What Did Balloon Boy Teach Us About Internet Marketing?

Millions of Americans were glued to their TVs like painted macaroni to a paper plate lat week. The harrowing (non-)journey of a six-year-old boy, and the reality show family that set him up, was probably the highest-rated program on television.  This is a great example of what passes these days for high drama in the US.

So what did we learn as Internet Marketers?

I’m not going to belabor the obvious point of NOT putting your children at risk or under stress to promote your product/site/show.

What I am going to belabor is the need to avoid hoaxes and hucksters…

There have been a lot of changes in the IM world in the past year. Criminal charges, corporate infighting, rumors of affiliates not getting paid for sales, and many other tales of caution have popped up.

You HAVE been paying attention haven’t you?

Especially important is knowing with whom you are partnering on a project. Keep in mind that success can sometimes be fatal. History is littered with those who have fallen prey to the greed of their most trusted companions.

As Ronald Reagan used to say… “Trust, but verify”

My business has been growing, but slowly…

This is partly by design. Would I take over-night success? Sure… I’d give it a shot.

But I am not, by nature, one who trusts easily. I’m that guy who, once he has decided to buy a big-ticket item, then waits for a few months before actually making the purchase… just in case he’s wrong about something.

I have used the same method when deciding what paths to take concerning promotion, and which marketers to work with.

I have only endorsed one product… and it was one that I had actually seen all the way through. Many marketers want affiliates to review and promote a product, but never give enough information to do so ethically.

I know, I know… I can always buy the product.

But money is still, unfortunately, an issue right now. Besides… what if I buy a $997 product that isn’t worth $97? I file for, and hopefully get, a refund. Then I try a $497 course… and once again… amateur nite at the Apollo. So I get another refund. And again, and again, until I find just the right product.

I develop a reputation for being a “serial refunder” and no one will want to work with me. Hardly an effective strategy for building a business.

What do I do instead?

I look for JV opportunities with:

1. Marketers who already have a good reputation
2. Marketers who are willing to show their product, at least in large part, before the pre-launch
3. Marketers who use accepted payment channels (Clickbank, Commission Junction)
4. Products that deliver what they promise

The first two are an either/or, but preferably both, proposition. If I know the track record of an established marketer, and it’s positive, I am more comfortable dealing with them. If I don’t really know their past history, I need to see the product before I know whether I’m willing to get involved.

The third one is NON-negotiable. I don’t care who you are, I want an impartial go-between. If I promote a Clickbank product, I know that after CB gets their cut, I’m getting mine. By doing so, I avoid the potential of a marketer who “screws the pooch” on his promotion and has no money left over to pay affiliates.

The fourth item, is also non-negotiable. If it seems to good to be true… well… you know the rest.

I once tested a product that promised to help me master affiliate marketing with CB. Three weeks into the program, all they had done was show the very basics of signing up for CB, and then promoted a product they wanted me to buy so they could make commissions. Needless to say… I got a refund on it!

So thank you Balloon Boy and the Heene family for reminding us that no one, no matter how compelling a story they tell, can be trusted for very long. I will sleep better tonight knowing that my vigilance will not go unrewarded, and that while growing slowly, at least my business is being built ethically.

Science of the Sale Update

The second video in my Science of the Sale series is finished. Clocking in at just under 25 minutes it is substantially shorter than the first video.

I have also decided to make it the first video to be submitted using Traffic Geyser, so I’ll let you know how that works out. If it goes well… THEN I’ll put up an affiliate link… but I can’t promote what I haven’t tested.

The video is being posted as “Pique Technique – Science of the Sale” or just “Pique Technique” in case you’d like to do Google searches to see my results.

Talk soon!

Peace,

Related posts:

1. Why is Sports Soup on during football? Time for a game reset
2. Committing Myself to Success