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
No matter what business you are in there is a... Read More
There are over 200 million people worldwide connected to the... Read More
Do you remember as a child having to do something... Read More
Free can set you free...The powerful word "FREE" is an... Read More
As you may have already read in our article "Health... Read More
If you get an email with a title like 'Don't... Read More
I need to let you in on some very important... Read More
At times, marketing your business online can seem incredibly complicated.... Read More
Many people join internet business opportunities online blindly. By this... Read More
What happened on your website yesterday? What about last week... Read More
Overcome lackluster copy and lack of product sales by using... Read More
There's one thing that's sure-fire guaranteed to ruin your profits... Read More
Wife: "I'm getting sick of these harrassing bill collectors who... Read More
More and more people are considering the World Wide Web... Read More
9/10 times your web site visitors won't stay for more... Read More
Free bonuses are like honey that can get your website... Read More
In today's business world, if you're not selling your product... Read More
Potential niche products exist all around us, but how do... Read More
Convinced you have a fantastic idea for your online business... Read More
The internet marketer is really a perfect profession. This profession... Read More
The path toward success in Internet marketing can be a... Read More
Finding the GOLD!!!G'Day from the kitchen table of Scott WilsonTime... Read More
Hint: don't send send your online advertising traffic to your... Read More
We all know the importance of gaining top visibility to... Read More
Beware of Internet Consultants, as many of them have never... Read More
The backbone of business success is communication.And networking is one... Read More
This article can determine the success or failure of your... Read More
Niche marketing enthusiast...I'm about to tell you a short story.... Read More
As well you should. New business is what makes the... Read More
If you are convinced by now that you wish to... Read More
An Internet marketing strategy is important if you plan on... Read More
Link exchange is one of the many Internet marketing strategies... Read More
Just this week, a member of my audience asked me... Read More
Once you have decided on your ideal business to create... Read More
If your website sales are down and you desire to... Read More
There is a misconception that you can come online set... Read More
All online businesses are nothing more than lead capturing machines.... Read More
Everybody makes mistakes, but nobody likes to talk about them.... Read More
If you are like most internet based home business entrepreneurs... Read More
Yahoo! manages to utilize its huge network of websites and... Read More
Whether online or offline, small businesses often show little faith... Read More
One of the best and fastest ways to build your... Read More
As we look at building our online businesses, many of... Read More
Who said marketing on the internet was easy. All the... Read More
There are over 200 million people worldwide connected to the... Read More
Establishing a web presence on the internet is based on... Read More
For the last several months I've been collecting and organizing... Read More
Conventional wisdom says find a niche. Don't go where the... Read More
Many of you are reading this article because you would... Read More
Hold a discount sale on your web site. Use the... Read More
If you've been utilizing the Internet for any length of... Read More
Why do we buy things? Well, some thing are out... Read More
Objectives, strategies, and tactics (i.e. programs or action plans) -... Read More
It's a difficult creating a website that brings you business.... Read More
Jeff Mills, a popular internet marketer and entrepreneur told us,... Read More
Have you ever attended a class where the instructor followed... Read More
If you have a website but not making a lot... Read More
Being successful at Internet marketing does require doing the right... Read More
How many times have you wondered what magic formula the... Read More
It is a story about Manku, a blind man who... Read More
Just this week, a member of my audience asked me... Read More
Question: How to deal with ultra skeptical offline or be... Read More
Everyone has a hobby or interest that they have a... Read More
So, you've created a Website to highlight your realty services... Read More
Often-overlooked commands can boost sales and project a more professional... Read More
Want to provide great online customer support? Want to provide... Read More
Internet Marketing |