31 replies
I think this is my first post and a big cry for help. Like most I've been at this IM/Affiliate Marketing business for a few years with no results. I've built several sites that look great but you guessed it NO TRAFFIC. I have been hosed by every Guru out there with a system or plan.
What I really need and will pay for it is someone who knows how to drive traffic to a site. I need someone to teach my how to do PPC, SEO and Social Marketing. I'm a very, very, very hard worker WHEN I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. Every guru sets you up with his "Latest Greatest" System and all you need to do now is get visitors to it. The problem is I don't know how to get traffic so I do nothing.

IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO SHOW A NEWBE HOW THE HELL TO PRODUCE TRAFFIC? I am willing to pay for a personal tutor.
#guru #tired
  • Profile picture of the author wholesale blogger
    You should stop paying for anything now...... STOP.... STOP ... STOP

    Take a step back. You have joined this forum and you will need to take a deep breath and start over.

    Take a look at all of the threads here, Bookmark the useful ones, read them again and then break the info down into useful notes.

    I am new (ish) to all of this also and have been posting and learning here for the past few months. It may sound a long time, but really, it is time well spent.

    The information you will be given here is free and by people who are doing the job each day.

    You have an advantage in that you are not a newbie, and even the bad experiences you have had so far will stop you from making them again ;-)

    Good luck
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  • Profile picture of the author Porphyrogenitus
    You don't need a personal tutor. From now on, stop reading ebooks, people who market themselves as guru's, etc.

    What you need is to get some real experience and read some quality information. Throw out all the ebooks, those are all trash. No reputable outlet would publish them, thats why they're ebooks. Now go on amazon and invest in a couple real, accredited, peer-reviewed TEXTBOOKS on SEO ($75+). Read those, study those and spend the next 2-4 months mostly just learning quality information. Then forget paying someone to tutor you... work with people who are the best. Let them pay you to learn while you start tiny niche tests on the side. Then when you've really got it figured out, head out on your own again.
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    • Profile picture of the author jdynars
      Originally Posted by Porphyrogenitus View Post

      . Then forget paying someone to tutor you... work with people who are the best. Let them pay you to learn while you start tiny niche tests on the side. Then when you've really got it figured out, head out on your own again.
      How exactly do I do this? I understand the book part. What about all the changes Google made? Are they as bad as the Gurus want us to think or will the old school SEO tactics still work fine? Again I dont get what your saying in the quote above.
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      • Profile picture of the author Porphyrogenitus
        Originally Posted by jdynars View Post

        How exactly do I do this? I understand the book part. What about all the changes Google made? Are they as bad as the Gurus want us to think or will the old school SEO tactics still work fine? Again I dont get what your saying in the quote above.
        I mean that if you want to succeed at this, you're going to have to understand that all business is an interpersonal, social activity and go out and work with people.

        Let me just throw this out there, as I've carefully been studying this market for years now. According to the high authority of ibisworld, in 2013 there are 42k people employed full-time in the seo industry, making an average of $102k in the US. The average firm has 5 people. What can we take from this?

        There are literally thousands of places in real life you can go work where you can gain expertise working intimately with people who know what they are doing. Their success will be based on how well they can educate you.

        The other thing you can do is browse around this forum, and most of the other ones out there, and find joint-ventures where leaders may need you to take a junior role actually implementing some of their ideas. These are golden opportunities. Don't ever steal their idea, but learn the general concepts.

        Get what I'm saying now? Don't reinvent the wheel. Learn from experts, combine your knowledge, and then strike out on your own.
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  • Profile picture of the author TerryX
    Be your own guru.
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    • Profile picture of the author jdynars
      Originally Posted by TerryX View Post

      Be your own guru.
      Thats my biggest problem!!! ME! Because I have no idea what I'm doing I'm doing nothing. I feel like a deer in the headlights. I know I need to move but am paralyzed by not knowing WHAT to do.
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      • Profile picture of the author jdynars
        I think what I need is a workbook or something to help guide me on a daily basis
        I need to XXXXXXX on back links
        I need to XXXXXXX on Facebook
        I need to XXXXXXX on Twitter
        I need to XXXXXX for content
        ect I guess I need someone to help me fill in the X's so I'm doing something everyday to generate interest and traffic. right now I have no clue what the X's should be.
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      • Profile picture of the author art72
        Originally Posted by jdynars View Post

        Thats my biggest problem!!! ME! Because I have no idea what I'm doing I'm doing nothing. I feel like a deer in the headlights. I know I need to move but am paralyzed by not knowing WHAT to do.
        Find yourself a niche you are comfortable with. It can be breeding iguanas, how to quilt, or something you'd be doing if money and time were of no object. Start educating, informing others of "how they" can benefit from your knowledge, experience, passion...etc..

        Then find (affiliate products or services) that match your target audiences needs, wants, desires, or passions and recommend the things you buy, you would buy, or feel comfortable in promoting. Provide solutions and focus on the person you are talking to (writing actually) to relate. Build credibility, trust, and outperform your competition... and be ethical, don't let money to blind your path...like those shiny objects do.
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        Atop a tree with Buddha ain't a bad place to take rest!
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    • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
      Originally Posted by TerryX View Post

      Be your own guru.
      Congratulations! You get the "Most Useless, Unhelpful Post of the Day Award."

      Why bother posting at all? If you have some substance behind that answer, then elaborate. Otherwise, don't bother posting in the first place.

      jdynars,

      Getting traffic will ALWAYS be something you need to do for the life of your business.

      Some points about getting traffic:

      1. Basically, you can divide your traffic activities into two categories: 1) short-term and 2) long-term. You need both.

      Pay-per-click (PPC) traffic costs money and is GREAT for getting a jumpstart and seeing results NOW (like, in just 15 minutes). There are free traffic methods too, like articles, but they are much slower and are a more long-term traffic strategy.

      You need both.

      2. Focus on WHO your target audience is and go where they are.

      That is, too many people in the IM space focus on other IMers and give traffic resources that are really only for IMers, which is of NO help if your target audience is NOT other IMers or biz-op seekers! (Note the suggestions here on the WF. Almost every single suggestion assumes you're targeting other IMers.)

      That said, here's a list of 15 different traffic methods. It's not an exhaustive list, but it will keep you busy for a long time to come.

      1. Search Engines and Directories
      2. PPC advertising
      3. Your own e-zine
      4. Your articles on other e-zines and websites
      5. Ads on other websites
      6. Ads in other e-zines
      7. Online forums and discussion groups
      8. Recommendations by other e-zine publishers (cross promotion)
      9. Recommendations by other site owners
      10. Affiliate programs
      11. Your e-mail sig file
      12. Exposure in radio, print and TV
      13. Live speaking to groups
      14. Postcard mailings
      15. Social Media
      16. Joint ventures

      The mistake many Warriors make is trying to do it ALL. They end up exhausted, with no results. The key is to focus on just a handful (say 5) and do them over and over again. Do not rely on just 1 method! So pick the methods that best fit YOUR business and audience. Remember to include 1-2 fast-traffic methods and make the other 3 more long-term strategies.

      It's VERY IMPORTANT to understand the online marketing process first. Online success is pretty basic and follows the same basic process for everyone, no matter what niche they're in:

      Traffic > Opt-in page (to build your list) > Autoresponder series (or e-zine) (to follow up with your list) > Sales page

      A sample traffic list could look like this:

      1. Social Media
      2. PPC
      3. Direct mail
      4. JVs
      5. Video

      So those traffic sources lead to your follow up systems like this:

      1. E-zine/newsletter
      2. E-mail
      3. Direct mail

      Which then lead to the actual conversion (sales) points like these:

      1. Solo ads
      2. Teleseminars
      3. Webinars
      4. Direct mail

      These are where actual presentations and offers are made. They are generally the point of sale, where someone makes a decision to buy. To be successful with traffic, you need to reverse engineer the process and know where you're going before you start. Whether you're leading to a webinar, teleseminar or whatever will influence what traffic methods you use.

      With all of that said, here are some resources for learning how to get traffic:

      1. Kim Roach of MyTrafficMentor.com offers a good course for learning how to get traffic. Check out her information at Traffic LIVE!

      2. Ana Hoffman at Get BIG Website Traffic for Small Budgets | TrafficGenerationCafe.com also offers a cornucopia of traffic-getting help and information.

      For help with Facebook ads and general Facebook marketing, check out:

      3. Michelle Pescosolido of Social Media Mastery

      4. Ben Adkins of Evil Facebook Magician at Facebook Magician | Secrets To Getting Attention... Fast

      Beware: Often, traffic generation info is geared to other IMers, so they'll give you resources geared to that. If your audience is other IMers, fine. If not, be wary and choose people who can help you get the traffic you need. Don't waste time, money and effort getting unqualified traffic.

      Once you get started, you'll see recommendations for other resources. If it makes sense for your audience and business, then do it. If not, don't, no matter how bright and shiny the newest, latest, greatest offer is.

      Hope that helps!

      Michelle
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      "You can't market here. This is a marketing discussion forum!"
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  • Profile picture of the author art72
    If you're going to invest another dime, spend the $37 to become a War Room member... it's worth every penny. Outside of that expense, save your money... everything you need to succeed online can be found on this forum.

    As far as traffic, video marketing, write (keyword targeted) articles, look into article syndication, low cost ppc ads (.03¢) per click, and learn to write (compelling copy)... you'll make money. It takes time, but definitely STOP buying 'gshiny objects'.
    Signature
    Atop a tree with Buddha ain't a bad place to take rest!
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  • Profile picture of the author bob33229
    You will find a lot of gurus here as well with their WSO.
    Signature

    List of FREE and Legit Survey Sites
    https://www.makemoneytakingsurveys.com/

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  • Profile picture of the author waynemoney
    Keys to traffic is going where the traffic is and spending some time there building a reputation...

    Everyone is looking for that facet of traffic to turn on but it is much slower than that most of the time ..

    You don't need a lot of traffic you need good targeted traffic. Targeted traffic converts.

    I would love to look at one of your sites and know how much traffic you are getting and from where.
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    You Don't Have to Be Part of the 99% of Internet Marketers That Fail Miserably
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  • Profile picture of the author prendo
    Go look at Niche Site Projects | Niche Pursuits and do what they do, spend a few days reading there, watch, learn, do the work and keep doing it. Spencer the owner there gives so much good info, make a small easy to do daily linking campaign that you can feel comfortable in doing and just do.
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    • Profile picture of the author jdynars
      Originally Posted by prendo View Post

      Go look at Niche Site Projects | Niche Pursuits and do what they do, spend a few days reading there, watch, learn, do the work and keep doing it. Spencer the owner there gives so much good info, make a small easy to do daily linking campaign that you can feel comfortable in doing and just do.
      VERY helpful, This is going to become one of my most visited favorites. I cant believe this is free info.
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    Originally Posted by jdynars View Post

    I need someone to teach my how to do PPC, SEO and Social Marketing.
    No you don't. This is most likely the reason you have ended up in this position in the first place. Trying to master too many things. As the old saying goes...

    "Jack of all trades, master of none..."

    Forget about trying to master PPC, SEO and Social Marketing. If you try and become an expert at all 3 then like the saying above suggests, you will only ever be mediocre at all of them.

    So choose just ONE traffic method. In my opinion paid traffic is what you want to learn because it is the most reliable and scalable form of traffic there is. So focus on just paid traffic and become a master at that. You'll end up with much more traffic if you are able to master the one traffic source.

    So now go out and find someone who is well known for paid traffic and learn as much as you can from them. Jonathan Mizel is one such person know for being very good at media buying and he has several courses available. Only learn from the best. You might have to pay more money to learn from the best but it will actually save you a lot of money in the longrun.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
    Originally Posted by jdynars View Post

    I have been hosed by every Guru out there with a system or plan.
    What I really need and will pay for it is someone who knows how to drive traffic to a site. I need someone to teach my how to do PPC, SEO and Social Marketing. I'm a very, very, very hard worker WHEN I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. Every guru sets you up with his "Latest Greatest" System and all you need to do now is get visitors to it. The problem is I don't know how to get traffic so I do nothing.
    A couple questions:

    1. What do you mean hosed by every Guru out there? Their plan didn't work at all? Their latest greatest didn't have anything on getting traffic?

    2. You want to pay someone to teach you how to get traffic/make money. But isn't that what you were doing with all the gurus that hosed you? Are you throwing good money after bad with this approach?

    3. What traffic techniques have you tried that have gotten no results?

    Mark
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    • Profile picture of the author ElijahM
      You can hire a real, legitimate SEO firm to do the work on one site. They will provide reports delineating what's been done. Repeat those steps yourself for other sites if you want to, ultimately, do the work yourself.
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  • Profile picture of the author Victor Edson
    JD listen closely. I'm going to tell you exactly what you need to do. You've gone long enough NOT taking action & by now you 'know what to do', right?

    Since you've worked with so many gurus I'm guessing you have at least one website?

    If so, sign up for facebook, twitter, google+, linkedin(if it applies) and youtube.

    Create a quality post about your niche and post it to your site every day.

    Now share it on your social networks. Create a video and share it on youtube as well.

    Spend a little time each day expanding your social networks and creating at least 1 well written article.

    It doesn't happen over night. Expect NOTHING for 6 months.. be surprised when it starts compiling sooner.

    Forget Google & trying to game the system, build a list & a social following that enjoys what you share and you'll have traffic. Take a look at those gurus... they've been putting out content for years... now it's your turn to pick up your panties and produce content.

    The first site I ever built it took 2 weeks to make my first sale, because I created content and put it out there. Content is king... I'm sure you've heard it before haven't you?
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    • Profile picture of the author xanadux666
      Listen to Victor, excellent advice, his setup is very similar to the one we use, and no, we don't expect instant traffic.
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  • Profile picture of the author garyt
    It is not really difficult to get traffic, it is only expensive to do so. If you are willing to spend, there is no lack of traffic.

    PPC - best traffic but expensive. Just open an account with Adwords or Bing and try it out. Nothing difficult, they have tutorials and guides. You just need to start and tweak and test.

    I think the problem is too much analysis and no action on your part. You need to just take the first step and the rest will follow.

    No point paying for yet another traffic course and be disappointed again.
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    • Profile picture of the author jdynars
      Thanks everyone keep answering and Ill keep reading. I really liked several of your ideas and I will start TAKING action. One other question kind of off topic but sill preached by he gurus. Will an affiliate business ever run on auto pilot after you build a traffic stream?
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  • Profile picture of the author slanier2
    SEO is a sites best friend. Plenty of free traffic and sales if you put the time into learning it. Everyone wants the fast cash. Its why so many lose money.
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  • Profile picture of the author SamKane
    What is your product or service and who are you selling it too?

    Originally Posted by jdynars View Post

    I think this is my first post and a big cry for help. Like most I've been at this IM/Affiliate Marketing business for a few years with no results. I've built several sites that look great but you guessed it NO TRAFFIC. I have been hosed by every Guru out there with a system or plan.
    What I really need and will pay for it is someone who knows how to drive traffic to a site. I need someone to teach my how to do PPC, SEO and Social Marketing. I'm a very, very, very hard worker WHEN I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. Every guru sets you up with his "Latest Greatest" System and all you need to do now is get visitors to it. The problem is I don't know how to get traffic so I do nothing.

    IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO SHOW A NEWBE HOW THE HELL TO PRODUCE TRAFFIC? I am willing to pay for a personal tutor.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mogly
      Originally Posted by SamKane View Post

      What is your product or service and who are you selling it too?
      Exactly -- think like a business... not an "IM'er."
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    • Profile picture of the author jdynars
      Originally Posted by SamKane View Post

      What is your product or service and who are you selling it too?
      I love training hunting dogs and wicca. The sites I have up now are dog related, 3 sites are mainly landing pages for an online dog training course, a raw food diet how too ebook, and my favorite electronic training collar. I have another site dedicated to Labrador Retrievers, that site has about 20 articles and is recommending a dog training course as well.

      The dog training niche is so saturated and I really think more folks just want a few free tips. I am getting ready to do a site or two on Wicca and Witchcraft. This is a much less promoted niche and I think will be easier and cheaper to promote. I love this topic as well but not quite as much as the dog stuff.
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  • Profile picture of the author Friedmett
    Traffic?

    Youtube videos. Look for tubetrafficsecret.com and Jeff Johnson.

    You have 23 ways of traffic. Master Youtube and let those videos go out to your target market. Lead the target market from the vidoes to your website. If people like your videos they will follow your advice.

    You can't master more than 1 traffic method and youtube are free and best of all instant traffic like adwords but again free which saves you tons of money.
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  • Profile picture of the author Counselor
    I'm about to post a thread that will offer help to people in need. Not unlike yourself. Keep in mind though, I'm an SEO/PPC guy. Most people here will recommend "building a list," which is very nice even if it is a bit over-stated. They're talking about email marketing. It's incredibly effective. And I'll be implementing it soon as part of my company's comprehensive marketing strategy. Right after I get to Google+, facebook PPC, linkedin PPC....and I think I left my socks in the washer...
    Anyways, it's a bit overwhelming for me, and I already have an established SEO Company. So I can imagine how horrible it must be to start out without any direction. Actually, I can do more than imagine. I remember it. So, if it's any consolation, I'll be posting that thread within the next couple weeks. It might be worth checking out. I'm not going to charge a penny.
    Now, where did I place those canonical tags...?
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    Web Design and Search Engine Marketing Company http://www.centralcoastdigitaldesign.com a San Luis Obispo based business.

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  • Profile picture of the author RedShifted
    No offense but you deserve to get hosed.

    All the information you need to get started is freely available all over Google.

    And I've never understood why newbies waste so much money on "systems" and "gurus".

    Invest that money in your BUSINESS!

    This is business 101.

    If you want my advice, this is all you really need to know:

    1) Keyword research and competitive analysis - Learn how to identify low to moderate competition keywords. This is one of the most valuable skills any marketer can have.

    2) Create content - This is self explanatory.

    3) Promote the content - There are lots of people on here who can rank sites. So find someone with tons of good reviews, then pay them to rank your site. Or start by ranking YT videos on your own. Its not hard if you learn keyword research. And there are literally thousands of profitable keywords you can rank.

    The magic formula is ridiculously simple.

    Converting offer + traffic = money.

    You don't need to be a professional copywriter or an SEO expert. You just need basic sales / writing skills, or video creation skills, and someone who can rank sites / videos / articles for you.

    I hate to do this, but go visit some blackhat forums. They tend to be a lot more charitable than whitehat forums. There is one forum that documents peoples journeys. They tell you everything they're doing, how much they're making, and you can easily copy their strategies.

    I never followed any gurus. I just found people who were succeeding then copied what they were doing. And overtime I learned how to do it better.

    Most of all,follow through to the end with everything you do. There are tons of sites and videos I've ranked or outsourced SEO, that haven't been profitable. But then there are my sites and videos that ARE profitable. The point is, in every circumstance, regardless of what I was doing, I FINISHED my goals all the way to the end... EVEN IF I failed.

    I'm also not going to tell you to focus on one thing. I was focusing on multiple things when I first started. But anytime I started a new project, regardless of how many projects I had going, I NEVER gave up on any 1 project.

    Thats the mindset you need.

    Once you make your first few sales you'll realize "this isn't really hard". It will take a lot of weight off your shoulders, and you'll begin to realize that the sky is the limit. You'll become a lot more confident. And you won't need to complain about gurus anymore.

    Good luck

    -Red
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  • Profile picture of the author buysellbrowse
    Nothing better than to advertise your services. There are many free sites that will accept your ad (I should know, I run one). For dogs, try directories and free classifieds, under Pets. For wicca, you could start a topic under Community --> Religion, and a blog to expand on the subject of witchcraft.
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    buysell-browse.com * Free Classifieds Advertising & Promotion *
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    • Profile picture of the author Devid Farah
      The problem with what you are asking is that the real gurus, the ones that don't consider themselves gurus at all and can drive traffic to any site imaginable are the ones that you need and they won't divulge any of their secrets as those techniques are their livelihood.

      Your best bet would be to outsource the SEO and social marketing aspects of your sites and just focus on good content.

      There are several very good companies out there that can bring you traffic in droves, you need to focus on what that traffic sees when they get there.
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