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Earning Money Vs. Contributing to Society

by Chr
14 replies
Its more important to me that I contribute to others with my life/work than succeed financially. I think financial careers where intelligent people look for ways to beat the market without actually contributing/producing are a brain-drain.

(I am not saying all investment does not contribute to society, but some of it certainly does not.)

Anyway, I think IMing may have the same problem. I've had some decently successful affiliate projects where I'm not sure I really contributed. I don't think providing information that already exists in a hundred other places is all that productive.

I try to make sure my content remains both honest and useful, but sometimes with IMing, it goes the other way. It seems like many businesses may not just have a neutral contribution, but a negative one.

Anyone want to weigh in with their own experience or opinion?
#contributing #earning #money #society
  • Profile picture of the author LastingEnterprise
    Originally Posted by Chr View Post

    Anyway, I think IMing may have the same problem. I've had some decently successful affiliate projects where I'm not sure I really contributed. I don't think providing information that already exists in a hundred other places is all that productive.
    IMing and any other types of marketing to get the right product in front of the right people is a valuable service.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chr
    IMing and any other types of marketing to get the right product in front of the right people is a valuable service.
    Definetly could be. I'm not trying to vilify all of IMing...not at all. If the product itself is not valuable, then marketing it can't be a valuable service.

    Also, if the product is good, but your simply competing with other marketers to serve the same information to another consumer, are you contributing?
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    • Profile picture of the author LastingEnterprise
      Originally Posted by Chr View Post

      If the product itself is not valuable, then marketing it can't be a valuable service.

      Also, if the product is good, but your simply competing with other marketers to serve the same information to another consumer, are you contributing?
      Marketing a bad product poisons the relationship you have with your list. Doing any job poorly is not a valuable service.

      Competition provides more choice the consumer, so yes, there is a contribution here. I'd much rather have the option to choose between various products posed to me - it also rewards the marketers who can better communicate the benefits.
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  • Profile picture of the author evilbunnies
    I think your on the right track, giving people helpful information is the best way to build a long standing relationship with customers. Being helpful whether it is content you post, freebies you give, or product you promote will put you on the track for long term success. That should be the ultimate goal, to often people focus on trying to get short term success and ignore the long term.
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  • Profile picture of the author karlmay1980
    I wouldnt say that all IM products and services are without value but certainly there are a lot that bring its reputation down, just keep up looking for the the value you can distribute and I am sure word will create a great following for you and you will get the rewards you deserve.
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  • Profile picture of the author LastingEnterprise
    If you are looking for a more socially responsible way to provide information, there is certainly a market out there. For the most part, there are so many other (and more significant) factors influencing the ROI aside from whether the focus/market/industry is a socially responsible one. (Such as: how well do you know the product, how well it's communicated, how targeted your list is, retention, business cycle, etc.)
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  • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
    To contribute as priority is my personal path. For a long time I played in both sides: contributing as my own business and doing what I had to do as service provider for others. As time goes by I choose more carefully, and stay in my path as much as possible.

    One thing I discovered the hard way is that is actually hard to do marketing and do not spam. And if you do not spam, you are competing with others who do and you are always behind and starving.

    I did find my way, not to make millions but to go by while wealth in other areas of my life soar.

    Said that... I feel it is a personal choice and do not condemn those who have other priorities, whether it is a transitional state or a life choice.

    I learned a lot from people who dared to do the "bad boy" thing. And some can actually be applied even being "sissy".

    What I think is that people need to be honest with themselves and do what they feel right, no matter how it is looked from the outside.

    In the bigger picture we are all needed and useful, if we follow the inner guidance.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Chr View Post

    Its more important to me that I contribute to others with my life/work than succeed financially. I think financial careers where intelligent people look for ways to beat the market without actually contributing/producing are a brain-drain.
    If you have the ability to become financially very successful, I think you can do far more to contribute to society, in the long run, by becoming financially very successful and subsidising/paying others to contribute than you can by foregoing the financial success and trying to contribute more directly/personally, yourself.

    Example: there's no point in MBA graduates "chucking it all in" to do manual labor for a charity in Africa. They can achieve far more "for Africa" by having a successful business career and setting up an endowment/sponsorship/charity for others to be aid workers there. (Ok, it's not the best available example, by any means but doubtless you see my point?).

    I don't disagree with the rest of what you've said, though, at all.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andy Fletcher
    Originally Posted by Chr View Post

    Its more important to me that I contribute to others with my life/work than succeed financially. I think financial careers where intelligent people look for ways to beat the market without actually contributing/producing are a brain-drain.

    (I am not saying all investment does not contribute to society, but some of it certainly does not.)

    Anyway, I think IMing may have the same problem. I've had some decently successful affiliate projects where I'm not sure I really contributed. I don't think providing information that already exists in a hundred other places is all that productive.

    I try to make sure my content remains both honest and useful, but sometimes with IMing, it goes the other way. It seems like many businesses may not just have a neutral contribution, but a negative one.

    Anyone want to weigh in with their own experience or opinion?
    You don't seem to realise that these are two sides of the same coin.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      Originally Posted by Andy Fletcher View Post

      You don't seem to realise that these are two sides of the same coin.
      They can be, they do not always match. It is a matter of set of beliefs.

      Those who think money is "evil" or "the root of all problems" will either be very poor or filthy rich and nasty.

      Those who believe (or learn to believe) that money and good will can go together, they make it happen. But it is not the most transited path.
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  • Profile picture of the author Auctiondebteliminator
    Earning money is a bonus to contributing to society.

    If you have an excellent product, that people HAPPEN to WANT to pay for - then your excellence is then compensated for.

    That is why being success is a REWARD FOR EXCELLENCE.

    Your contribution to society is a reward for your excellence.
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    • Profile picture of the author RDInfo
      I've had some decently successful affiliate projects where I'm not sure I really contributed. I don't think providing information that already exists in a hundred other places is all that productive.

      I try to make sure my content remains both honest and useful, but sometimes with IMing, it goes the other way. It seems like many businesses may not just have a neutral contribution, but a negative one.
      I agree that there is no point to repeat available information.

      But if you consider that some of the available information is true (there is evidence, proofs), some is false (repeated or distorted or erroned or nonsensical), then you can see the potential to create a better infoproduct/tutorial.

      You can also add your personal experiences, your thoughts about possible solutions and if you are honest this will plant seeds in others minds and help them improve their approaches.

      Also you can create a product which has a better presentation, a more accessible way to learn and to understand the subject, a different positionning and approach to explain the subject and to provide solutions.

      You can also recommend a material product in your infoproduct and make a deal with the distributor of this product, or create your own product.

      Really there are many ways to contribute to the society if you have good morals and ethics when you work.

      I think what is really important is to be honest about why you do what you do and have a fair price (i have not said cheap !) considering the value you provide with your solution compared to the others solutions and depending on your morals.

      Internet marketing is not a thing, it is a concept, a way of being known and of distributing a product. I use internet marketing to distribute my infoproducts and i appreciate this technology, but i don't like many practices and lies of the "make money online" marketers. If you don't like what they do, just do your own thing, you may earn less money on the short term but you will keep a better reputation on the long term.
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  • Profile picture of the author rogerfromdoug
    Originally Posted by Chr View Post

    Its more important to me that I contribute to others with my life/work than succeed financially. I think financial careers where intelligent people look for ways to beat the market without actually contributing/producing are a brain-drain.

    (I am not saying all investment does not contribute to society, but some of it certainly does not.)

    Anyway, I think IMing may have the same problem. I've had some decently successful affiliate projects where I'm not sure I really contributed. I don't think providing information that already exists in a hundred other places is all that productive.

    I try to make sure my content remains both honest and useful, but sometimes with IMing, it goes the other way. It seems like many businesses may not just have a neutral contribution, but a negative one.

    Anyone want to weigh in with their own experience or opinion?
    I couldn't agree with you more. It's refreshing to see this as I usually feel I'm one of the only people involved in IM who feels the same way.

    I originally planned to get involved in IM to build up a steady residual income that would allow me to do things that I find pleasure in and that I feel truly do contribute to humanity (but which don't pay anything, and in fact actually cost). The problem is I'm constantly shoveling sand. I do more and more work to the point where I'm too burnt out to do anything else. And the worst part is that I'm still not making much money.

    I can't recommend Jimmy Reid's commencement speech enough. I just reread it earlier today. You can find it online easily.

    "A rat race is for rats. We're not rats. We're human beings. Reject the insidious pressures in society that would blunt your critical faculties to all that is happening around you, that would caution silence in the face of injustice lest you jeopardize your chances of promotion and self-advancement. This is how it starts and before you know where you are, you're a fully paid-up member of the rat-pack. The price is too high. It entails the loss of your dignity and human spirit. Or as Christ put it, 'What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?'" - Jimmy Reid
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  • Profile picture of the author Chr
    Rogerfromdoug, thanks for the suggestion, that quote is excellent and I'll definitely look up the speech later today.

    Earning money is a bonus to contributing to society.
    That principle is what our economic system is based on, and its true to some extent. Its not always true though. The payment you receive for an action is rarely perfectly in-line with its contribution.

    You don't seem to realise that these are two sides of the same coin.
    I'm afraid of misinterpreting this, if you're still involved in the thread, feel free to expand on the idea.

    Alexa- I think you're right that some people reach a point where great financial success allows them to do more good for the world than trying to contribute directly (Buffet and Gates I think hit this point).

    I do think its worth pointing out though, many people become successful financially and could contribute, but don't. This is too extreme an example, but lets take a day trader who made millions. If he spends all his wealth on luxuries, I'd have trouble saying he contributed.
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