I don’t go to too many internet marketing conferences anymore.
One reason is I’m kind of introverted to begin with (like I said in my first post). But there’s another reason I don’t.
Because I really don’t look at business and marketing the same way most of the people who go to these kind of conferences do. (I wrote the Internet Business Manifesto after I went to an event and saw what I thought were a lot of mistakes people were making.)
But a few years back I attended an Internet marketing conference put on by a pretty well known guru. I could have written another report after that conference. Because the topic at that conference was something I consider to be another huge mistake. Yet it’s one I see marketers make again and again.
It’s a mistake that has a dangerous downside if you’re not careful. One that promising marketers disappear into and are never heard from again…
The Black Hole Of The “Hot Market”
It seems to me that a lot of internet marketers (and most people who serve the internet marketing space) too often jump from one product to the next. Whatever’s hot at the moment. They create a quick product on it (here’s how to do it), try to market that like crazy, and then move on to the next hot thing.
To me, that’s really just another version of being an opportunity seeker. And ultimately you don’t build a business of value doing that.
When you jump from marketing opportunity to marketing opportunity, it’s impossible to build any serious momentum in any direction. You simply become an outlet for whatever’s hot at the moment. You get sucked into a giant black hole of marketing that makes YOU less and less relevant to any market you might venture into.
Think about retailers who are in the business of selling “everything”. Businesses like Amazon and Walmart. Sure, they do billions of dollars in revenue. But they also dominate their marketplaces. Anyone who wants to compete on that playing field is pretty much limited to competing on price. And because of the big boys scale, that’s a losing battle.
Focus Is The Only Escape From That Black Hole
In an ideal world, you should envision a product of lasting value. Now, you might create that product quickly. And it might not be the highest quality at first. BUT… you don’t stop there. You continually work to make the product better and at the same time you continually get better at marketing that product. You tighten your focus based on the feedback you get, so that your products get better and better and your marketing of those products get better and better.
The more “zeroed in” you are on a specific area of value, the more you can grow to dominate that area. The greater your reputation becomes. (And of course the more you can justify a higher price point.)
At the end of the day, I believe that it’s a much faster recipe to build something (1) that you’re proud of (2) that lets you become more profitable and (3) that ultimately allows you to feel really good about what you’re doing because of the impact you’re making in your prospects’ lives.
That’s what I’ve always done. That’s what I continue to try to do. And if you look at the best products out there, you’ll see that’s what they all have in common. They were created by someone who was dedicated to a vision rather than an opportunity.
Your Level Of Dedication
Is Evident To Your Market
As someone who reads a lot of books, I can tell very quickly whether a book was written by someone who just wanted to cash in on writing a book or whether it was written by somebody who was a true expert in the field. By someone who dedicated their life to an area of expertise. So they can deliver the maximum value in their product.
One is called “Influence” by Dr. Robert Cialdini. Dr. Cialdini didn’t write that book in a weekend. Nor did he spend a couple weeks doing research that allowed him to write it. He dedicated the better part of his life studying the subject of influence. And it’s obvious when you read that book.
Another great book is “Breakthrough Advertising” by Eugene Schwartz. It’s another book that was clearly written by someone who thought long and hard about what drives purchases and how to actually connect with people to make the sale.
Those are the books that I respect the most. Those are the books I get the most value out of. Those are the types of products that I hope you create because those are the types of products that you can build a thriving, growing business on. (Instead of falling into the “hot market” black hole.)
Now I’m not suggesting that you have to lock yourself away and become an expert before you send your first marketing email. What I am saying is that you should be dedicated to whatever product or service you create and market. And you should strive to make it the best you can. Something of lasting value.
Find that product or service that you can build a business on. And focus your marketing so you can build that business.
And that’ll wrap this little series on marketing. Leave a comment and let me know what you thought. What was your big Ah Ha! moment? What’ll you be implementing in your marketing going forward? Did it shift your perspectives on marketing? I’ll be sure to read them all.
And Now For That Big Surprise
Since there was such a great response to this series on marketing, I wanted to give you one more big lesson. It’s coming next Tuesday and it’s going to cover what I consider to be my biggest, most important, most valuable marketing strategy.
It has been central to every marketing campaign, letter, report – anything – I’ve ever done. And frankly it’s made me a lot of money. Next week I’m going to share it with you in a “limited time” blog post. Because it’s a technique I teach to my high-level clients, I’m only leaving the post up for the week.
So keep your eye out for my mail with the link on Tuesday.