Internet Marketing Information |
|
Hype! Has The Internet Gone Too Far?
I remember back in the 1980s (history for many of you reading this), I had a friend working at the University of California who had access to the Internet through the University system. It was new, it was esoteric, it was for academicians, nerds, and professional scientists. Another friend, a salesman, pondered the commercial possibilities. "Sales and marketing," my University friend intoned, is "strongly frowned upon" by the Internet community. Fast forward 20 to 25 years. What happened? A system designed for researchers and academic communities to discuss ideas has become one of the primary means of communication for individuals throughout the world. It is the great leveler: a Bosnian peasant, a Kenyan tribesman, an urban ghetto adolescent, with access to a computer, is on a level with global corporations and top decision makers. The world wide web has created an unprecedented opportunity for verbal intercourse, far beyond anything that has historically been available, for anyone, even the rich and powerful. Blogs, personalized and updated, perhaps several times a day, allow the most humble their day in the sun. What have we done with this new weapon with its potential to unite the world and give every individual, no matter how powerless and lonely, the chance to interact on the world stage? We have commercialized it beyond any reasonable "make a sale" level. We have created the ultimate international snake oil salesperson. We have taken the "great communicator" and transformed him into the "great con." How did this happen? The desire to sell something - anything - morphed into simply the desire to sell. Join any traffic site, SEO group, PR Newsletter, or Internet Forum and you will be immediately inundated with messages about selling. Is there anything wrong with trying to sell a product? Of course not, that is what makes the wheels of commerce go round. I have no objection whatsoever to someone trying to sell me something - that is their job and I respect their right to pursue it. What totally sickens me (how about you?) are the people who are not trying to sell me a product but are selling "how to sell." I belong to several traffic exchange sites (I willingly admit that I'm trying to sell a book) that require me to spend 20 to 30 seconds on other exchange program websites. I have no problem with, and actually admire, someone trying to sell me something, whether I want it or not. I even find myself sighing with relief when I reach a site selling an actual product, whether a bottle of pills, a newsletter, a gift, or an e-book. What frustrates, exasperates, and eventually disgusts me, is the webmaster out there who is not really selling anything tangible, merely selling the reader on selling. How many ads have you encountered that want you to sign-up for "The List," "Marketing Secrets Revealed," or "Make $___ within 48 hours without lifting a finger." How many times have you clicked on a link only to find the same theme: how you can make money off everyone else? If everyone on the net is there to make money, from whom are they making their living? Is there really a vast population of the unwashed, sitting quietly reading their emails and surfing unending Websites, who exist just to buy stuff from these overzealous marketing gurus? Or does the money simply rotate as marketers buy from marketers toward the supreme goal of becoming a better marketer? We live in the information age where knowledge is power, the details of both history and today's world are only a mouse click away, and the ease of access to almost everything approaches the speed of interplanetary travel. What productive use have we identified for all of this data? Future archeologists, digging through our abandoned middens and long forgotten dumpsites, may finally stumble across our great weakness: that making money is the be-all and end-all of life. Shaking their heads in regret, they will publish their findings, reporting on a great civilization that eventually collapsed under the weight of its own hype. Virginia Bola is a licensed clinical psychologist with deep interests in Social Psychology and politics. She has performed therapeutic services for more than 20 years and has studied the effects of cultural forces and employment on the individual. The author of an interactive workbook, The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a monthly ezine, The Worker's Edge, she can be reached at http://drvirginiabola.blogspot.com
MORE RESOURCES: New Lightspeed Data Shows Digital Marketing is Driving Engagement and Growth for Golf Courses PR Newswire My summer well spent: Studying digital marketing in the Czech Republic Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University How to Become a Digital Marketer in 2024? Simplilearn Why is the internet overflowing with rubbish ads – and what can we do about it? The Conversation Indonesia 10+ Digital Marketing Companies in the USA- 2024-25 Customer Think Juice Media Expands Mobile and Digital Marketing Capabilities Through Acquisitions of Mooko and MDG PR Newswire Niche marketing: How brands can use influencers to reach niche pockets of the internet Sprout Social 7 Free Digital Marketing Tools For Small Businesses CO— by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Internet Marketing Association Wraps One of the Largest Artificial Intelligence Conferences in America PR Newswire Study: 96% of sites in Google’s top 10 positions have 1,000+ links from unique domains Search Engine Land Digital Marketing for Car Dealerships [2023-2024 Guide] Spotlight | DesignRush Amazon Marketing Strategy 2024: A Case Study Simplilearn Digital Marketing for Restaurants (2024) Spotlight | DesignRush Top 23 Online Marketing Platforms for Digital Marketing in 2024 Influencer Marketing Hub The 43 best marketing resources we recommend in 2024 Sprout Social 10 Best SEO Services Of 2024 Forbes In-flight Internet Market Size, Share & Forecast Report, 2024-2032 Global Market Insights Coca-Cola Marketing Strategy 2024: A Case Study Simplilearn Digital Marketing Dynamics of 2024 Martechcube Social media - statistics & facts Statista Best online marketing service of 2024 TechRadar 11 AI marketing tools your team should be using in 2024 Sprout Social Global In-flight Internet Market Forecast to Reach $2.1 GlobeNewswire KFC Marketing Strategy 2024: A Case Study Simplilearn McDonald's Marketing Strategy - A Case Study Simplilearn What Exactly is Digital Marketing in 2024? Entrepreneur 10 Essential Digital Marketing Tools for a Successful Small Business Spotlight | DesignRush Top 10 Digital Marketing Trends For 2024 Search Engine Journal How SMBs are approaching digital marketing in 2024 Search Engine Land Guidance on regulatory measures aimed at restricting digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes World Health Organization (WHO) KWEB China Internet Market Volatility FAQ KraneShares 5 Tips for Your Digital Marketing Strategy in 2024 Social Media Today Tesla Marketing Strategy 2024: A Case Study Simplilearn What is an Influencer? – Social Media Influencers Defined [Updated 2024] Influencer Marketing Hub 15 eCommerce Marketing Strategies for 2024 Spotlight | DesignRush The New Rules of Marketing Across Channels HBR.org Daily 18 Digital Marketing Agencies in Austin to Know Built In Austin |
RELATED ARTICLES
Twenty Ways To Profits Online 1. Offer to write exclusive articles (that means you only submit them to one place) for high traffic web sites in exchange for a link back to your site. A World Outside The US With the exception of myself and a small handful of very remote and isolated journalists, no-one today bothers writing about the growth of the web. It's old news, and we already get it. Its Not That Hard: Expert Shares Practical Tips For Internet Marketing Novices Try to run a search for the name Edward Gilbert. You'll garner about 2,700,000 hits, and the most prominent of them would refer to Edward Gilbert the doctor, Edward Gilbert the lawyer, and Edward Gilbert the deceased professional wrestler. Holiday / Vacation Time But What About Your Online Business? For many of us, it is time to start thinking about packing our suitcases and jetting off on our summer holidays/vacation. When I had a 'normal' job, this was a time to get out of the office and completely forget about work for a couple of weeks. The Right Way to Use Other People's Articles on Your Website Article Marketing Creates a Steady Flow of Fresh ContentArticle writers, website owners, and site visitors all benefit through articles posted online. Simply put, the author's message gets broad exposure. Marketing Tourism Online, Part One: The Basics This is part one of an article series which will introduce some basic strategies, considerations, elements, and techniques for marketing tourism products online. We plan to update and refine these articles as situations change and when we have new knowledge to present. The Deadly Sin Of Inaction "There is difference between knowing the path and walking the path"- Morpheus, Matrix Revolutions.Can you make money on the net?What kind of question is that?Of course you know that it can be made. Celebrating A Decade Of Online Marketing Yes, it has been ten successful years of online marketing in the E-world. Many small companies have made it real big in this online world, by applying different marketing strategies and techniques. Creative Offline Website Marketing Techniques Although the vast majority of website traffic is the direct result of search engines, there are many offline marketing techniques that can be used to draw customers to your website. The examples listed below are but a few ways in which you can market your online presence to an offline audience in an inexpensive manner. The Voice of Viral Marketing Generating buzz through word of mouth will help drive greater sales and from your most important customers.Viral marketing strategies can effectively generate traffic to your website by creating buzz-building campaigns that excite and energize your customer base. Growing Your Business In CyberSpace A synopsis of Philippa Gamse's Presentation to the National Speakers Association, Washington DC chapter on Saturday, January 10, 2004Someone had asked Philippa why Websites are such a 'pain' in a pre-seminar question. Her opening reply was simple, yet powerful, "when you stop improving your site, you stop growing. 10 Unique, Free Product Bonuses Are you looking for something unique or unusual that you can use as a free product bonus? Here are 10 that not only fit your needs, but are useful as well.1. Why Test? Marketing should be treated like a science. If you are serious about making money on the Internet, it is absolutely crucial that you spend some time testing your results and refining your approach. Five Ways To Maximize Profit In Resale Rights Marketing Product creation is usually one of the first concerns of an internet marketer. Conceptualizing a profitable idea and formulating a marketing plan to sell it is a relatively exhausting task. Local Search Makes Your Business a Big Fish in Your Local Community The Internet Contains Billions of Website Pages - All Clamoring for AttentionWith so many competing websites, it's unlikely that yours could stand out among them. Until recently, you faced near-impossible odds. How to Get 100s of People into Your Downline(s) in Just a Few Months I've been "seriously" working the Web since late 2000. I joined a few affiliate programmes in the early days - more than I could handle back then - and more or less gave up on every single one of them. Writing An Effective, Profit Producing Ad One of the biggest challenges for most Internet Marketers is writing effective ad copy. This is hardly surprising. Joint Ventures - How They Can Benefit Your Business Joint ventures are partnerships in which two or more businesses join forces to work together in promoting each other's business. Both parties agree to endorse each others service or products on their website, in their newsletters or mailings. Truth and Lies How low can one get? The number of encounters I have had in the few months as a network marketer with liars is astounding. Why do people need to stoop to lying in their attempt to succeed? Do they really believe that they will attract customers by using deceptive means. Find Your Niche If you haven't heard the word 'niche' being batted around by Internet Marketers then you haven't been listening. Finding a niche has become the antidote to competing in overly saturated online markets. |
home | site map |
© 2006 |