I don’t hide the fact that Internet marketing fascinates me. I’ve spent decades in marketing. I enjoy seeing people employ marketing. Admittedly, marketing is like most activities. It can be used by well-intended honorable people. It can also be used by con artists.
Some of the most clever uses of marketing have been used by unscrupulous people. The world doesn’t lack for creative people willing to cheat at anything and everything. Frank Abagnale captured our attention with his book, and subsequent movie, Catch Me If You Can. Life as an impostor is remarkable. The genius of portraying yourself to be something so completely different than who you really are – and succeeding at it – is amazing to most of us. You can’t help but admire the skills required.
Of course, honest folks always wonder what kind of life such people might have led if they had directed that creativity into honest pursuits. Admittedly, the stories wouldn’t be as interesting, but I’m not an advocate of deceiving people. Which brings me to the real point of this post.
Some weeks ago I was having a conversation with somebody about marketing tactics for today’s businesses. We talked about the most interesting man in the world.
We talked about Intel’s clever commercial.
We talked about the Bud Light Real Men of Genius commercials.
There are some truly remarkable campaigns happening. But perhaps the most effective marketing is happening in the arena of Internet Marketing, that sector of business seeking to sell people information on how they can make money on the Internet.
Some years ago I purchased my first “information product” from an expert (they like to be called gurus). I was intrigued by the marketing efforts and wanted to see what the actual product was like. It was pretty good product. Worth about 1/4th of what I paid for it, but it was decent. I had done some research on the creator and wasn’t able to find much about her. She had recently be associated with a best selling author, handling his marketing efforts. I had no idea of her past prior to joining up with this author. Not that it mattered, but it was curious to me because I wanted to know how she had come to this place in her professional career.
I’m always intrigued with where people came from. Their story interests me.
Rags To Riches Sells
Creating characters is common place in the marketing world. Fictional characters like the Dos Equis’ most interesting man sell well. But real people often play characters that also sell well. One attractive character is the down and out person who suddenly finds a way to make good, and share with you how he did it. We love stories of the guy who lived in his car and within 12 months he bought a mansion where he sits by his Olympic-sized pool and sips on fruity drinks. With only a junior high school education and no connections he moves out of the backseat of his car into an exclusive gated community. We love it. And think, “If HE can do it. I can, too!” Precisely the point of such marketing stories by the way.
Never mind that he had a lifetime of pathetic habits that would never allow him to succeed. Never mind the fact that his advice is all generic. Never mind the fact that so much of the story defies logic. EMOTIONS overtake us and we’re smitten with the amazing story. Amazing stories sell. Never mind if the details are contrived. We want to believe it, so we do.
“If I can do it, anybody can do it.”
The self-deprecating character who tells us he’s nobody special, but he discovered the secret and he wants to share it with us…it’ll only cost us $1997. He repeatedly tells us about his limitations. We’ve got those same limitations. He’s not well educated. Neither are we. He’s not got any money in the bank, but he does have credit card debt. Hey, me, too! He’s never had the break he always longed for. Neither have I! We can relate to him – because we’re just like him. He made good, then we can make good, too. Of course, now there’s only one difference – we’re now another $1997 in credit card debt. He’s got $998.50 and we’re further in the hole. His affiliate (a commission-based salesperson) makes the other $998.50.
“I’m the expert. I’ve earned millions for other people.”
There are those gurus who dazzle us with claims of earning tens or hundreds of millions for other people. They have many success stories of people who have earned millions thanks to their help. We read with interest all the testimonials of people who say, “This guru gave me one simple technique that resulted in me earning an extra $10,983,01 in the first 18-months.” Others say, “I earned $93.686 in the first 90-days just by implementing a few simple things he gave me. I can’t recommend him enough. He changed my life.”
And we think, “Man, if he can do that for them – he can surely help me find a way to earn $3000 a month.” Out comes the wallet. Another $1997 plopped down and we’re surely on the road to riches now.
“PPC, CPA, CPM, SEO and all the other acronyms for WIHIWYN (what I have is what you need)”
Pay-per-click and all these other technical things are beyond the scope of common knowledge for most people. Yes, they are real-world techniques that have good application in the hands of people who know and understand their proper use. “If you just learn this simple strategy you can earn up to $67,897 a month working only 10 hours a week.” And we think, “Yes, we need to learn that. If we just learned this strategy we could change our financial future forever!” Out comes the wallet and we send another $997 to Mr. PPC so learn his “secrets.” We don’t realize that his secrets are all over the Internet if we’d just Google a bit and spend time (not money) to read. Google isn’t the expert though, our Internet guru is. We need his “personal” help.
EMOTIONS. DESIRES.
Push button marketing works. We push the right buttons, out comes the wallet. We push the right buttons, people give us their money. We push the right buttons, people believe us.
Now let me tell you that I’ve experienced some honorable, genuine people who market using the Internet. I even know a few (very few) Internet Marketers who I think are above board, good people, who try to provide a valuable service (or product) for a fair and reasonable price. Yes, I think they are in the GROSS MINORITY, but I’m not shocked by that. I think most outstanding people – and businesses – are in the minority.
For now, close your wallet and engage your brain. Think clearly. Set aside the emotions that overwhelm you. For the moment, ignore the siren call to spend money so you can make money. Just suspend it for the moment. Try to think clearly. Try to be suspicious and cynical. Embrace skepticism. Just for the moment. And stay tuned for part 2.
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