#055: 5 Traps "Internet Marketers" Fall Into [Podcast]

Who are "Internet Marketers", and how do they get it wrong? There is a very distinct group of online entrepreneurs that are referred to as "Internet Marketers", as opposed to the general online population of business people who do marketing. And within this distinct group, there are some common practices that will lead you to disaster… in this episode, I'll show you how to avoid that problem. Here's what else is up in this week's podcast episode: The app that made me a journal keeper… against my will.  Is there a time to stop crying out to God? Stu McLaren is back with advice on living well. Plus, our feature presentation… 5 Traps "Internet Marketers" Fall Into. Special Announcements This weekend is the 3-Day Live Intensive,  April 5-7 in Phoenix. Get your ticket right now – click here. Would you like to have me speak at your event or church? I am accepting a limited number of engagements for 2013.  Click here to visit my speaking page and get details on my availability. Tip Of The Week If you've ever wanted to keep it journal, but just never been able to stick with it, you might want to try DayOne. Spiritual Foundations Is there ever a time to stop "crying out to God" and start taking some action? Consider this story from Exodus: The Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground." Exodus 14:15-16 God gave Moses authority. That's what the staff in his hand represented. So when Moses had the people crying out to God, the Lord asked Moses why. And then God told him to have the people go forward, and exercise his authority. As partakers in the new covenant, we also have authority. It comes to us in the name of Jesus Christ. If you feel that you're caught between "the devil and the deep blue sea", perhaps it's time to stop crying out to God, and start exercising your authority as a royal priest, and in the name of Jesus Christ. Lifestyle Business Segment Stu McLaren,  superstar entrepreneur from WishList Products And RhinoSupport, brings us our Lifestyle Business Segment. This week, Stu tackles the subject of living well. Feature Segment: 5 Traps "Internet Marketers" Get Caught In When I use the term "Internet Marketers" in this particular episode, I'm referring to that curious group of folks who can be described like this: marketers who sell marketing stuff to marketers, who then sell marketing stuff to marketers, who sell… you get the idea. Now I am not saying that Internet Marketers are bad people, or that there is anything wrong with this particular niche. In fact, I believe quite the contrary. I do believe there are some common pitfalls that many people in this niche encounter. And today, I'm going to outline five traps Internet Marketers get caught in. I think you can en joy great success either as an Internet Marketer yourself, or by learning from Internet Marketing experts… if you avoid these five traps. The Internet Marketing MLM Trap. Please don't flame me, I'm not criticizing multilevel marketing companies that sell on the Internet. But within that industry (the MLM industry) there are many scams. Most of them are some version of "selling the dream to people who then sell the dream to other people"… And nobody is selling any actual product. The same happens in Internet marketing. The Copycat Trap. This is the bane of "how to" content creation. If all you are teaching is "how to" it quickly becomes indistinguishable from "me too". The antidote is moving beyond mere knowledge, and producing Wisdom. The Hamster Wheel Trap. Instead of creating foundational products, and building a marketing system, entrepreneurs stuck in this trap are having to produce the "product of the week". Always a new pitch. Always a new topic. Very tiring. The Hyperbolic Intensifier Trap. We get the word "height" from the word "hyperbole". When you are creating commodity products and information, the only way to fight the competition war is by exaggerating the benefits of your own product. You have to intensify your hyperbole until eventually, you're just telling lies. The Spirit of Mammon Trap. Call it greed. Call it avarice. Jesus called it Mammon. This comes from a Greek word that seems to imply the personification of a spiritual force behind the worship of money. "Do not love the money and use people. Instead, use money to love people."-Joseph Prince These traps can sneak up on you. Keep your eyes open, stay well away from these, and enjoy more success and fulfillment. Not to mention sounder sleep. Your Feedback Do you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear? Do you have a question that you like to ask me? Please contact me. And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.