Thread: In Internet Marketing, Do you lead or follow?

I wonder about this all the time. Internet Marketing is a branch of marketing. You have a service or product you want to sell to the public, and you find interesting, attention grabbing ways to get potential customers. On the web, its all about getting to page one, having people find your site everywhere, getting the product or service out there so everyone can find it and buy it.

What I mean by do you lead or follow, is do you work with tried and trusted methods only (follow)? Or do you try to find more interesting ways to market a product (lead). So far, I have seen very limited ways that you could get a product marketed, and even that similar products are marketed the same way.

I kinda call that bandwagon marketing, because you see that the way someone else markets a similar product does well, so you form your advertising "campaign" around that, and try make it better. Just look at a few products like Antibacterial soaps, beauty products, insurance etc. You can clearly see it there.

Would you use only tried and trusted methods, market your product, and try make it out there, or would you be bold, extravagant, and spontaneous? Using an ideavirus, or guerrilla tactics to grab a customer's attention?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

I like to try new things and go out on a limb. There is lots of competion on regualr mwthods. If you find away to do it a new way then you will hit the jack pot,

True. If you find new ways and it works, it may get others to follow you in the long run. I have one more question though. Would you sell something to someone when you know they don't really need it? I've noticed that, many times, people go after the money and would sell relentlessly, just to make a fast buck. Regardless whether or not someone is going to find a use for the product or service.

I am always looking to find new way's to IM, because I do optimsiation it helps I used to have a list when i made my own money making program, trouble is I find peopel either fall into 4 groups...

1. Want everything for nothing
2. One time payment of the lowest amount
3. want all the help and info, yet give nothing in return
4. want to make millions in one week

I just wish somewould get it into there heads you have to work hard to make it work, unless your already established.

Originally Posted by Phoenyx

True. If you find new ways and it works, it may get others to follow you in the long run. I have one more question though. Would you sell something to someone when you know they don't really need it? I've noticed that, many times, people go after the money and would sell relentlessly, just to make a fast buck. Regardless whether or not someone is going to find a use for the product or service.

Your job is the provide info and make money. If you provide good info then you did your job.

True. You do get some though that pride themselves on being able to sell snow to Eskimos. Which is what I am talking about. I know we are there to provide information, and a nudge in the right direction so that salepeople can take over and make the sale, or make the sale ourselves. What I mean was, if you had already set out your target market, would you include people you know aren't going to benefit from your product?

Originally Posted by Phoenyx

do you work with tried and trusted methods only (follow)? Or do you try to find more interesting ways to market a product (lead).

I tend to do both. I like to used tried and true methods to ensure my business is growing, but I also like to experiment. I will often create my own little hypotheses, and I'll test the on my websites. If they work, I keep doing them. If not, I just go back to the metaphorical drawing board.

Originally Posted by Phoenyx

Would you sell something to someone when you know they don't really need it? I've noticed that, many times, people go after the money and would sell relentlessly, just to make a fast buck. Regardless whether or not someone is going to find a use for the product or service.

This is a great question. I would also like to other's opinions on this. Coming from a sales background, I tend to always think that I can sell snow to an Eskimo. However, all my "snow selling" experience is offline. When it comes to IM, I am just working on making a living.

With that being said, I see nothing wrong with selling anything to make a quick buck. Keep in mind that "one man's trash is another man's treasure." So, when I look for products to sell, I don't really care if I find the product useful . I am more concerned about the quality of the product. I need to make sure that the product I sell has a good value to it so that others will find it useful.

For example, If I am selling an internet marketing product for beginners, I may not find that product useful because I already know about basic IM. However, many other people may find it extremely valuable. That is what I look for.

So, when I look for products to sell, I don't really care if I find the product useful . I am more concerned about the quality of the product. I need to make sure that the product I sell has a good value to it so that others will find it useful.

For example, If I am selling an internet marketing product for beginners, I may not find that product useful because I already know about basic IM. However, many other people may find it extremely valuable. That is what I look for.

Basically you are giving a qualified 'no' in answer to the question.

Selling for the sake of making a sale is a very short term approach. A dissatisfied customer does not come back. If you give good value, on the other hand, the customer may come back and may be open to an up sell.

Originally Posted by wink0r

Basically you are giving a qualified 'no' in answer to the question.

Selling for the sake of making a sale is a very short term approach. A dissatisfied customer does not come back. If you give good value, on the other hand, the customer may come back and may be open to an up sell.

I sort of agree. Selling low-quality products for the sake of selling is a very short-term approach. That is why I always make sure that my products give good value and that customers are satisfied with the products I promote.

However, there is nothing wrong with selling a high-quality product with a good value that you personally do not need at the time. Just because I don't need it doesn't mean that other people do no need it. Any marketing book will tell you that you have to cater to your target audience. Sometimes you are not your target audience. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you are catering to your target audience.

Make sense?

I agree with your statement and your philosophy.

I have worked in retail, and have seen how snake oil salesman try their darndest to make sure someone walks out of a store after buying something. I have noticed as well that many IMs work on the same theory. For instance, I know salesmen / women have quotas to fill, and they try really hard to make their monthly quotas. Do you think IM's have that same "quota"? Either because they set it for themselves to maintain a certain lifestyle or to ensure their clients get the best out of their services?

Originally Posted by Phoenyx

Do you think IM's have that same "quota"? Either because they set it for themselves to maintain a certain lifestyle or to ensure their clients get the best out of their services?

I would think that some do and some don't. most of the ones that treat IM as a business and make a living out of it do. Others do it in a more casual way. They do the work and whatever happens happens.

I set myself goals all the time. Some of them are quotas, but most of them are about doing the work. I don't make a living off of IM yet, so my goals are more long-term. However, once I start making a living out of IM, I will certainly have to set quotas for myself to maintain my standard of living. Do you set yourself quotas?

I don't, well not really as in sales quotas. I set goal for the amount of work I have to do yes, like my blog, site reviews, keyword reviews, stuff like that. I make a living off IM yes, but for a company, and not my own company. But I can see where someone would need to set quotas if they have their own IM business. The only reason I asked was because I wanted to know, more or less, how high those quotas are, or if you would just set something general. Also, if you earn more than your quota, do you raise the bar and set your quota higher?

Personally, I don't know yet. For now, I am still setting myself goals based on work being done.

I follow successful marketers but also try to discover new ways on my own as innovation helps to understand internet marketing better and excel in this field. Following others' strategies is also very important to keep up with latest internet marketing trends and strategies.

As far as I've seen people are just following the old school rules. I've not seen anything new so far what would be a new way to market something online?

That's actually interesting though. Do you think that maybe IM is not really changing as much? If you think about it, just about the only thing that changes is the importance of certain aspects like avoiding low quality content because of the panda, avoiding low quality and spammy links in fear of a Google ban. Maybe its not the ideas / techniques that change at all. Just about any "new" site, application etc. that is launched today serves more or less the same function as any other site or software out there, and the only task the IM has is to make the site visible from page one, and prove why it works better.

Do you think IM needs an innovation injection of sorts?

Here your dedication would answer this question, lots of people are making good money by following as well, and lots of internet marketers are leading and earning good money, try any method and if you get benefit from that then stick with that.

I understand It can be very profitable if you stick to one or two things and not really try new things much, but what if you had an idea. One that could revolutionize IM as we know it today. Would you go for it? Test out your theory before making it visible, or would you just keep doing what you know makes money?

If I had a good idea, I would definitely go for it. You have to at least test it out? What's the worse that can happen? Just don't test it out on a money making site.

I truly do not understand people with a winning idea that do not go for it. One thing is lacking the resources. Some people don't have the resources, or the risk is too high to pursue their idea but that usually relates to physical businesses where people have to invest half a million $ to get started. On the net, investments to test out a new idea are minimal. You have to go for it!