Is Internet Marketing For Real?

Windsor Internet Marketing Air Quality Study (Photo credit: Wikipedia)A passionate conversation lit up a little corner of the internet the other day when a poster on a very popular web forum for internet marketers declared "that all internet marketing is a scam," stating "they all offer these great products that promise wealth beyond your wildest dreams." Oddly enough, in the midst of his rant, another poster pointed out that his forum signature was offering those same promises.
But this gave me pause and I spent some time pondering this question: Is internet marketing a scam? My answer: a resounding "no."
CAVEAT EMPTOR
As with almost anything in life, a person does have to take a "buyer beware" approach when deciding whether or not to part ways with their money. And, rightfully, there are many people out there who are attempting to sell products that offer nothing more than empty promises of financial security. These programs are only newly reconstructed versions of pyramid schemes. A popular scheme right now involves the concept of "cash gifting." Apparently this "gifting" is legal because the government has no say in how someone decides to gift away their money. But you can not convince me that this new cash gifting scheme is anything buy a recycled version of a Ponzi scheme.
Other types of schemes exist, as well. In my own experience, the vast majority of multilevel marketing (MLM) or forced matrix programs are nothing but scams. Sure, some MLM programs are more legitimate sources of income for people, including Avon and Mary Kay Cosmetics. But--online--the vast majority of these programs offer absolutely nothing of value and exist only to foster the flow of cash upline.
BUT ALL INTERNET MARKETING IS NOT THE SAME
However, most internet marketing programs are not multilevel marketing programs. In fact, the vast majority of them are affiliate based marketing programs. And even the vast majority of those are upfront and honest with the money-making potential of their clients.
Any internet marketer will tell you that the results they put forth on their squeeze pages are probably not typical for the average user. Not because the results can't be typical, but because the vast majority of individuals who buy into any program drop out long before they apply any of the techniques with any consistency.
Internet marketing is an online business and should be treated as such. Anyone in their right mind would not open a brick-and-mortar store selling a product and then decide only to put about 15-20 minutes a day standing behind the cash register. If I saw someone do that I would tell them they were crazy.
Yet the vast majority of individuals who want to "make it rich" online expect that is all the effort that they are going to have to put into their internet marketing endeavors. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.
IM PRODUCTS EXPLAIN STRATEGIES AND PROVIDE LESSONS
The other area of misunderstanding is that internet marketing products and programs are supposed to provide you with "turn-key" businesses that are automated immediately. Again, this couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, every product and program out there provides you with a blueprint and a plan of action that you can tweak and replicate, but you can't duplicate it.
Think of a blockbuster movie, for example. Sure it makes a billion dollars in its worldwide run. And yes, other imitators follow within a year or two. But you don't see every movie studio casting the same actors, employing the same director, using the same script to make the same movie and expect audiences to pony up their cash. But that's what people in the internet marketing world expect.
And this is why most internet marketers fail in their endeavors. They don't understand that they need to take what they have learned and develop it to their own action plan.
Internet marketing is not a scam. What it does is provide real and viable money-making opportunities to individuals who want to apply those lessons to develop passive income streams.
Jay Monroe is passionate about people making money online by creating smart passive income streams. He believes that it is something everyone can participate in, regardless of education level. Follow his free step-by-step approach to financial success.
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