) instead of trying to learn how to trade and make money out of it.
I ve thought of doing that as well by educate other traders, ebooks, signals etc but i always was thinking that since i cannot do it my self how will i be able to do that properly to others?
Now i realise that this is a wrong way of thinking. I could have made loads of cash selling indicators, systems etc (i m a programmer). Maybe i still can. i dont know, i just think that forex market is overcrowded.

I suppose that you re just kidding me here so i dont need to answer it.

You'll need 10 posts/replys, then the thanks icon will show up in each post by the quick reply button

Yeah, you might want to work on your own posts before criticizing others for theirs, lol.

Said the blind man to the one-eyed man.

I,m always so surprised when people ask "does it work?" Well, it's like any other career choice. You get out of it what you put into it.

First, learn the basics.
Next, apply what you've learned.

Focus your time around learning an implementing what you learn. If you do this and stay working towards your goals each and every day, then yes, you will make money. But, like anything else, it may take awhile for you to see real financial gain. It will happen, though if you just stay the course and do not become distracted by bright shiny objects that promise overnight riches. No such thing!

Remember to have fun with it!

Yes i agree with that. Although in the forex/futures/option etc markets the logic of the clients isnt exactly the same. The clients/users got a virus running in their veins...and that virus is there from the very first day. Thanks God i got rid of it very early before loosing my account!

ok let me make this clear because it was misunderstood andi suppose thats cause of my English. By saying that in trading "i found out that the easiest way to earn money there is to sell hope to others forex traders" i mean that this is what i discovered that is happening widely in the forex market. This is not what i m doing! But this is a fact in forex.
Also i m not sure why you re saying that i m expecting other people to trust me? I m not here to sell anything. I m just a newbie researching whats the right path to take on IM. Nothing more than that. I hope that i ll be able to help others as well one day.

lol!!!
you re funny guys!

Solomos,

I'm sorry about my earlier post. But I just HAD to say something. On the one hand, your cynicism is justifiable. On the other hand, your question displays a lack of understanding of basic business and marketing fundamentals. (In your defense though, the WF contributes to it because many Warriors don't understand it either.)

Steven Wagenheim gave you sound advice.

Misconception: IM is a business.

Truth: IM is NOT a business!!!

This misconception is rampant on here and drives me BATTY! Like TV, direct mail, the radio, magazines and newspapers, the Internet is simply a medium to communicate your message to your target market. (Of course, the Internet does a lot of other things, like deliver your products (if digital), follows up (autoresponders), customer service, etc.)

But you still need something to sell!

When the fax machine first came out, people didn't run around and say "I'm going to start a fax business." So WHY do they say "I'm going to start an IM business."????

The Internet is your medium. But you STILL need a product or a service to sell!

All forms of "how to make money" info are hot because there's a HUGE demand for it. And in advertising, marketing and copywriting, you sell the sizzle, not the steak. (You deliver the steak, though.) I totally understand your cynicism about "how to make money" in fields like IM and forex. It IS very incestuous.

However, they're still legitimate fields. The amount of snake oil depends on the seller. You CAN enter either market ethically. However, you're probably better off choosing a completely different niche to enter (not related to making money).

Clarity is a HUGE part of IM success. It's so simple when you know it -- and darn difficult when you don't! I owe my mentors a world of thanks for bringing this clarity.

IM is actually pretty simple: you can sell only one of two things:

1. Products
2. Services

That's it!

And selling products or services online happens in the same basic way for everyone, no matter what they're selling:

Traffic > Opt-in page > Autoresponder series (or e-zine) > Sales page

That's it! It's just that simple. (We IMers tend to overcomplicate things.)

But no matter what your niche is, or whether you're selling a product or a service, do you know what your business model is?

A business model is the framework or skeleton of your business. Essentially there are three types of online business models:

1. Membership-based model

A membership-based business model allows you to build a community of people (your members) who are as passionate about your subject as you are. Your membership fees can be monthly or annual, but either way, you're building recurring, passive income.

There are a lot of resources and information out there to help you build a membership-based business if you're interested in doing this.

2. Product-based model

Selling products allows you to maximize your time and effort by selling items over and over again. This can be hard goods or it can be information products. Information marketing is it's own business model under the product-based model. Information marketing allows you to take your brain to the bank by creating a product ONCE based on what you know and selling it over and over again.

Affiliate marketing falls under both models. You can choose to market either products or services as an affiliate.

3. Service-based model

Selling services can be great for 1) generating quick cash (as in the case of article writing or video producing) and 2) establishing your expertise and getting testimonials.

However, in the long run, your goal should be to offer services at a PREMIUM. The biggest advantage of IM is LEVERAGE. You're able to leverage your time, money and expertise exponentially online. We all have just 24 hours each day. Time to get ruthless about what you expect for those hours you spend in IM each day. Expect more of yourself and more from your business friends, clients, partners, etc.

What results are you getting for those hours you spend online each day? Ultimately, your services should be at the bottom of your funnel and cost the most since they involve your time and personal attention. (We all have a limited amount of time each day.)

The fun (and confusion) comes in with all of the endless mix-and-match possibilities of the above models. If you're just starting or still struggling to make money, keep it simple:

Pick just ONE!

1. Pick ONE niche. (Something you're interested in and know something about.)

2. Pick ONE target market for your product or service. (Who will buy what you're offering? The more specific you are, the more you narrow it down, the more successful you'll be.)

3. Pick ONE business model.

Now that you're clear about what business you're in, FOCUS! (And stop buying any info not related to your niche and target market, period!)

F -- Follow
O -- One
C -- Course
U -- Until
S -- Successful

And remember: build a list, Build a List, BUILD A LIST!

In IM, it's easy to put the cart before the horse. Take a deep breath, step back and consider what type of business you REALLY want. Don't worry about getting traffic or buying that expensive traffic product until you know 1) what your business model is, 2) what niche you're in and 3) WHO your target market is!

Successful business people will tell you that MARKETING is more than half the effort that's needed for success anyway. So pick a niche, target market and business model. Then spend most of your time and effort marketing it.

If you DON'T have a solid plan or system, THAT'S when it's hard. A good system will shave YEARS (and save you big $$$) off of your learning curve

That's why I recommend investing in at least one good, comprehensive IM course (or mentor who will give you such a system) instead of jumping from one $37 e-book to the next. A lot of people here complain about not being able to make any money. But neither are they willing to invest in their business. (Buying a random bunch of $37 e-books doesn't count.)

The best thing I ever did was invest in a comprehensive IM course aimed at REAL business owners, not just other IM wannabes. Yes it was $1500. (It's no longer available.) But it was truly some of the best A-Z IM info I ever bought. Everything else I've learned (from the $37 e-books) since has simply been plugged into this system.

Get a solid plan or system and then work the plan!

Hope this helps!

Michelle

lol! i could never believe that by question was so obvious. but it could take many parameters as well. Like eg you build up a site with a service or product.

Can you make a success just by hard work using IM and thats it or you need large amount of cash for ads etc etc. I always had in my mind it was the 2nd one...

I actually don't but I'm an anomaly

and thank God, because otherwise marketing really wouldn't work.