Jay LeonardInternet Marketing is all the rage at the moment. Everyone wants to have a business where they can work from home and watch the passive income flood in. It’s becoming more and more popular, particularly as more people are hit by the credit crunch or just fed up of the rat race and want to become their own boss.
Unfortunately whilst the concept of becoming an Internet Marketer grows so does the hype and BS within the industry. Not to mention scams and products which continually under-deliver. You really do have to do your research before investing your cash.
As you’ve probably already gleaned from reading my blog, I try and be honest and tell it like it is. Internet Marketing is bloody hard work. It’s not easy and it takes time to make money consistently.
Here’s 3 common myths about Internet Marketing:
Make money working from a beach
How often have you seen a blog or a video from an Internet Marketer showing off how they’re working from their hotel/beach/villa etc.? Looks gorgeous, blue skies, sand… kind of hypnotic – want a piece of that? Well I don’t know about you but I’ve never worked from a beach before. Technically (as I’m virtual and just need a PC) I could but let’s face it I have commitments, I have a family and as much as I would love to pack up and take my daughter out of school – her school wouldn’t allow me to (as most schools) and I’m not planning on home-schooling! Plus have you ever tried getting sand out of your PC or Mac?
But let’s get back to reality here… Most of the Internet Marketers who film themselves at their luxury resorts made their money before entering the world of Internet Marketing. How many times have you read the sob story of how they were broke and then they finally found the system/solution and now make 7 figures a month etc. (and therefore work from the beach). I’m sorry but I just don’t buy it and I doubt you do too.
I’m proud to say that before becoming an Internet Marketer I set up and sold a successful business and prior to that I was a Training Manager in London and worked with clients including Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. I haven’t struggled and I don’t plan on struggling. Yes I’ve made mistakes along the way and I’ve also made and lost a lot of money… but that’s part of running a business. Any business. You have to be prepared to take risks – sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t… it’s all part of the fun of running a business.
And what about Internet Marketers filming videos/creating blogs by their gorgeous swimming pools and huge houses… it’s all perception it’s not real. It’s created as an illusion to impress you. Don’t let it fool you.
The 4 hour Work Week
I have to be honest here – I genuinely don’t think the 4 hour work week exists. I’m sure many people will argue this with me (and please feel free to do so) but how an earth can you create millions consistently working 4 hours a week? I don’t know anyone who does.
Take a look at the top entrepreneurs they work crazy hours. In fact the more I earn, the more I seem to work… silly I know but I guess I get greedy and want more and if I work a little more on launching a new product or mentoring another client that means more hours for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining – I love what I do and feel very privileged to be able to work from home and earn a good income whilst spending time with my family. But a 4 hour work week – I’m not buying it!
You can make money quickly online
Well let’s look at the facts. I made money reasonably quickly online… BUT and it’s a big but I already had a presence. I already had sold a business, had contacts, and was an active user Social Media (I’ve been active on social media since 2008) so had a following/presence online. Someone starting out fresh, or for an unknown person, it will take considerable amount of time to build. In fact most people soon realise that it doesn’t actually happen overnight and soon give up for that very reason. Many people don’t realise how much work is involved and a lot of people start off with having a day job on top of this which is one of the reasons “give up” rate is so high within Internet Marketing.
I could go on… there are so many things that Internet Marketers just don’t tell you about. The industry is viewed through very rose tinted glasses. Remember – if it was that easy everyone would be doing it. Running a business is incredibly hard work and it takes time to get results and Internet Marketing is no different.
What are your favourite internet marketing myths? Share with us in the comments.
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Jay Leonard.
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100% true, I’ve wrestled with the idea of telling my audience the 100% truth or what they want to hear.
Nobody really wants to hear how hard and how much work is involved and at the beginning you do it for free.
So, do I sell success or tell the real truth..
Thanks for the comment Christo:) It’s not an easy question to answer, but I do think that people aren’t always ready for the complete truth. I think it’s very important to be truthful, but at the same time, there also needs to be hope for success – because it definitely can be achieved, but you can’t overlook the amount of hard work you’ll need to put into it.