Marketing for the Beginner
By: Mark McCormack | Posted: 04th August 2005
Marketing can be an extremely frustrating experience.
With all the quick "make cash fast" schemes it's easy to get sucked into a marketing experience. The opportunity itself may have potential but only if YOU as a motivated business owner are able to attract a market (ie. get people to your site). This is primarily evident in business proposals like "make a fortune with only 4 minutes a day!" or "spend one hour or less a day to make cash fast!"
Do you know what you will be doing in those 4 minutes or in that hour? Advertising.
It doesn't matter what form you advertise in, it is still advertising. Usually for the "4 minute" type offers, one ends up using a Group Mailing or a mass mailing system to send out thousands of invitations. It sounds easy and usually is easy to use a mass mailing system but an inexperienced marketeer may neglect to ask, "Where do I get these thousands of email addresses from?"
This is the tricky part.
If you are a beginner you might find yourself discovering an entirely new business realm. The realm of leads. Leads are people you can invite to your business using provided information such as phone numbers or email addresses. These people are potential prospects who can buy your product off of you. To get lead information, however, costs money and not just petty cash. Good quality leads that apply to your business may typically cost anything from $125 to well over $1200. This isn't for thousands of leads either but perhaps 25 or 100.
One way to escape buying leads is to mosey on up to ones warm market such as relatives or friends. This isn't generally recommended since relatives and friends may become emotional liabilities (especially if they aren't as successful as you!).
Another option is to generate ones own leads using pay per click technologies such as search engines or banner advertisements. Guess what? These also cost money especially if you're not a guru at using keywords. As for banners? Now-a-days they are ignored more than the spam in your junk mail.
The more astute newbie may search and find traffic generators that offer FREE leads. It sounds great but after more research it becomes apparent that these free leads run out and one is left to spend more time dealing with another company. One more thing to note with "free leads" is that often they are low quality consisting of people trying to advertise just like you! They are as interested in buying from other people as you are.
What can you draw from all this? A business sense. Next time you see an opportunity to make money especially online, keep in mind it takes money to make money. This is common sense in any legitimate business.
So just remember that it takes some time and usually some money to get things flowing but don't get totally discouraged! Those 4 minute claims to cash do eventually happen; it just takes some extra initial effort and research. Don't let scammers nor scam-protesting-zealots pull the wool over your eyes. Both of them can cost you money and your dreams.
About the Author
Occupation: University student
My main focus in life is spirituality. Out of all the possible jobs or careers in the world I believe marketing is one of the most spiritually involved money making experiences. There are a lot of people out there who don't give a damn about truly helping others but use the system (and the people) to make profit. Conversly, in the right hands marketing creates powerful, confident, successful, influential, inspiring and caring leaders. It is my goal to make these people by sharing what I know
Currently I am a student at the University of Alberta taking a physics major and using my marketing efforts to pay for it. Education is vital to success and will only become more important as the human culture evolves. Already the learning curve with marketing is steep and is the reason why 95 percent of marketing businesses fail.
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Tags: search engines, email addresses, prospects, spam, guru, new business, pay per click, banner advertisements, mass mailing, business owner, fortune, marketeer, relatives, invitations, liabilities, business proposals, petty cash