This is a rant! But its good for you because by the end of it, you will know that I take my business seriously and test all my plans personally before promoting them to you.
Is There Actually a Single Plan for Making Money Online? Nope!
Is There Actually a Single Plan, That Does What It Says On The Box, for Making Money Online? If there is, I've never found it!
Does Jumping from Bandwagon to Bandwagon equal failure Like many of the Top Marketers Would Have You Believe? No - You Can Always Learn Something, You Only Fail If You Fail To Learn Something!
Is There Actually a Single Plan, that Does What It Says On The Box, for Making Money Online? I ask myself this question all the time. The reason I ask, is because I too am looking for that simple step by step system that is easy to do. This brings me to a primary reason, that a lot of the top marketers claim is the biggest reason why people fail in 'online businesses'.
I can say that another way, for those of you who are frightened or put off by the words 'online business'. Lets call 'online business', 'How To Make Money Online', types of plans. I have always stated, that I am no Internet Guru and still don't earn the kind of money I desire or deserve. (A positive statement in there)!
I work hard and long hours, so I know that making money online, is not all that it is cracked up to be by the purveyor's of online money making plans! (continued at * below).
The Internet Lifestyle, Is The Life For Me...! (side note).
[I do make a lot of money online, enough to give me my stay at home money and not have to work for anyone else. But not enough to give me my dream lifestyle, go-anywhere, live-anywhere, buy almost anything I desire; Kind of money (Yet)]!
(* continuing).
I know that must sound a little crazy and self-destructive, coming from someone who promotes and sells online money making plans. But I must point out that making money online is not for everyone, despite what a lot of the guru's tell you in their marketing plans and promotions.
They always have a get out clause in their marketing spiel, (which they have to put in by law), which will say something like; "Evidence and statements of income are only shown for examples of what may be possible and should not be taken as actual incomes produced. Income success is dependent upon many factors like experience, desire, ability and aptitude to perform the tasks set out in the program".
Everyone who takes up the course will not succeed! It is just a fact of life, we are not all created equal, and even though they will claim; "If you just do step one and then step two, its as simple as 1,2,3, etc, that you cannot fail". You still probably will most of the time!
Am I jaded? Yes!
Am I a skipper? Yes!
Why have I skipped from plan to plan, (and why will I still continue to do so)?
First, this is not an exposé. I will not point out plans that I have tried and failed to gain the exact results promised or stated! Why? Because I believe that you always learn something from each plan and can carry information over to your next endeavor.
Par for the course with me is that I always have to buy into the course myself, before I promote it, or speak to someone I personally know and trust who has bought the product or service or plan and then they give me a personal rundown, so that I can judge it for myself almost firsthand.
Let me explain; recently, I purchased a plan that had all the pieces of the puzzle, - (as I understand online marketing). But as I studied the course I found holes in it. Like; the the course failed to mention the new FTC rules, (when building websites as explained in the plan), where you had to have specific pages of TOS and privacy policy pages etc.
When I promoted this plan myself, I offered free 'FTC How To' pages, for buying through my affiliate link. Note: I also learn't how to do offers like these from other plans I have done, but not had the desired results. But as I've said, you always learn something new, to take to the next 'guaranteed, (Oh yer), online money making plan'!
You are going to ask the question aren't you?
Re- "So, armed with your knowledge of FTC rules that you claim where missing from that plan, why didn't you make your millions as promised"? Well, the honest answer is, that I don't know! If I did know, then I probably would not be writing this at all. I'm still looking for that magic secret ingredient. I don't think it exists really, I believe that it is just a case of getting more well known for no-BS, honesty and actually telling people about like it really is. Because of that, I chose to sell courses that are as factual as they can be. -
Like; How to set up a website with wordpress! How to Blog, How to set-up a Blog, How to make money with affiliate marketing and no cash investment! How to find profitable niches. (Notice I didn't say, 'how to make $8,000 a day' - or 'how I make £1,000 a week online', (although I do make about £1,000 a week online, I wouldn't dare to try and tell anyone how I've done that, because it is income from a multitude of sources that probably won't or don't work anymore.
Not to mention, (and you are going to find this strange), that I don't know where some of the income originates from. (Re- I still get paid from various recurring income programs I once promoted years ago and I don't remember where my free ads are anymore. Also, some of these plans have referral income from referral's who are maybe still promoting the plan, I don't know!
The majority of my income though, comes from ongoing sales commissions of products and plans I am promoting. Also sales of products in over 40 niches from dog food to plasma televisions; - (my latest niche outing). There is not one single course that could possible cover all of that knowledge or experience that I have gathered in order to do that. So, just because I earn about £1,000 per week GPB, does not mean I could teach it.
The Root of the Guru Issue.
And there-in lies the problem. When you hear of a Guru who makes thousands or millions online, their spiel often leads you to believe that they got their overnight success via this promotion of their online money making plan they are now promoting to you!
I've been to affiliate marketing venues and heard the real money makers state face to face, that it took them years to learn how to become an overnight success. Literally all wealthy Internet marketers, who've actually made their money doing Internet marketing, did not make their money, doing what they are going to show you what to do, to make money online. That's a long-winded explanation and could be read different ways, so let me explain it like this.
A Sure-Fire-Way to Make-Money-Online.
This may sound condescending, its not meant to be. - But If you found a Sure-Fire-Way to Make-Money-Online, would you really go off and tell everyone else about it? (Even for a fee)?
If the answer is yes, (and I want to be honest with you), you are a stupid fool!
If I found a Sure-Fire-Way to Make-Money-Online, in all honesty - I would not tell you! (Continues at ** below).
Do Not Try! (Do or Do-Not),
I might 'try' to tell sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, of this Sure-Fire-Way to Make-Money-Online, because they are close family loved ones.
Side-Note: (Did you notice I said 'try', because in my experience, you cannot tell friends and family, because they won't listen, believe you or understand. Then to top it all off they will sometimes look sideways at you and ask, 'what are you getting out of this'? So why should you try to help them?
My advice is; "Not To Help Them", or show them anything, (I've been there several times believe me- and it has never worked for me), what you do do, is to just be successful yourself, until one-day they will realize that you have everything that they have ever wanted and that they are still working for, whereas you are free of a job and nagging boss with time on your hands to do what you want; should you so please). Then they may decide to ask what your secret is, that's when you show them, (if you really want to)!
(Continued from ** above). I would not tell you if I found Sure-Fire-Way to Make-Money-Online because, my current understanding of Internet marketing is that if you duplicate something, you usually end up with a share of the overall market. (More on that a little later at **** below).
Being greedy like all humans, I'd want to keep all the income to myself, because of a lot of reasons. Like; I would put the income to good use and causes, helping charities and health organizations if I had untold millions to spare. I certainly cannot see myself driving $100,000 cars or living in a £50 million mansion. Especially when there are still people starving in the world and drinking water from ditches contaminated with human waste! That's not for me! What an indulgent and selfish waste of money!
Don't give me lazing in the sun, I like action and adventure!
I can see myself, living well and enjoying my life, taking many fact-finding and explorative holidays, that's my bag. (Don't give me lazing in the sun, I like action and adventure). I do things that educate myself and my family - and then using that information, try and do my bit to put things right in the world. I ask you, do you live in the real world?
Question: Can you sleep soundly at night; (and before I finish this question, let me state; its OK in my book, to have a nice reasonably expensive luxury home and drive a reasonably expensive luxury car or two, and take several luxury holidays a year; so don't get me wrong, I'm not saying its a bad thing). So:- Can you sleep soundly at night; knowing that there is a child somewhere in the world, sleeping in the street and having to fend for themselves, scavenging from waste-tips to make money to buy food and have to get drinking water from excrement infected water sources?
What I am saying, is that we should all feel a sense of guilt that there is a fellow human, who through circumstance is innocent of their plight, yet are left to fend for themselves. I can give you good examples without wanting to start issues concerning politics or religions and the like.
But just to put those two broadly on the spot. What about governments that displace its poorest poverty-stricken residents in order to build multimillion dollar sporting venues; when they should be putting that money into sewerage and safe drinking water systems. Also, it is well known that the various foundations of religion are amongst the wealthiest organizations in the world.
My question is obvious isn't it? Why can't these governments and religious organizations use this wealth to build the old style missions in these places and provide the services and help needed. (This would be my mission if I had millions and is my mission for when I do have my millions coming in).
That's Enough!
I cannot even go into politics or religion because I know everything I point out will have some justification, but will likewise be shot down in flames by nay sayer's and people who think they know better than me. I'm not claiming I know better. I just know right from wrong and have my own strong and well thought out opinions (I think), on what religious organizations and governments should or could be doing to ease the plight of the needy people in the world. But that's just my own thoughts and I'd rather like to keep them to myself for now because I don't want to get political or religious.
(Continued from ***): I've heard and understand the speculative theory. Yes, I would like or prefer to have 1% of a thousand peoples efforts, than 100% of my own singularly. This is often a pivotal reasoning point behind MLM style promotions. None of which have ever really worked for me. I'm not saying that they don't work and please notice I have not mentioned any companies, but over the last 20 years I have done every door knocking and MLM scheme, both online and off-line you can possibly think of! So I have experience!
The Secret.
The only thing that I can say does work for me, is recurring income membership types of programs that don't rely on one sale and then that customer is gone! - I do sell one-offs like this, because I do make money with them, but I prefer to put my efforts into recurring income or membership promotions. So, If I had a secret to tell you it would be to spend your time on recurring income products and services. Since logically, you will still do exactly the same amount of work to promote a product, why not have the chance of recurring payments rather than just one payment?
I'm not really giving anything away there, because I haven't said what are the best programs or services to promote. So, from that point of view, you will have the same level of difficulty and chance as I have. That is: Unless you pay for one of the courses or programs that I also study with, that's only fair to me, isn't it? I'm only trying to make a living too and if I bring you up-to-speed, without getting any recompense then I've lost that sale and any recurring sales forever.
So, if you want to get the same kind of insider news that I get, that gives me the upper-hand over those who are not prepared to pay for it, then you too will have to pay for it. Also, there is a chance that I will end up in competition of sorts, with you! But I am prepared for it and can accept that anyway!
Take a look around this site to see the offers I have for you. Offers that I do actually make money with, I apologize in advance if they are a little vague on info of what they are or do, but you shouldn't be disappointed since I only promote products with full money back guarantees or free trials! That should put you at ease!
There is a way to make money online for free, (and it could and should be used as a starting point if you have no start-up capital) and its not really a secret, but it is often portrayed as a secret. I get really annoyed when I get suckered-in (after all my experience), by the sales spiel of the no upfront information band of entrepreneurs, but unfortunately, that no-information is the critical part to the sale, for if you knew what the info really was even partially, then you would either jump to conclusions and think you know what it is or you'd actually have the information and the resulting sale would be pointless and lost.
Recently I spent (Oct 2010) over £1,500 (including travel and accommodation expenses with no-refunds), for a course venue and business start-up, just as a starting point, as there was also a monthly fee of £500 GPB a month. I had no information as to what it actually was all about, but I was curious because the sales literature stated all the things that it wasn't.
The selling point for me, is you could put, say $200 into the business over and over again (even the profits from the first income, so it would become self funding) and all that was within 30 days, so you could be seeing a return on average of three times your investment.
Although It wasn't (so they claimed), investing, PPC, email, anything to do with the stock-market, currency trading, betting in any shape or form, promoting courses, manuals, CD's, telephone sales. Everything I have ever heard-of from website flipping to MLM - it wasn't. I racked my brains. But couldn't find what this was about. Additionally, it was promoted and backed by several respected millionaire marketers!
Now I cannot say what it was either, nor tell you who or what it was all about, because I had to sign confidentiality agreements that keep my mouth closed even if I decided to cancel the course; -which I did. Was it good stuff, sure, if you were an Internet newbie, you would have been impressed, I can still hear the gasps of excitement from those around me, who were bouncing off the walls, wanting to get started.
I kept my opinions to myself at the event, with general nods of agreement when talking with people in the breaks, for this two day event. (I didn't attend as AndyGold, (my pen name), and made no disclosure that I was actually an Internet marketing professional. - Meaning that I make my living via Internet Marketing). I'm annoyed, financially out of pocket to the tune of £1,500 and embarrassed that I fell for all their spiel.
But, what else can you do, nothing ventured, nothing gained. So, back to the main theme of this article, about jumping from plan to plan. Even as an experienced marketer, I still fall for stuff occasionally. Hopefully, I can see through all the basic opportunities. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not calling them rip-offs, scams or con-jobs or whatever term. I see many opportunities that are great, for the beginner or intermediate affiliate marketer. Yet I see very few that are aimed at fully professional marketers. I am still looking for that ever elusive way to make millions online! (I think that's why I get reeled in occasionally).
One of the main reasons that I jump from plan to plan is because I still haven't found that magic ingredient. Each new plan I look into, is either a twist on something I already know, or plain out-and-out does not work because, it is a re-hashed idea, that maybe used to work. But because of the way the Internet trading laws have changed, especially since Dec 2009, many courses are not up to date. In addition, products themselves are out of date with other sites they rely on to function.
I bought a Twitter marketing course recently, It all revolved around a twitter marketing tool-site that had been restricted by Twitter for not obeying their rules! I got it with a view to marketing it, not for my own use, The course had patched holes in it, with added videos at the end, (so you couldn't relate them to the earlier parts of the course they were going on about. The extra videos showed 'how to get more followers' but it was just some con-job of a conga-line, follow-me-follow-you. These are rubbish, (and as a free-tip for you), you don't want to follow someone, who is not interested in what you have to offer or say. Only follow people with quality bios, but make a decision also by reading some of their recent posts.
If they have not filled in their bio and pic, but are talking incessantly about their dog, then there is a good chance they will be interested in your dog niche, follow them and see if they reciprocate. If they don't - flush them a month later! No harm done! From my Twitter Marketing Advice 101. Simple and logical really, when you think about it!
I've had courses, that have videos about how to use other sites that no-longer exist! Then I've even been on web-business-website-building courses recently (Sept 2010) with millionaire marketers as mentors that had nothing in their support, ignored me for three weeks with out making weekly modules available; because they hadn't actually finished writing the course.
And guess what, it was a good course! I was telling my followers and business associates all about it. But then at the 8th week of the 12 week course, nothing, they just left me (and all the other members) hanging for three weeks without reply to support tickets, answers to my phone messages, even though they claimed to check messages three times a day, I sent email and even did a companies house check and sent snail-mail to see if they were still in the game!
Surprise!
The reply I did get, after three weeks of asking where the weekly modules where, was to be expelled off the course without any correspondence being entered into, they refused to reply. Whats more is the way they did it. Claiming that I had requested cancellation! - Now I'm glad that they never got to the stage of getting referral links to us as promised, (something else that was late), before I was out if the course, because I was so impressed with the course to that stage I was even telling people about it before I had my affiliate-link. That's unusual for me, I don't let myself get carried away so easily, and now after that experience, I have a bigger reason why that won't happen ever again in the future!
But as I see it, I learn't some valuable lessons, (So nothing is ever a real loss); if I ever get into running my own membership site one day, which I fully intent to do, I will make sure I have all the course laid-out first, and then I would make sure I have a dedicated support team that actually replies to members and lets them know what is going on!
Like I always say; Nothing is a total loss, so long as you learn something from it, and you can always learn something from any experience. The course was good, although it taught me nothing new and I actually did point out a little hole (two actually), in the course. Which was obvious, but if you are deep in the building of a course, it's easy to skip the obvious. But being a qualified Yamaha music teacher for most of my life, I was also taught to act the part of student. Always asking, if I were a one or two year student, would I know this?
I invoke this 'student-mode', whenever I'm assessing courses for my targeted niche followers and website readers. In this case asking:- "If I were a newbie, would I naturally know how to install this"? (As in one lesson the course tutor said to install xyz plug-in, yet never told members (from a newbies point of view), how to get the plug-in, and none of the previous instructions for similar plug-ins did not work the same.
I had trouble with the plug-in myself, but with my experience quickly worked it out. I wrote to support and got a smug reply, that implied that I was mistaken. So I wrote back explaining, 'that following the instruction exactly gets you nowhere' and furthermore that if their way did work, then why were there lots on members complaining that it didn't work? There were lots of questions about it in the courses members comments, that I answered personally and got praise for from the members.
I think that that may have been the reason; that the big-headed-snotty-nosed course tutor didn't like me and kicked me off the course without explanation. By the way, the comments were not being answered by the support even a week before the 8th module, people were asking for help. Some members were posting half-done answers that newbies could not follow, or speaking techi-talk that even I didn't understand. When I answered with my solution, I got a flood of replies thanking me for making it simple.
In another course I checked out for my followers, the tutor told everyone to switch off policy and TOS pages with their sites live, yet only a lesson before that, he'd been pressing on how important those pages were and had to be seen. But explained he didn't want them to be visible in the main menu, but then never explained how to display them else-where, like at the foot of the blog where you would expect to see them. Again there were no replies to messages from members post requests for help, so other people had also spotted the same mistake.
I know several members dropped out, (when again, support did a runner, by not answering questions for weeks on end), since the members said they were leaving in the members area. I tried to help people by posting the answer for them, since no replies were forthcoming from support. I got a reply from support, to say don't interfere with the course! Yet in their sales spiel for the course they stated heavily that it was a community of members helping members!
Some people were further on in the course than I, and even they still did not know the answer until I told them. So it wasn't as if the topic was going to be answered in the next forthcoming lessons! People had sites live with no Policy and TOS pages, (and they were no-follow), Only the geeks like me will know what that means.
Anyway, I got some high praise from the members, but I like to point out, when I'm right (that's my failing perhaps) and mentioned that in the sites promotional materiel, (I'm always polite, I don't call it spiel in writing to them), that they did say -"members helping members", and "a support second to none". Well, I don't really know what happened after that, because I couldn't log-in anymore an hour after sending the message to support! I hadn't forgotten my log-in details and even when I clicked 'Forgot your password?' it returned with email is not registered! I emailed them, I sent email to addresses recorded at companies house. I ask you, is that anyway to treat your members? Since then - they returned both of my previous monthly payments, that just appeared in my bank account without explanation.
Now, why do I tell you all this? First, to point out that I am not just a serial-money-making-program-joiner, although I am still looking for that magic key to making real money hand over fist online. I think the trouble is with me, is that I won't give in and do blindly without asking questions and furthermore, I won't just do whatever they tell me at the expense or detriment of others.
So, I do join program after program, only if on the surface of it, I think it is a good educational program, and they may even have me convinced that it will make money. My secondary reason is to find worthwhile programs for my followers and readers. One thing I've learned recently, is not to be too hasty. Pre-promotion - of someone with a new course coming out, that I cannot inspect. I've done this before and just generated complaints and refunds after the products have come out. But I thought I give it another chance. Different course, different methods and all that.
Guessing correctly (as you will see), what the course was about, I joined a course with no real info about what it was, telling me again, no info except the usual, about all the things I might think it was, that it wasn't. It wasn't investing, selling via PPC, and 30 other things that it wasn't, including email marketing. (liar liar - I bet their ass is now on fire)! £153 GBP later when when I got it, it was exactly what I thought it was. But since I had it, there's no-use in not giving it a try.
It was email marketing! (I love email marketing by the way and have no problem with it). But, I could not resist writing to the vendor, being the sarcastic type I am; I was also angry, because if I had believed it was email marketing, I wouldn't have bought the course in the first place! I said, "Did you copy your promotional text from another products site? Because you stated categorically that it was not email marketing! - I had a reply today, three weeks after my purchase and that email and with a week to go to the 30 days MGB, (Money Back Guarantee). before I ask for my refund which I am now going to do.
I was in two minds as to whether to keep the course and promote it to my followers, because in general, it is a good course, but do you know what just put the nail in the vendors coffin? The snotty lying reply I got today! He claimed that I was mistaken because he had not said it wasn't email marketing, and to check out his original sales page again. The liar had simply changed it. Here's a tip - Like me, you should always print off a copy of the original sales page to PDF and also and TOS or MBG terms before buying anything.
I'm going to forward him the PDF of the original site, so that he can see that I have proof he's lying. Also, he goes in my black book of people who I'll never recommend or buy off or do business with of any kind in the future!
He should have just admitted his mistake, and he'd have probably been enjoying a few sales from some of my 25,000 strong email list in that niche, what an AH.
About his program, I gave it a whirl whilst I was waiting for reply to my email. It was just affiliate marketing but with JV's on products not yet released. I can't do business this way, it doesn't feel right to me!
My nose and experience had proved correct! I know these programs work, but I cannot ethically promote them, since in my experience, the vendors won't give you an evaluation copy, (regardless of what the course writer says in the course lessons). Usually this is due to the fact that they don't even have a finished course yet! Claiming, 'we are still finalizing and refining the product!
What's more, I've had a pending JV partner promoting an offer that isn't going to launch for two months, with no sample of the course for my examination, who is asking for a copy of my email list to promote to on my behalf, (what kind of fool does he take me for)? Perhaps they do this because they don't trust you to write your own email marketing spiel.
I shudder when I think of the newbies who will just blindly hand over their list, eager to obey this self styled guru's masters voice!
Listen! - If you have a list, usually part of your privacy statement when you are building your list, is that you will not lend or lease your list to anyone.
Back to the business.
In-case you are wondering, I did update my fact-finding about this business and as the course stated, requested evaluation copies from 'all the vendors' requesting JV's - for their future releases.
My results!
Half have not replied, and the rest have sent me 20 page long non-disclosure policies for me to read, sign and return via post. Or requested traffic info on my sites that I might want to promote their program on. (But how would I know, until I've had the chance to evaluate the product)?
I marked off release dates in my diary for all the products I sent off for, (as per my experience as this was not taught in the course. Record keeping is the biggest part of any business)! And to date none have replied in time for me to stand a chance of pre-selling their product. In all, I've spent two weeks on this waste of time. I will be returning the course for a refund as per their MBG! With an explanation as above!
The thing I learned? Well, I learned nothing new about JV's, email marketing or web business, only that this did not work as stated in the course literature and therefore I won't be promoting it to my followers. I did discover one of my business associates had a JV offer pending and because of that association he has actually sent me what he thinks will suffice for an evaluation copy. (Which is just an outline of what he intends to put in the course, not the actual course).
I'm sorry, but that's not good enough for me or my followers, if I don't have faith and knowledge in what I'm promoting myself, then I won't promote it! There's my message to all you new affiliate marketers on the free start line, who just think they should continue to promote programs that they have not used themselves.
Put some money where your mouth is! First; look for programs that are of interest to you with a full MBG. Second; you may even learn something from the course that will help you in you money making business venture (depending on the type of course it is). Third; you will be able to talk positively with experience about the product if you chose to promote it. Fourth; if the program is not up to scratch, get your MBG and start over again with another product!
On a final note about that program.
I already knew of the JV sites existence from Warrior Forum. I also had previous association with one of the JV partners. And for those reasons I am not attributing the one potential JV or info about this 'secret' JV site, (as it was mentioned in the promotional spiel), to the course material.
In summary...
I go to all this trouble before I promote anything to my sites readers or email subscribers. What I look for is real educational material, that will teach and help the newbie and intermediate marketers out there. Therefore, you can always trust the programs I promote and if you decide they are not for you or are not what you expected, then you can always get your MBG!
I hope that this has been an informative glimpse into the life of a marketer for you and hope that this does not put you off wanting to be an online marketer. It is just life, such as it is! C'est la Vie!
AndyGold.
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