Another thing I have noticed is, when unable to show proof, it almost assuredly ends up hurting the person who started them in the first place far worse than it ever did their latest subject of disdain. One thing I firmly believe, when a rumor is started, the burden of proof is not on the victim; the burden of proof lies in the hands of the one making the claims. Why am I telling you all of this? Read on and you will see the point I hope to make.
I often spend long periods of time surfing the internet to research articles, look at advertisements and in general, see what others out there have to say about many subjects. Most of the time it is in an effort to learn new and better ways, or ways that are better for me personally to market. I look at ads just to see what title or headlines draw me in. Yes, I look at what other marketers are doing and I have spoken to others that also watch. Lately I have noticed some marketing tactics that I find disturbing and, at the very least, questionable. I believe you earn respect in whatever you do. It is the same in your advertising and marketing. Do not take the respect you have earned lightly; make sure you always deserve it. Once respect is lost, it is extremely hard to regain.
Here are some of the marketing tactics I have noticed while doing my research or just surfing the internet . . .
I love this line, "You should not have to pay someone to work for them." I have seen this line used on a lot of forums by people who are hoping to sign others up for their FREE program. I will not argue this point because, of course, I am not going to pay someone to work FOR THEM. But what does this type of marketing tell me? First, I have to ask, where do the profits come from? But most of all what it says very loudly to me is . . . join my program and you will still be working for someone else. WHAT? I am looking for my own business and this suggests the opposite. I would not go into a store and expect them to hand it over to me for nothing; there would be an investment. Why do some people think it should be different in an internet business? It is called an investment for a reason and every day of our lives we have to invest something of ourselves, whether it is time, money or energy.
I get a lot of emails and read a lot of forums pronouncing this program or that program to be, oh the dreaded word . . . SCAMS. People readily talk about what a bad investment it is. They seem to know everything there is to know about it . . . until . . . someone inquisitive, like myself, starts asking questions. That is when you learn that they have never researched it, talked to anyone who runs the business, or been a member themselves. So, how can they know so much? It is all a tactic to get you, the "consumer" to invest in their business. I have seen it happen; people take their word as fact. Well, he says he is a guru, he must know what he is talking about. All this is, is someone marketing their own program by tearing down another. To be honest, this method makes me curious about the other program. Why is it such a threat? Is it so successful that others are being left behind? What exactly is this person so afraid of that makes him need to market this way? I think I will go check the other company out and see.
Ads are everywhere you look. Anything you "google" will bring up an ad of some kind. Some are really good and some make me ask, what was that person thinking? We all know it is the title, or headline that is the initial attraction to an ad. If you have a powerful headline, people will want to know more. There are a few headlines I have seen that make me raise my eyebrows and question the integrity of the submitter. Again, many headlines, like the forums I discussed, use a smear tactic to get that all-important click.
"This Company Name" NO! is what one reads or why I don't like "company name." I have clicked out of curiosity and most of them I have found to be copycats of the very company they are smearing. What is this? You are advertising an opportunity very much like the one you say is no good? What sense does that make?
The promise of join my team and you won't have to work, the money will just flow in, is not something I use. How many ads have we seen that make such promises? Everything takes some effort. Everything takes a certain amount of work. Even applying for welfare takes effort on the part of the person who has found themselves in need. If you were lucky enough to win a huge lottery, you will still have put in some effort and made some kind of investment just to buy the ticket. Don't advertise this way to draw people in, it is not honest and what will happen is, the person signs up, pays their investment and finds out they were lied to. Not good business sense.
The use of someone's name as a title is another tactic I have seen. Usually it is the name of a successful marketer or head of a competing company. How pathetic for someone to stoop to such a level. Can they not draw people in on their own merit? Think about this, how would you feel if you went online one day to see your name used in an ad title, you click and there it is advertising an adult site. Wouldn't that upset you? I personally would be livid. If you want to use my name this way, you better be sure you have my permission. I am not talking about using quotes here; quotes are used to drive a point home and the person is given the credit for his own words and work. They are inspiration to the writer and readers. But to just place a competitor's name as a title to an ad suggests to me that number one you must not have enough confidence in your own ability to drive traffic and number two the person whose name you used must have a lot going for him or her and just might be someone I would want to talk to about investing in their company.
Websites that are put in place for no other reason than to launch a smear campaign on a person or company is a method I find appalling. I came across one by accident a few weeks ago; and as I listened to the audios and read the words, I found myself thinking that this sounded like a gossip column, a he said, she said type of thing. What it boiled down to in the end was, someone had his or her feelings hurt, jumped ship, joined another company and decided this would be a great way to take others with him. It was full of things that were being reported as facts; but upon further investigation, I found they were all way off base.
So, what happens when someone in his new company hurts his feeling? What would happen if I followed him into the new company and he got upset with me? Would I find my name being smeared in an audio online? Look at the big picture; if they do it to one, they will do it to many others. Is this the kind of reputation you want in the business world? Be careful of what you do, things have a way of coming back to haunt you. If someone makes you mad or hurts your feelings, that should be between you and that person; and it should always be worked out as adults, not spread on a webpage for the whole world to see and certainly not used as a marketing tactic. It reminds me of the rumor game we played in school, where you whisper in the next person's ear and it goes down the line; by the time it reaches the last person, it is completely different than what was originally said.
As military wives, we have a saying when things don't go the way we hoped. Please excuse the expression, but it is honestly what we say, "put on your big girl panties and deal" . . . we are not children fighting over a toy. We are adults in a business world; let's act like it.
We all need to earn a living and being able to do so from your home is a gift. You need to do your due diligence and research, seek support and be on as many training sessions as you possibly can. I have sought out training from people I consider to be the best of the best and have been able to take what they have taught me and use it, and you can rest assured that I will continue with this training. I take advantage of my company's training and seek out training from others who have much to offer. It is some of the best education I can get on how to market, and I am learning to write ads properly, ads that do not step outside the ethical boundaries.
So, when advertising and going about their daily marketing routine, people really need to stop and think about what they are doing. Is it honest? Is it ethical? Am I being professional? Just like everything I do as a military wife reflects back on my husband and his career, how I advertise reflects back on my company and all those in my company trying to make an honest living. For me to do anything to jeopardize it is taking food out of the mouths of my team members, my partners and me. If I practice high standards, I can expect high standards in return. If I use unethical practices, I can expect the same against me. We reap what we sow; and if we are too busy stealing from another's garden, our own garden will suffer.
Don't become a he said, she said advertising statistic. Be open, be honest, be ethical and have integrity.
Keywords: get rich, internet opportunities, make cash, make money at home, work at home, work from home
About the Author
Teresa Bishop,
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