Finding An End To The Hype?
Recently, I received an email from a subscriber who had written in apologizing that he was going to unsubscribe from my newsletter. It’s certainly not everyday that you receive a letter from somebody actually apologizing for doing that. In the letter, he explained that he wanted to express that it wasn’t anything personal, just that he was getting so many emails from so many different marketers (somewhere around 500 per day) that he simply felt he had to cut them all off, as he was suffering from so much information overload he just couldn’t take it anymore.
I completely understood what he was saying. I wrote him back, and thanked him for writing in to me, and for taking the time to do that. I also explained to him, that I completely understood what he was feeling, as I’d went through the exact same thing myself at times. I told him that I actually urge people to unsubscribe from mailing lists all the time, even my own if need be. I also explained that personally, I had unsubscribed from hundreds of them myself, and only remained a member of the peoples lists, who I feel are still helping me to become a better marketer myself.
Recently, I have spoke to a few of my close friends in marketing about how I would like to be a lot less involved with the IM niche, by the end of the year. For some that do know me fairly well, I’ve expressed this desire quite a few times now. But, also, at the same time, I wasn’t quite in the position to walk away from it just yet. The reason being, that it does make up for a fair chunk of the profits that I do make online, to fund my business in other areas. It helps to fund things like link building services, certain memberships I need to be a part of for growing my business, and that sort of thing. And well, also of course, the funds I need to support living in general.
While I do believe it’s important for people to be involved in the IM niche to some degree, as it really helps with branding, and building positive relationships with others of whom you are trying to help become successful themselves…it would really be nice to be less reliant on that side of the business.
Some people reading this may be asking the question…Why? As I do know that some marketers are only building their list in this niche, and not trying to focus efforts anywhere else.
It is a good question, and at least from my perspective here is my reasoning…
One of the huge pitfalls I find with being an affiliate marketer in the IM niche, is actually being able to find and promote quality products that aren’t all filled with hype. If you are a marketer that is trying to get away from the hype associated with marketing, unfortunately, it’s a bit of a task in the IM niche.
Yes, there are some products out there, that are straight up with people, and extremely helpful without the hype associated, but, these days it’s almost becoming a rarity.
So many marketers, who release new products have been trained over the last few years to use tactics that perhaps do improve conversions with sales, but, it is almost saddening that the hype has been taken to such a level that marketers feel they need to rely on it, just so they can make sales. In fact, sometimes, I sometimes think that it cheapens people’s view of the products.
While, I have always done my best to review products as much as I can before recommending them to subscribers, and other people…there still comes the problem with many of the sales pages provided by vendors in which we drive traffic to the offer. The problem is, that although, certain products are very, very, good and helpful, as soon as you send people to the sales page…there they are once again…at a hype filled sales page!
Of course, if you are promoting that product as an affiliate, then it also gives the impression that you (yourself) may be labeled as a hype filled marketer yourself, which personally is not the path I want to be heading in.
I’d like to get your opinion on this as well. Are there people out there who also feel that it’s getting very tough to be an affiliate marketer in the IM niche, while trying to keep things hype free as well?
Please let me know…
Tags: Affiliate Marketing, IM niche
Hi there, I had to comment on this post because it hits home. I am on so many mailing lists in the marketing niche it sickens me daily. When there is a new Launch, you can count on how many emails about that product I will receive. It starts with a handful of I am guessing the top “in JV” partners, and then a few days later when it is opened up to the general public, I get slammed.
The IM Niche is all about the almighty dollar, period. Not about quality, morales, help or assistance. They continue to have to recreate and create every four months or so, why…because the “wave” of sales has trickled and they need to slam the lists again.
The only people making money online folks are these huge JV partners all of the same circle, each promoting each others products for the almighty dollar. I stoped buying anything a long time ago.
I would love to see one of these “experts, or so they claim to be” take a niche, other than IM and do a webinar step by step with this new niche and let us look over his/her shoulder and follow the techniques they use to be in profit with a niche that has nothing to do with mailing hugh amounts of people, without partnering with those with lists of huge amounts of people in a niche they could not send their market a note about and see how many steaks they can feed themselves at the end of a month!
I dare em all to make it happen. So I pay no attention to my emails anymore and I have just about learned and know, the “dream” is nothing but a bunch of BS and no different than the crooks on wallstreet or the ones sitting in congress. Its the “big boys club” that use their massive amount of lists to generate the cash, to put another product out and you wash my hand, I’ll wash yours and only a select few are living the “dream”.
That is my two cents worth, that and a dollar will get ya a cup of coffee these days.
Why is it that you put a beautiful piece together about IM info overload and then slam in with a pop-up? Answer that would you?
Thanks,
James
Well, that is a good point James. Actually, the pop up has been there long before I’d considered making this post. Hey, I’ve learned a lot of marketing tactics from certain people myself over time…and do test things for their effectiveness. Although, some people do not care for exit pop ups, they are effective in getting a person to look closer at a certain product or service that you are happy recommending to them. It allows you to followup with people, and to present more of the features and services of perhaps a company like GVO.
I’d much rather present something like that as a person leaves a site, and has already had a chance to view some of the content on the site..instead of something like an “edge light popup” that covers the whole entire screen right in the middle of trying to read the content.
Yes, they can be annoying, but, at the same time, it can be very effective to give people enough information about a product in a followup series of emails, so they can make a wise and vested opinion on the product or service..to decide whether it might be right for them or not.
Hi, Folks,
Humanity is temporarily arrested in too much mutual proximity and mere thinking. All the Brilliant IM Marketers replicate the evidence.
We live in Limitless Universe. Creative Awareness is in twenty minutes a day (+ ?), BEing Your Reality, and bringing Fresh New Aliveness back into all marketing Intentionality.
“Existence Is Benevolence and Benevolence Is Existence”(nja)
AWARENESS…. !
Drop me a note:
Norm
infopowerpro@gmail.com
Hey Davin,
Great post. This is something I’ve been strugling with for some time now. How do you make money online without being all hype and no substane.
I’ve got to say that there are honest marketers out there and they even have integrity. I got on your list by following Holly Mann, Honest Holly herself. But even Holly admits ine a recent post that early in her career she also promoted hyped up products.
When I first started getting your emails I read them and enjoyed them but then they started looking like all the others, having said that I’m still on your list and obviously still read them when the subject line catches my attention – that’s why I’m here commenting on your blog.
It’s unfortunate but it takes time to find people you can trust in this business. People are on too many lists looking for that elusive magic button. It’s not there, it takes hard work and education.
So what’s the answer, can we make money in this business without the hype, I think we can. As you say though even if a product is good and will help our readers the sales page often follows the same template of urgency and promises of great wealth.
Those long worded sales pages must work. What I often tell my readers when promoting products that I know to be good but still have the hype is to look past that and see if the product is something that they will actually use to better their business.
I had a similar enmail from a subscriber (may be the same person) and I replied with a similar answer to yours.
Don’t get out of the IM business Davin, we need more honest Marketers not fewer. I’ve met a number of really good marketers that I’ve learned from and I’m sure there are many more – just harder to find.
I have found though that when I do promote some more hyped up products I make more money. We need to find a happy balance.
Thanks for the post gave me much to think about.
I guess I’ll stay on your list – for now anyway – lol
It is not hard to get on too many list . Now that someone though up the ad/email swap it is hard to get anything without signing up for another list or you are on a different address and end up signed up for the same person on both addresses. I have done that. In fact I am on Davin’s list on this address and on an another address. When they come out with a new product 50 or 100 people send you at least two emails a day every day before it is really on the market and when it goes live they hit you with five or more.One email is enought. If I am going to buy it I don’t need an email every day for three weeks. I have bought a couple of products a year ago and about every six monthe I get an email from the person who had the product telling me I need to buy it to make lots of money in a week or two. If I can’t make the first one work I sure don’t need a second copy.
There are a few that are not just interisted in money,money sell,sell. I have been getting emails from some that are getting more into the help the newbies more. Then there are the ones that want you to join their coaching for two weeks and it only cost pocket change. $1997 is not pocket change to me. That is a little less than what I would get for two months from Social Security. It is real hard to pay that when you get $1118.00 a month. $97.00 a month is hard to pay.
Guess I had better get off of here befor you the emails get back up to 50 again. Beem having fun with thr delete button the last three weeks. Though about turning my wife loose but she would delete them all and there could be one I wanted to keep. She can get through 100 emails in a real short time. She get a lot of junk and it may be a week before she checks them. She looks at the subject line and if she don’t know them they are gone.
Hey Luca,
Thanx very much for the positive comment. It’s great to hear it’s not only myself that struggles with this at times.
Actually, it was one of Holly’s recent posts that sort of reminded me of this email I’d recently received from this subscriber. I was meaning to post something on it..and it gave me the reminder!
Thanx again Luca, and am glad you are still a subscriber….for the moment….lol
I decided in the beginning to get successful in other niches before getting highly involved in the IM niche. As otherwise, how do I know that I know what I’m talking about.
I have BuildingfromNothing.com but this is not really a money-maker for me, and I just use it to share my experience and knowledge which I think will be useful – when I have time. Which I never do
But oddly enough it is my favorite blog to work on and I would be very happy to be able to work on it every day!
I am successful now at earning a living online, though not through any of the methods I originally planned on using
But as of now, one of the results of that is that I barely have time to work on some of my original projects – which I do still want to complete or move forward. Including Building from Nothing itself.
So the irony – I didn’t want to go heavily into teaching Internet Marketing until I was successful at it myself. And now that I am successful, I don’t have time!
Yes, well I certainly know that you took a bit of a different route that I did Anna. And, I must say, I’m so proud of you for always hanging in there, and finding your way in marketing. You really are a great inspiration for newcomers and others to look up to.
We both started close to the same time, so I know just how long us “old dogs” have been around!
Well, for me, I guess you know that a lot of my focus was on list building. I think a lot of that came from the fact that I’d got hired by Tim Brocklehurst quite some time back. Of course, his products always centered around list building, so he was a pretty big influence that way.
Later on, of course, I’ve been hired by other marketers who are popular in the limelight (as far as marketers go) at handling various areas of their businesses for them. So yes, It’s been a bit of a different route for sure.
I’m very happy to hear your offline stuff took off so well for you Anna…you really deserve the success you are finding..and I always wish you the best in the future my friend.
Take care of yourself…
Davin
Hi I recently launched a software package called Twitter Bait
It was a combination of landing page builder sales letter builder and then a twitter component plus a strategy guide book aimed at the new marketers but probably useful for all.
Its a brilliant product for selling anything online
I wrote two sales letters one was a plain vanilla no nonsense no hype letter explaining the benefits to online marketers in clear simple terms.
The other was hyped up to the max!
Guess which sold the most product?
Here is the sales page (i am not advertising please dont buy it just look at the copy) http://bit.ly/twitterbaitvip
The point is most people want something for nothing we want a product that makes us tons of money at the push of a button and we love to read this hype stuff because its exciting. No one in their right mind can possibly believe that just by buying a product you will get rich but this type of sales copy excites the mind it makes you want to suspend disbelief and just buy it.
SO hype has its role to play
it makes it fun , entertaining and even exciting.
Sure we all know the truth we just don,t want to hear it all the time
Hype is dead
long live hype!
Hi Davin,
Great blog post.
I too have had it up to the eyeballs with the guruwankers who endlessly promote the hell out of each others high priced crap, when people with quality information that they have written themselves struggle to get an audience.
I’ve been storing all the emails from someone who is considered one of the best marketers for over a year now, to do a case study and analysis of how these people REALLY operate.
cheers,
Eric G.
P.S. If you want to discover lots of info about many markteres which they would rather keep hidden, pay a visit to http://www.saltydroid.info
And the language gets a bit salty. You’ve been warned
P.P.S. I don’t like the popover either Davin.
Yes, I know that everyone says that they work, but . . .
As experienced marketers you may have forgotten what it was like to be in the position of just starting out, and how unless you were careful it could be very easy to get sucked into the system.
Less than 2 weeks ago I Googled “starting from scratch” and have found myself being swamped by optins, emails and everything else that comes with IM lists and products. It maybe different for others, but here’s my perspective as a TOTAL beginner with ten days under my belt.
A large group of people trying to sell the same product to each other! Put a different cover on it, change it a little, call it something else and offer it for sale. Its like the same 2000 PDFs, 500 DVDs and 10 training courses in constant circulation.
Some lists including this one are great with invaluable content, but I’ve already started to weed out those that are persistent, annoying or trying the hard sell. Same goes for pop ups on landing pages, one guy had 5 before I managed to escape his site never to return.
Yes muggins did whip out the CC and bought some stuff.
Bad mistake since it will probable re-appear for free or it will come out as a torrent. On the surface the IM niche appears smooth but underneath it reminds me of the warez scene back in the late 80s.
Today I was offered a course on using Camtasia. Please dont insult my intelligence, Techsmith the makers of Camtasia provide instructions for free!! BTW everyone seems to be using Camtasia ($299USD), but why not use free open source products?
Just two further points on this subject of screen recording…
videos are supposed to be BIG and one training course I looked at I would have investigated further. But honestly I couldn’t stand the guys voice so rather than sit through several hours of listening to him, he missed out on a sale even though I’m sure his course was great.
In some other amateurish vids the ppl just drone on and on…
Question: whats big, the video segment or these peoples egos?
Secondly, these vids are only set up to watch online which isnt always convenient. Personally I now scape the data on the site down a few levels and watch and read when I’m ready, but for those without the technical knowledge to do it, why not capture the vid and watch later. Kind of defeats the purpose of not being able to download it but I cant see the point in not having the facility available in the first place.
I suppose you’ve all seem the “this is me with Tony Robbins” or “this is me in Thailand” clips. WTF? Am I supposed to be impressed?
Cut the crap, cut the BS, cut the hype and get to the nuts and bolts which is what I came for in the first place.
Sorry this has turned into a rant.
Personally I have learnt a lot which I am most grateful for since I can apply it to something else I have in the pipeline.
As for IM I’m going to take the advice of learning the fundimentals and not buying anything else. I will do affiliate “xyz”, set it up and improve as I go. You only learn by doing it.
Wish me luck, maybe see you on the outside away from all the hype.
Regards Kev
Hey Tom, Eric, and Kev…
Thanx for the comments, I appreciate your input on here.
@Tom
Well, you know as far as the hyped up sales page out performing the non-hype sales page it doesn’t really surprise me that much. As silly as it sounds, that’s exactly why people have been trained using certain copywriting strategies to help improve conversions.
It reminds me of a conversation I was having with Tahir Shah a while back.
I was helping out my good friend Holly Mann with her launch of the most recent version of Honest Riches. We had actually lined up a fair amount of J/V partners to help with the launch, but, sales were certainly far from expected.
Perhaps, there was just to many things launching at the time or various other reasons may have been at play.
But anyways…
Tahir stated to me, “Heck Dav, you guys are just to bloody honest with people (in his British accent of course…love those accents..lol). He said, if Holly had been less honest on her salespage and made all sorts of silly claims and promises about how easy it is to make money online with some crazy outlandish figures, sales would have been much higher. People want instant gratification, and they want results without having to work for it. Now if there was a bunch of that stuff on there…the conversions would be much better”
Well, you know, he probably did have a point. But, at the same time, knowing Holly as I do, presenting things in an honest fashion and not filling people’s heads with a bunch of BS is much more important to her than any amount of sales. In fact, she makes a point of stating on her sales pages, that the results you can expect are based on your individual efforts of truly applying and working hard at it….or words to that effect anyway. She’s straight up with people, and although, perhaps her product doesn’t sell as much as some of the BS hyped up products out there…her integrity is always in tact.
Which of course, is one of the reasons Holly is so popular and has a loyal following of people. So sure, it is a trade off, but, what is more important….sales…or trust and integrity?
Well, at least for people such as us who are trying to be straight up and honest with people, well that answer is simple…
@ Eric
Thanx for the comment Eric. I’m going to go have a look at your site as soon as I’m done writing my comment here…looking forward to some saltiness! lol…
As for the “exit pop up”. Well, what can I say Eric…it does work, and had it not been there, I wouldn’t have received two direct referrals just today by having a way to present GVO to people. I really do like their products and services, and have no problem in recommending them to people. And no kidding, if some people knew some of the hell experiences I’ve had with some hosts…they wouldn’t question why I recommend their hosting and other services to them.
@ Kev
Actually, no Kev, I don’t forget what it was like starting out at all. Yes, you are right, it is very easy to get sucked into the cycle of things..especially in the beginning.
In time, you eventually usually get to a point of being able to weed out the good from the bad, and find solid people and practices to follow.
Also, there are products out there where you can not only view the videos online, but, also download them to your computer. Perhaps, the products you received simply didn’t have this option…not sure.
I hope everything works out very well for you, and best of luck to you in your ventures online.
The best piece of advice…action, implementation, and perseverance..
Thanx again for the comments guys, and all the best to each of you in the future!
Cheers
Davin
Hey there Eric,
I just wanted to say. I went and checked out your Salty Droid site, and wow, I really had a great time over there. I have to say..I laughed my head off, at the saltiness. That’s a treasure of a site Eric. Thanx for sharing that with me here..
All the best!
Davin
Awesome content. Bookmarked for future reference
i signed up on amazon affiliate program last year and i can only earn 100 dollars amount from this affiliate program. i guess i need more traffic to earn more.
Hey, nice! That´s the reason why i subscribed to your stuff.
This blog is absolutely fantastic! Lots of great information and inspiration, both of which we all need!
Hey Davin: I’m learning alot about weeding out of Many lists.
I will KEEP yours. Great info! Thank you: Mark
Hi Davin,
Great post. I for one have HAD it with all the hype! It has gotten increasingly revolting over the years.
For years I’d contemplated majoring in the IM niche but it has now gotten so that the hype is downright VULGAR and I have a hard time justifying joining the increasing din.
Just opening my email sickens me with all the BS lies and deceptions. I have now given more thought to entering a different niche altogether because the IM parade has become one that I can’t justify joining.