Does your Business Belong to Hype, Google or Facebook?

Marketing on the internet is very similar to marketing offline. Or it will be soon.

Until now online marketers have been able to get away with pretty much anything they want but all the signs indicate to me that it is about to change.

There have been many strong signals over the past couple of years such as:

Google Adwords clamping down so hard on anyone they see as marketing a money making opportunity. It started with affiliate marketing to encourage you to create your own unique marketing pages but now it’s very difficult to market anything on adwords that is even indirectly related to making money or doing anything quickly.

Google also seem to detest any kind of marketing where you’re promising anything. Good marketing and copywriting by their very nature have to clearly promise something or why would anyone sign up to receive your offer? This applies to free information too so presents a real problem in creating your compelling marketing message.

I had an email from them lately asking me to define the risks to the user of requesting my report. I said there are no risks – it’s a free report jam packed with information relevant to what they’ve typed in to search for!

They weren’t happy with that and to be honest I’ve had enough of trying to pay people who are so awkward. Fortunately for me I don’t have all my eggs in one basket and that was just an additional stream of marketing in my game plan.

If you’re counting on adwords to bring you most of your business this is a red flag waving in your face. It’s time to introduce some other methods of online marketing that don’t depend on someone else’s approval.

You may think it won’t happen to you… Maybe it won’t but you still need some other marketing methods in place or your business belongs to Google or Facebook.

Personally I think they’ve taken it a bit far but that’s not the point really now. The point is where will you take it?

How will you market and advertise your business in 2012-2015?

Facebook is almost bound to follow the same route as google although it will probably take some time to get to that point. I’ve already heard from clients & colleagues that their adverts have been put on hold.

So it’s just a matter of time. It looks as though free social media marketing is growing more important by the day because even if you’re not promoting money making – you still have to make a big promise to draw someone in to sign up for your information or to buy your product. We’re running out of places to pay for advertising that work. (I’m not talking yellow pages here!)

Then we have all of the rules and regulations that the powers that be will be dreaming up now. The internet has been largely un-policed but that of course is about to change. It has to, even though for those of us working with integrity it’s going to be an annoying thorn in the side.

There have been so many hype merchants marketing their big ticket programmes on the internet that change is inevitable.

I do believe we create our own future with our words so I’m not going to write specifically what I think may happen but let’s just say if your marketing is based on hype and compelling copywriting alone then this is another red flag.

If you’re modelling people who sell with extreme hype then my advice to you is to find a mentor who has more integrity and less hype based marketing.

Yes it’s super exciting to be told you can be a millionaire this year if you just buy someone’s $3k online programme and follow the steps BUT how exciting is it if it doesn’t happen?

Of course there’s a ton of amazing info products out there (I invest in many of them and I do it with joy) but I go in with my eyes wide open.

I invest in a product because I believe I will be able to learn through my own efforts how to get better at whatever it is the marketer is teaching. End of story.

I don’t buy it because I will be holding that person responsible for my success. You success is not external to you.

I think, well even if 25% of what they promise happens by my taking the action I need to take will it be worth the investment?

If the answer is yes then I buy. Then I DO. I study and implement every little thing that I’ve trusted this person to teach me. One secret or tip from an experienced marketer can be worth much more than the price of the course. That’s not hype – that’s how I see it and why I invest.

Otherwise how could I say it works or doesn’t work?

Bottom line is most of it will work if you do. So don’t buy products based on hype. You can make your dreams come true by marketing online with integrity and teaching real people how to do real things.

Take some time to research the new rules and regulations of online marketing because this space is no longer the wild west. The internet offers you an incredible way to share your gifts, provide value with your niche expert business and to make money but the key is to provide value not hype.

Ok I’ve got that off my chest! I hope that helps you to do some thinking and make some solid plans for your internet empire so that you build your niche expert business on rock not sand.

You might make a little less money by toning down the hype but you’ll sleep better at night and in the long run you’ll make more because online hype has had its day.

Better to be known as a marketer who creates information products and courses that do what they say on the tin, provided the student implements what they learn.

What do you think? Is paid online advertising dead? Leave me a comment with your thoughts and get a hot link back to your website.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include the following with it: Rachel Henke, The Niche Expert Coach, shares the insider secrets of becoming an expert in your niche to attract perfect clients, customers & publicity online. Get your free insider secrets report at: http://www.RachelHenke.com