==== ====
Interested in Internet Marketing? This is a great starting point to generate a second income!
Checkout Newbie Knockout!
http://wackycentral.com/NewbieKnockout/?e=maximojo
==== ====
If you got behind the wheel of a car without knowing how to drive, chances are, you'd crash. Yet,
every single day on the Internet, thousands of newbies are performing the equivalent of the
aforementioned driving analogy, by putting up a website without having the slightest idea how to
promote it. And guess what happens - they crash!
In my opinion, starting a business - any business without having even basic marketing skills is not
only putting the proverbial cart before the horse - it's downright foolish!
Now some might argue that a business plan is more important than marketing ability. And others
might argue that knowing how to manage a business is more important than having a marketing
acumen.
Well, I agree with the former argument. A good business plan is like a GPS system. It will keep
you on course, and headed in the right direction. A business plan is an absolute must, and you
should definitely develop one before you start any business.
However, I reject the latter argument. Why? Because you can be the greatest manager in the
world, but if you don't know how to market your wares, your business will fail - I don't care what
you're selling.
That's why I consider competency in marketing the most important business skill that you can
have. If you become proficient in the art of marketing, it will allow you to become profitable that
much quicker. Then you can afford to either hire a manager, or take a business management
course.
A Simple Classified Ad
How important is it to acquire marketing proficiency? Believe it or not, writing a simple classified ad
is considered both an art and a science, seriously! Publisher and mail order legend, Melvin
Powers actually wrote an entire 240 page book about classified advertising titled, "Making Money
with Classified Ads." In an advertisement for the book Powers writes:
"I've run thousands upon thousands of ads, month after month, year after year and have made
millions doing it. I've learned a lot about what works and what doesn't. I found that, as with most
things, making money with classified ads is easy when you know how."
Author and master copywriter, Robert Boduch also wrote a book about classified advertising titled
"Classified Magic...How To Make Your Small Ads Pay Off BIG!" In an advertisement for his book,
Boduch wrote:
"After years of running ads -- trying out various approaches -- I began to collect the key ideas that
worked. I wanted to figure out what made some classified ads so successful. And I kept testing
new approaches until...I finally figured out...what works and what doesn't."
By the way, while we're on the subject of writing ads, do yourself a favor and start reading Brian
Clark's outstanding copywriting blog, CopyBlogger. You won't get a better ad writing education
anywhere on the Internet - and it's free! You can thank me later.
How Do I Get Free Traffic to My Website?
I'm a member of several small business forums, and without fail, whenever newbies visit the
forums, the two questions they ask most often are: "How do I promote my website?" or, "How do I
get free traffic to my website?" Those two basic questions get asked by newbies every single day.
Newbies, are you starting to see my point about the importance of acquiring marketing skills? You
need to know the answer to those questions, before you build a website. As I demonstrated a
moment ago, even writing something as simple as a classified ad requires a certain degree of
competency.
The Seduction of Internet Marketing Newbies
In his book "Seduction," author and social theorist Jean Baudrillard writes:
"Many social behavior theorists classify seduction as a specialized form of persuasion. Seduction
can also be viewed as a form of power that relies on psychological mastery rather than the use of
coercive power, money, or intellectual appeals."
I couldn't agree more. Seduction is indeed a "specialized form of persuasion that relies on
psychological mastery." That's one of the reasons why so many newbies come online believing
that they can succeed without any type of training - without any marketing knowledge whatsoever.
They've been psychologically seduced - mentally manipulated into believing that they can - much
like gamblers are seduced by the dream of striking it rich in Las Vegas casinos.
Allow me to elaborate: Naive and highly impressionable newbies see stories on TV about ordinary
people getting rich on eBay. They see the slickly produced "get rich quick on the Internet"
infomercials. They read the newspaper and magazine articles about people starting an online
business with little or no money, and seemingly making millions overnight.
In addition, brilliantly composed and ultra persuasive get-rich-quick ads literally saturate the
Internet. They're everywhere! At virtually every turn, newbies are bombarded and seduced with
stories, and images of ordinary people making extraordinary amounts of money on the Internet.
And as is human nature, they want to get in on the action too. In essence, newbies are being
seduced with unrealistic visions of the "pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."
And because the seduction methods being perpetrated are so powerful and effective, they almost
have a brainwashing effect. Most newbies are incapable of determining for themselves what's true
and what isn't. They can't comprehend that the "flavor of the month" success stories they see in
the media and on the Internet are the exception, rather than the rule.
Now many of you reading this may erroneously come to the conclusion that I'm against capitalism,
and free enterprise. I can assure you, I'm not. I'm all for everyone making as much money as they
possibly can. After all, that's the American way. That being said, I also think it's important that
newbies coming online be told the "truth" about Internet Marketing - that it's not nearly as easy as
it's being presented.
The Truth About Internet Marketing
Because of fierce competition and ratings pressure, the tv media especially tends to glamorize
certain news items. As a result, newbies are being fed a daily dose of sensationalized poppycock!
The truth is, Internet marketing is hard work. No, not ditch-digging hard - but hard work
nonetheless. And for every "rainbows and lollipops" success story that gets publicized, there are at
least a thousand gut-wrenching failures that get swept under the rug.
The point of this article is to cut through the hype and B.S - to tell newbies the truth about Internet
Marketing. It's a business, like any other business. And it requires preparation, effort and
dedication. So how can newbies realistically succeed on the Internet? In my opinion, the easiest,
safest and best way for newbies to succeed online is with affiliate programs.
What Are Affiliate Program?
In a nutshell, an affiliate program is where you agree to promote another company's products for a
commission, or percentage of the profits. Affiliate programs are perfect for newbies, because for
the most part, you don't even need a website to get started making money. You also don't have to
worry about billing hassles, stocking inventory or shipping products. That's all handled for you by
the merchant. You simply promote the daylights out of the link the merchant provides you. And
when you make sales - collect your money.
But what about if you don't know anything about marketing? Glad you asked.
The best and most successful affiliate programs like Dr. Ken Evoy's 5 Pillar Affiliate Program or
The Internet Marketing Center (IMC) Affiliate Program take you by the hand, and help guide you
through the marketing process. They work with you to help you become successful. They'll do
their part - but you have to do your part as well. That means you have to work hard, and faithfully
study and apply their proven marketing techniques - and learn how to promote their programs.
They'll teach you what you need to know to become successful, and allow you to progress at your
own pace.
There are also some excellent books on the market, written especially for newbies. One of the
best is "Street Smart Internet Marketing" by Justin Michie.
So if you're a newbie reading this, do yourself a favor, and pick up a copy of "Street Smart Internet
Marketing." It's selling on Amazon for as little as $4.99 - a relatively painless investment in your
marketing education.
Free Internet Marketing Resources for Newbies
A really great website for newbies is the original newbies site, Joe Robson's The Newbie Club.
This site has some incredible free resources, including articles, free tutorials, newbie software,
newbie books and e-mail courses.
StartupNation is another fantastic site for newbies. It pretty much has everything a newbie would
need, all on one website, including blogs, forums and a marketplace where you can promote your
business for free. It's a very impressive site.
Also, check out Lynn Terry's Self Starters Weekly Tips website. Lynn has been working online for
over a decade. Her website has plenty of free resources, including a popular forum and blog. And
from what I've observed, Lynn goes out of her way to help newbies.
Another good site for newbies is Mike Merz' im4newbies. Mike has been helping newbies for
nearly a decade. Our paths have never crossed, but word is, Mike's one of the truly good guys on
the Internet - and his site has some excellent free resources for newbies.
In closing, Internet marketing is serious business - so be sure to treat it that way. Because unlike
the movie, "Field of Dreams," where "if you build it, they will come." On the Internet, if you build a
website without knowing how to promote it - nobody's coming!
About the author:
David Jackson is the owner of http://reviews-by-customers.com - the Internet's hottest new
business directory.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_W._Jackson
==== ====
Interested in Internet Marketing? This is a great starting point to generate a second income!
Checkout Newbie Knockout!
http://wackycentral.com/NewbieKnockout/?e=maximojo
==== ====