There are a lot of people making money online. There are also a lot of people who want to teach other people how to make money. That means a lot of money making products and lessons. These can definitely be valuable, but as someone who has been bombarded by offers I have come to hate a couple widely used terms.
These terms must work because the big names use them. Money is being made by people who use these terms so who am I to hate them? Well, I think there is room for more transparent and honest online marketing. The first step for me is to not use the following terms:
1. Guru – There is already a growing resentment to this word in the online marketing community. I think it comes down to over saturation. Everyone is now a “guru”. Oh they may not have results, and they might be new to the field but hey, they are a Guru so they must be good!
I was contacted by a man who was new to online marketing. he wanted a WordPress website built. One of his specific requests was to have Guru in his header. I did it no problem, but I have to admit that I found it rather hilarious. This guy was new to online marketing, was into like seven MLMs and was making no money. What exactly is he going to teach anyone? Wait a second, who am I to question a Guru! It is in his header after all – must be true.
If someone is claiming to be a Guru do your research – and if you are going to buy something off a “Guru” ask them about their results. There are some truly knowledgeable “Gurus” out there – but be aware that anyone can call themselves a Guru and at the end of the day it means nothing.
2. No Brainer – I hate when someone tells me their service or product is a no brainer. Unless I am handing you $1000 and you instantly hand me back $1500 then I can’t envision any deal being a “no brainer”. It is almost offensive in a way too. Do I look like some rube who is buying snake oil off the back of a van? Do you really expect me to not think about my forthcoming purchase? Oh it is a no brainer? Give me seven!
I am not the type of person who tosses my money at a product without doing research. I would suggest anyone looking at online marketing programs do the same. I have seen a lot of product launches come and go over the years and I can say without a doubt there has never been a “no brainer” product.
3. Newbie – This word is a bit different than the others on the list. It is different because I know it works and is effective. New people love to see this word and it makes them feel like “Hey I’m new I can do this!”. The reason it bothers me is purely saturation. Everyone has their newbie product. Overkill.
I will take it easy on this word because I understand it’s power. But in general – UGH. To me it is a warning sign that someone might be trying to take advantage of people new to the industry.
These words are never going to disappear from internet marketing. They worked at one time and probably still do. Even if they aren’t nearly as effective as they once were, people will still use them because people like to follow. That may seem harsh but anytime something has worked online it is almost always ran into the ground. If you are like me and can’t stand these words you better learn to live with them.
If you are using these words and not making money then maybe you should change it up. Try transparent and honest..I heard that sometimes works.
