Tom Chuong, SEO

Internet Marketing Trap

October 29, 2008 – 2:29 am

Believe it or not, thousands of newbies are still being ripped off by Internet marketing gurus every week. If you’re an inexperienced entrepreneur looking to make some money online, read this article to recognize certain characteristics of really bad ebooks. Being aware of these gimmicks will save you money and frustration.

I’ve been doing SEO for well over 10 years now and I’m amazed and appalled at what Internet marketing “gurus” today will called an ebook. Despite this fact, stupid (newbies) people that belongs to a list are dumb enough to fall for the extremely hyped sales copy and buy the ebook only to be disappointed once again.

Here’s the basic scheme or tactics that they are using on you right NOW:

1. write an ebook to the best of their ability on a general money making idea
2. get another Internet marketing guru with a larger list to endorse their ebook
3. write a sales copy and hyped it up beyond belief (i.e. PayPal accounts, CB screenshots, etc..)
4. pre-sale to their small list and the lists of your endorsers (i.e discount coupon)
5. mention that the price is going up in 24 hours or sooner; limit the quantity of the ebook sales
6. add completely useless bonuses such as a membership to another site, or half-baked software
7. add video by using the half asleep voice of the author showing you how to do something in the ebook
8. continue providing more useless videos

In the Internet marketing field, I have admired, and have been utterly disgusted at many “gurus” that have put their name behind crappy ebooks. I have seen a complete nobody became popular over time because some established guru helped him sell, but in this case cannibalized his larger list.

If you’re wise, do not keep the ebook longer than a few weeks unless you plan to implement the general idea of the author on your own. After reading it and it does not make any sense to you, request a refund immediately from ClickBank or the credit card processor that you’d used to purchase the ebook.

Nowadays, it’s rare to find an well known or unknown author sell their ebooks without a bonus. If an ebook is truly valuable, the author does NOT have to offer you any bonuses to entice you to buy.  Personally, if they really believe that the content in their ebook is valueable, they should sell it without a bonus.

Be on the lookout for Internet marketing gurus selling their ebooks using the tactics mentioned above and you’ll be a much wiser entrepreneur. Plus, you’ll have less debt on your credit card too.