Theres Gold in Them Thar Hills
| Category: Home Based Business - Marketing | Date: 2003-06-22 |
Looking back on almost three years of internet marketing I have to smile at my own naivete and what I thought it would take to become wealthy on the World Wide Web. I was, however, convinced this would be the vehicle to take me there.
Id heard and read the success stories. The unheard of fortunes that were being made "Overnight."
"Theres Gold in them thar hills," I thought. Surely I could stake my claim and mine the potential profits. Souldnt take very long either. A year? Probably closer to six months.
After all,The web had hundreds of thousands, even millions of folks surfing around with their credit cards out just dying to spend their credit limit on something Id be offering them. I wasnt quite sure what it would be but Id find what I thought it was they wanted. Then be right there to sell it to them.
So began the search. The search for the perfect product and the perfect service. I looked at and read everything that came into my inbox. I clicked on the links. Visited countless websites. Read the Hype Filled sales letters and became more convinced that Id found Shangri La!
They were saying things like "Get Paid for doing Nothing," I could "Get Paid just to be Online." They were even paying for you to read email. Join our Taproot Downline Club for $1 and in no time youll be earning $10,000 per month.
Id be rich in no time. Now I knew what they meant by Millionaires in Underwear. I was going to be one. :-)
I was hooked. My wife said it was more like obsessed.
Somewhere online I read that The Key to Wealth on the Internet was "Multiple Streams of Income." What that phrase meant and what I thought it meant were as far apart as New York & L.A.
Armed with this bit of Internet Wisdom I went out and joined program on top of program. I maxed out with 12 programs to promote. Some free some cost.
It sure didnt take long for me to discover that promoting all these programs was one hell of a lot of work. The hours were many. I was overwhelmed. It was then that the Magic Solution flashed on the screen. One Word. "Automation." Every Successful Business should be automated. So you can Get Paid for Doing Nothing. That must be what theyre talking about.
Automated Software would save me hours and hours!
Out came the credit card beginning my Investments in software that would put my ads on 1,000 Inside the Web Message Boards, thousands of FFA Pages, hundreds of Free Classified Ad sites, the instructions on setting up and sending to 1,200 opt-in lists at Egroups, Onelist, Globe And Topica, Search Engine Submitter and a Free Link Finder. Just to name a few.
After a time of using all this automation reality set in as I discovered the combined total of all programs was putting less than $50 extra income per month.
SOMETHING WAS TERRIBLY WRONG!
I had to be honest with myself. Nothing was working. Id had such High Hopes. I was crushed.
From spending so many hours sitting in front of the computer I developed chronic back and neck pain, put on 30lbs., maxed out 3 credit cards, neglected my family, was mean and short with anyone who disturbed His Majesty the Baby. Wait a minute! It wasnt supposed to be like this. My intent was a better life not a miserable one. I really only wanted to work from home, have my own business. I didnt want to pursue a career on the Internet if it meant losing all I hold near and dear to me.
Quitting seemed like a good idea. I was even relieved at the prospect of not having to face the subtle rejection that awaited me Online.
But I could not Quit. Id invested to much. Whats more Id learned some valuable lessons that I could use to start over.
How many of us have started over again and again? I dont go around surrendering on every other street corner.
So I took my lessons learned, took a couple steps back and trudged onward.
I began by weeding through the Hype, the outlandish claims and unfulfilled promises.
I read everything I can about marketing on and offline.
Taking a risk to write articles and discovering the benefits of doing so.
Visiting and participating in business Discussion forums.
Put what I learn into practice in my own business.
The single most important aspect of doing business on or offline is "This is a Process."
A process that takes time, effort, patience, money, guts and above all else "A willingness to Learn and Unlearn.
My business doesnt come from any one source. It comes from a combination of all sources. Once Ive tested, tracked, tested & tested some more. Finding what works, what doesnt, which do I keep, which do I change and which do I let go.
Learn, My Fellow Marketers then learn some more!
Web Promotion Doesnt have to be a Shot in the Dark!
Success and Regards,
Art
About the Author
Art Luff is the Publisher/Editor of "The Virtual Times Newsletter" A twice weekly publication that focuses on resources for starting, managing and operating your own ezine or newsletter. To subscribe virtualtimes-subscribe@listbot.com Art is also an active affiliate with the Topezineads Program. Please visit his site roibot.com/w.cgi?R19306_1700
:To contact see details below.
vtnews1@aol.com
http://www.roibot.com/w.cgi?R19306_1700
Id heard and read the success stories. The unheard of fortunes that were being made "Overnight."
"Theres Gold in them thar hills," I thought. Surely I could stake my claim and mine the potential profits. Souldnt take very long either. A year? Probably closer to six months.
After all,The web had hundreds of thousands, even millions of folks surfing around with their credit cards out just dying to spend their credit limit on something Id be offering them. I wasnt quite sure what it would be but Id find what I thought it was they wanted. Then be right there to sell it to them.
So began the search. The search for the perfect product and the perfect service. I looked at and read everything that came into my inbox. I clicked on the links. Visited countless websites. Read the Hype Filled sales letters and became more convinced that Id found Shangri La!
They were saying things like "Get Paid for doing Nothing," I could "Get Paid just to be Online." They were even paying for you to read email. Join our Taproot Downline Club for $1 and in no time youll be earning $10,000 per month.
Id be rich in no time. Now I knew what they meant by Millionaires in Underwear. I was going to be one. :-)
I was hooked. My wife said it was more like obsessed.
Somewhere online I read that The Key to Wealth on the Internet was "Multiple Streams of Income." What that phrase meant and what I thought it meant were as far apart as New York & L.A.
Armed with this bit of Internet Wisdom I went out and joined program on top of program. I maxed out with 12 programs to promote. Some free some cost.
It sure didnt take long for me to discover that promoting all these programs was one hell of a lot of work. The hours were many. I was overwhelmed. It was then that the Magic Solution flashed on the screen. One Word. "Automation." Every Successful Business should be automated. So you can Get Paid for Doing Nothing. That must be what theyre talking about.
Automated Software would save me hours and hours!
Out came the credit card beginning my Investments in software that would put my ads on 1,000 Inside the Web Message Boards, thousands of FFA Pages, hundreds of Free Classified Ad sites, the instructions on setting up and sending to 1,200 opt-in lists at Egroups, Onelist, Globe And Topica, Search Engine Submitter and a Free Link Finder. Just to name a few.
After a time of using all this automation reality set in as I discovered the combined total of all programs was putting less than $50 extra income per month.
SOMETHING WAS TERRIBLY WRONG!
I had to be honest with myself. Nothing was working. Id had such High Hopes. I was crushed.
From spending so many hours sitting in front of the computer I developed chronic back and neck pain, put on 30lbs., maxed out 3 credit cards, neglected my family, was mean and short with anyone who disturbed His Majesty the Baby. Wait a minute! It wasnt supposed to be like this. My intent was a better life not a miserable one. I really only wanted to work from home, have my own business. I didnt want to pursue a career on the Internet if it meant losing all I hold near and dear to me.
Quitting seemed like a good idea. I was even relieved at the prospect of not having to face the subtle rejection that awaited me Online.
But I could not Quit. Id invested to much. Whats more Id learned some valuable lessons that I could use to start over.
How many of us have started over again and again? I dont go around surrendering on every other street corner.
So I took my lessons learned, took a couple steps back and trudged onward.
I began by weeding through the Hype, the outlandish claims and unfulfilled promises.
I read everything I can about marketing on and offline.
Taking a risk to write articles and discovering the benefits of doing so.
Visiting and participating in business Discussion forums.
Put what I learn into practice in my own business.
The single most important aspect of doing business on or offline is "This is a Process."
A process that takes time, effort, patience, money, guts and above all else "A willingness to Learn and Unlearn.
My business doesnt come from any one source. It comes from a combination of all sources. Once Ive tested, tracked, tested & tested some more. Finding what works, what doesnt, which do I keep, which do I change and which do I let go.
Learn, My Fellow Marketers then learn some more!
Web Promotion Doesnt have to be a Shot in the Dark!
Success and Regards,
Art
About the Author
Art Luff is the Publisher/Editor of "The Virtual Times Newsletter" A twice weekly publication that focuses on resources for starting, managing and operating your own ezine or newsletter. To subscribe virtualtimes-subscribe@listbot.com Art is also an active affiliate with the Topezineads Program. Please visit his site roibot.com/w.cgi?R19306_1700
:To contact see details below.
vtnews1@aol.com
http://www.roibot.com/w.cgi?R19306_1700
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