Is Internet Marketing a respectful profession?

by 60 replies
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When you tell people you are an "Internet Marketer", what is the usual response from people?

How do you elaborate your profession?

I need some help in defining my job..... some people think internet marketers are spammers. How do I get rid of that negatie assumption?
#main internet marketing discussion forum #internet #marketing #profession #respectful
  • Internet Marketer is a prestigious name especially if you tell him that you are able to make a living online and work from home.
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    • This seems about right, it is pretty funny really.

      Seriously though can a profession be respectable, respectful, or any other human trait? I doubt it. Only people can be respectable and respectful. What defines your character is the way you behave and how you treat others.

      If you want people to respect you then behave in a way that is deserving of respect. Some people will be critical and judgemental no matter what you do or how you treat them.

      "Don't try to win over the haters; you are not a jackass whisperer." -Brene Brown.

      Cheers!
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  • Yeah, i would not go that far...

    You can only try...
    Like Attorneys, car salesman etc have a bad name so does internet marketing.
    Now, not all Attorneys/car salesman are bad but unfortunately everybody gets lumped together because of the minority that are unscrupulous and will do anything to make a buck.

    The fact that most of our business is conducted online makes it even worse because these people can hide behind the anonymity that comes with the internet...
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  • [DELETED]
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    • I tell people I have an Internet marketing business that lets me take the 30 second commute to work every morning. Most of them are envious.

      Very few people have a clue how Internet marketing works and I do not think it has reached the negative level multi level marketing or (MLM) reached several years ago.

      In fact I doubt it ever will thanks to great companies like Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, and so on. These and new companies we have not heard of yet will always help those of us who do Internet marketing be respected as long as we do it in an honorable way.
  • I don't see "internet marketing" as a profession at all because it's not. Marketing, whether online or off, is a way to sell something, whether it's a product, service, or someone else's product or service.
  • I don't tell them I'm an IMer. I tell them I'm an entrepreneur. If they want to know more than that, I'll tell them.

    It depends on the context and what questions they are asking. I'm a business owner that runs several enteprises, if they want to know what some of them are, I'll tell them, but I never give them everything.

    Let them think that, it really doesn't matter what other people think. But if you're looking for some advice don't tell people you are an "Internet Marketer". If you're a serious business person tell them in a different way.

    Sometimes I tell people I own my own digital publishing company and I use the Internet as one of my distribution channels.

    The best way to give people a positive impression of you is all in your attitude, how you handle yourself, how you behave, etc.

    There are a lot of unprofessional loud mouths in this industry and guess what? You don't have to be one of them. Conduct yourself in an ethical, professional manner and run your business the same way, then people's attitudes will begin to change.

    And if they don't, it's no big deal.

    RoD
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  • Question to OP: Why do you feel for need for it to be "respected"?
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  • Telling someone who doesn't know usually results in a vacant expression. :confused:

    Elaborate by telling them you 'sell stuff online'.

    Internet marketers think internet marketers are spammers,

    Call yourself an... online international retail executive
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  • I tell people I build websites for small businesses. It save me the time of having to explain what IM is, or why it gets a bad rep.
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    • Dang-it Alex, you beat me to it. :rolleyes:

      "I build websites" almost always gets an inquisitive smile and friendly conversation ensue.


      If you do not build websites, I would use the term "online business." It sounds more palatable, I think.

      Joe Mobley
  • Yes it is. And before long people will need a college degree to do what we are doing for a business.

    The internet is the key driver in the world economy. Business need to learn who to use it to build their brands, reach and customer base.
  • I usually tell people I am a marketing consultant, that is rather easier for them to understand lol.

    Most people really like my flexible schedule and the fact that I am lucky to work from home.

    I have seen a lot of interest from my friends and acquaintances about IM so I think they really like the sound of it, atleast in theory
  • I tell them until they start payingmy bills it's really none
    of their business. Why do you feel the need to justfy how
    you choose to earn a living to anyone else?
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    • Umm ... yea. Not buying that one. Not only that, but that is the worst advice I see in this thread. The OP should ignore it, and justifiably so.

      I am a 41 year old social recluse. I cannot remember all of the times I have been asked that question in the course of a conversation, from new acquaintances, family, etc.

      That's just part of life, living in a society and conversing with other human beings for all of us. You too.

      You are really trying to have us believe you respond this way in those same conversations you, too, must have in the course of your life? You an ex-MLMer with a complex or something?

      Why not be helpful to the OP, instead of suggesting s/he engage in general conversational d-baggery? 'Cause responses like that in general conversation only make people think negative things of you.

      Horrible advice.

      Start with, "I make my money online." From there, go wherever you want. If you are selling a $27 dollar e-book telling people they can grow their wee-wee, well, if that is too embarrassing, tell them you ghostwrite, and cannot disclose your works, if pushed. Give basic "Self-Help" niche, or something like that.

      As far as the non-embarrassing info products, if you are actually making money off of the stuff, shrug it off if people laugh or raise an eyebrow. I am not a salesman. I consider it a skill/semi-innate talent that I just don't have, so I do not speak for them. But, I am sure many top notch sales folks will tell you that you just gotta have some thick skin.

      I would suggest that affliate/info product/coaching/email marketers (the traditional a strict sense IM) need to have an element of thick skin and shrug off the naysayers and disapprovers.

      As far as respectful, as your thread title asks, well, that is one helluva subjective word, no matter what area of life you apply it. Don't steal, cheat or lie to your customers. That is about 90% of doing respectful business, IMO.

      Thick skin and who cares, providing you are doing your best to provide that 'quality' stuff people talk about here. If you are in porn, etc., and just don't want to reveal that info (for understandable reasons), well, society tends to morally and ethically accept the innocent white lie. Nobody is hurt if you just tell people you ghostwrite in the 'Self-Help' niche, omitting the 'To Get Off' part ...
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    • ^^^^ This.

      However, it's a misnomer to say you have an "Internet business." It's akin to saying "I own a newspaper business" when your primary advertising method is via newspapers. :rolleyes:

      If you sell gardening ebooks, you're in the gardening business. If you sell fitness equipment online, you're in the fitness business. If you sell copywriting services online, you're a copywriter. Etc.

      Period.

      Internet marketing is just the METHOD. It's direct marketing, an updated version of old-fashioned mail order.

      Understand what business you're in.

      And as TSnyder says, who cares what anyone else thinks? Most people not trying to make money online don't know the first thing about it. So why does their opinion matter???

      Personally, I'd never volunteer any information about what I was doing unless asked. And even then, whether I answered would depend on who was asking. Not everyone needs to know.

      Hope this helps!

      Michelle
  • Just tell them, that you are a marketing/business consultant. That, seems to work well for me
  • Internet marketing, is a skill that is just as valuable as a doctor or lawyer or any other profession. A true internet marketer, posses skills that most others do not have, a true internet marketer knows how to convert prospects into sales. When you have a skills not everybody has, you are positioned as an expert, people need you. I know SEO consultants that are heavy in demand because they have specialized knowledge and skills that people need, and when you have that, why would you care what anybody thinks about what you do?
  • Internet marketing is respectable job because you can do this work at home without investing anything.....housewife also doing this work.....
  • Why not tell people you send real and unique traffic - genuine visitors - to web sites and you deliver those visitors within 24 hours?
  • Ya "Internet Marketing" is not really a profession...

    The internet is a medium in which you can achieve greater marketing efficiency, but being an internet marketer just means you are part of the community...

    Depending on what you do, you can say you're an author, you're in sales, marketing, or consulting... There are obviously more options but pick whichever is appropriate.
  • Spammers are people who consistenly hit you with product or info that you simply not interested in. I.M is awesome the ability to make a living and setup systems on autopilot is amazing. who cares if the people around you don't believe this profession is respectful. Work hard, master the techniques to market, bring traffic,sell, then automate then rake in your profits. They may not respect the profession, but they will respect the money it will bring in.
  • I like to just tell people, "I don't have a job, I make money doing nothing." So much more fun that way. Not so much because the answer is great but because now they want to know all about you and will listen to everything else you say.

    Another one I like to say is, "I'm funemployed."
  • Yes it is respected profession like any other profession.
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    • It is as respectful as you choose to be. Do you mean respectable?
  • Tell them you've retired (unless you want to sell them something)
  • When I tell that I do internet marketing, many people asking me for more details as they don't really know what it means. Once you can use your skills for making extra income online using minimum time, it makes others respect you simply because they cannot do it or don't know how to do it.
  • No! But who needs respect?
  • Banned
    I dont tell people I am an internet marketer. I just same I am into online publishing. Makes it easy for me as they probably think I help people to publish books online.

    Also I dont really care if it is a respectable profession or not as long as it pays my bills and I am doing something that is 100% ethical and legal
  • [DELETED]
  • Internet marketing is quite an impressive profession I have ever found. I always get huge response when I tell people about my job. And I have found huge respect for this profession. Although in few years back, internet was not so popular and also the technology was not yet developed. But nowadays the scenario has been changed completely.
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    • Better yet you can tell them you are an owner of an online business. Sounds more business-like *no pun intended* than the word internet marketer.
  • In my opinion, Internet is a media for marketing, so you are a marketer if you are doing Internet marketing.

    There are some people don't respect marketers, no matter you are Internet marketers or traditional marketers, but I respect marketers because every business must sell products/services to survive and develop, so all depend on marketing.

    Other departments of one business won't exist if marketing departments can't do well. (This sentence is from one textbook for MBA)
  • Hi BB,

    You change the perception through your thoughts, feelings, actions, and overall karma.

    Every profession has scammers, or dishonest people, and good people.

    No job is immune from attract folks with good and bad intentions.

    You control your Universe.

    One note; even if you act with the purest intentions some will hate you for it, call you a scammer, etc. Be at peace with this.

    If nobody has a problem with you, beware. This means you are not meeting enough people and not pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone.

    All my growth is usually accompanied by resistance; running into skeptics, etc. No worries. This is part and parcel with creating tons of value and building strong relationships.

    Also, I suggest finding full clarity; why are you an internet marketer? The more clear you get with your reasoning and intent the less you will worry about your rep. It simply takes care of itself and you will know that any judgmental folks have the problem, not you, because you are doing all things from a high energy place.

    All the best!
  • 1) Telling people you are in "internet marketing" is probably the worst thing you can do. They will immediately assume you are a scammer or spammer or some other time of -er.

    2) If you are being moral and ethical and you are making a solid life for yourself, you shouldn't worry.

    3) You can always just say "I have my own online business" and leave it at that.
  • Banned
    Marketing is a way to sell a product or service. Internet marketing is a way to sell that product or service on the Internet. It's not what you are. It's what you do. Presumably, you either sell those products/services for yourself or somebody else. Selling it for someone else means that you're a dropshipper or affiliate marketer. Selling it for yourself means that you're a business owner, whether online or offline.

    I would never say that I am an Internet Marketer, unless Sales and Marketing were my profession and I did it for others, which would make me a consultant, and that's what I would call myself.
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    • I tell people I own an internet company.

      I don't feel I have to either explain or justify anything to anyone

      al
  • I dont consider myself an internet marketer as I spend most of my time creating my own products (software) though I have to do 'marketing' by default. As for what I tell people I do for a living. I dont even try anymore, people never understand and it just leads to a long list of questions. I just tell people Im 'self employed'
  • I like to introduce myself as a web entrepreneur or a self employer.
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  • Personally, I don't consider it a respectful profession. More like a self-absorbed title for people attempting to justify spending most of their time behind a computer at home. If I ever met someone that told me they were an Internet Marketer, I'd refrain from giving them ANY of my personal information and would never believe a word they said.
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    • Im going to have to respectfully disagree: based on the fact that I have paid these 'disrespectful people' over $7,000 last month to bring me scores of customers who have actually thanked me for the quality of my product. I dont see anything disrespectful in that, or self absorbed, etc.

      Honestly it sounds like your tried IM, failed, and are now angry.
      • [1] reply
  • I haven't had the question yet, since I'm just starting out in IM. But I had for about 2 years a respectable business on Ebay. When people asked me what I do a living I would answer "I'm selling products on Ebay". Now that I'm intending to setup my own website , and make a living out of it, be it through affiliate links, kindle books or whatever, I would rephrase that answer with "I'm running an online business". I think that the perception of your site and your values, will finally express your real character. So as long as you're honest towards your customers you will be respected. And as in the real world, there are always crooks and scammers out there to take profit from others to make a quick buck. It's just maybe a bit easier online.... (I think)
  • Internet Marketing is a respectable profession if you're a guru...
  • I like the Tim Ferris approach... Just tell people you're a drug dealer. It's none of their business.
    If anything, it will lead to an interesting conversation somewhere down the line
  • I think everyone has different ideas about it. For my it is respect. But for some of my friends it is worst proffesion ever. so everyone has own opinion :]
  • Sounds like you care way to much what other people think.

    There will always be people who complain or talk badly about whatever you do. If you spend time worrying about them, you'll never get anything done.
  • That isn't and shouldn't be too much surprising to anyone, more than half world is on internet and know what online jobs are.
    It's great field, good and big opportunities for jobless personals.
  • Internet Marketing is definitely one of the most respectful professional. In my opinion, if anyone thinks that, you are spammer, let them think. You don't need to give them any explanation. Just wait. Scenario will be changed very shortly.
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    • Amazon and Ebay have marketing departments with "Internet Marketers".

      I'm not sure they spam...

      I think what you might be referring to is a "Self employed, digital product Internet Marketer" or affiliate.

      Many "Internet Marketers" work a 9-5 day job in civvy street in offices.
  • I had this exact same problem when I started making money online! People get suspicious when you just sit at coffee shops and pitch up in new cars every few months...

    I started by telling people I built online businesses, and then it just leads to way too many questions.

    Now I tell people some random story about me that completely shuts down the conversation. Nothing shuts down a conversation quicker than if you say you do something awkward!

    Zayne
  • I find it hard to explain what I do for living to most of the people. They first think internet marketing is not a real profession, but when they see me jumping out of my car they start asking questions
    But again I tell them Internet Marketing/Advertising...
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    • Its actually relatively simple what we do isnt it!

      I explained to a relatively successful offline businessman the other day, and he said "so basically you bring people to a site, get their details, and then sell them related products" and that was the long and short of it!

      Zayne
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  • Actually, most of my friends are not quite sure what I do, but are usually impressed that I can do a living online.
  • It doesn't matter what other people think about it. We are free and make money without slaving for someone else.
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  • It is your job as a marketer, to connect the hoards of people that are coming to the internet every day to find how to make money online etc, to credible solutions.
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • I tell people I develop websites for small business and also handle their online marketing (which actually I do), that helps me get some referral clients and also saves the hassle of explaining the term "Internet marketer".
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    • I used to tell people I build websites for people because that's about the only way most people can comprehend making money online. The problem was people were always coming to me saying they new someone that would pay me to build them a website and they acted all excited like they were hooking me up with a client, so now I try to avoid the conversation all together. Most people just don't get it. I could explain to people what I do for 30 minutes and it's like mumbo jumbo to them.
  • Timothy Ferriss once said in his book The 4-Hour Workweek if someone you don't care about asked about your profession just say "I am a drug dealer" trust me he will never ask you again
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