My post yesterday on the Dirty Tactics of Internet Marketing and How To Avoid Them really sparked a huge conversation. Tons of comments, lots of emails, even skype messages thanking me so much for bringing this topic to light. Because of the huge response, today I’d like to share even more examples of the methods being used to prey on newbies. Keep your eyes peeled for this tricky tactics!
The False Sense of Urgency
The Lie
The Truth
The Lie
The Truth
The Lie
The Truth
Multiple Daily eMails
For some reason, this practice is becoming widely used and abused by many Traffic Exchange owners. You know the drill… you get your daily Traffic Exchange email, and not even 10 minutes later you get the “Oops I forgot blah blah blah,” or the “Oh I’m so stupid, I forgot,” mails.
Now I don’t mean to say that this doesn’t really happen. I’ve forgotten to include a link, or send the wrong link once in a great while. But every single day? Every single time you send an email you screw it up? If you are that clueless as to how to get your emails sent out correctly, with the correct information, that often… maybe you shouldn’t be running a Traffic Exchange or be in control of the mailings. I’m just saying… come on.
The REAL reason this is done, is because it keeps the site in front of your face. It brings more surfers in immediately. It gives them a reason to email you all day long instead of just mailing once and hoping more people read and act accordingly.
I’m confused as to why this is so effective (assuming that it is effective) because to me it is beyond annoying. Please don’t underestimate my intelligence by pretending to forget something in every single mail. Mail me once to let me know about your promotion of the day. If I like it, I’ll come surf; if not, I’ll pass on the promotion. Don’t bombard me with emails all day long because you didn’t get the results you wanted from your first email. Or at least title your email subject truthfully: “I didn’t get enough surfers in here with the first email, so let’s see how many fishies I can catch with this one!”
Exclusive/Private Invitations By eMail
While it’s nice to think you’re important enough to be invited personally to take part in a product or website launch, giveaway event, or seminar, trust me… we are not that important to the promoter! There is nothing exclusive about the emails you receive inviting you by “Private Invitation Only.”
Do not be fooled! These emails go out to every single subscriber on that list. You were not hand picked or personally invited. It sucks to find out your importance ranks about as high as anyone else on their list. The only exclusive aspect of these invitations are that you’re subscribed to this particular list… that’s it!
If someone wants to personally invite you to take part in anything, you’ll receive a personal email, a Skype message, a contact on your blog… not a mass email.
When you’re new, these exclusive invitations make you feel special, make you feel important. They do exactly what they are meant to do; make you stop, open the email, read it all, and of course jump into this private event! Don’t fall for it… it’s most likely 100% open to the public.
Exceptions
There will always be exceptions to the rule. When a program launches for the first time, it’s very likely they will have a launch special discounted offer. There’s a possibility that you really won’t see an upgrade offer this cheap again… so take notice of those, and take advantage if you can. If you can’t, you will see discounted offers later, maybe just not that cheap.
Humans make mistakes, we all do. It’s totally possible to forget a link in an email or even include the wrong link. Accidents happen, and that’s acceptable. I’m speaking strictly of the repeat offenders that are using this as a common practice on a regular basis. There is no truth in their “mistake,” it is total BS.
When you get a little more well known around here, you actually will get personal invitations to take part in website and product launches. It’s really exciting and an honor! 
If you do not get invited personally, it is not exclusive.. it’s a mass mailing, no more no less.
There are many, many tricky tactics used in Internet Marketing. These are just a few to watch out for. Be safe out there, and bring your boots. The BS can get extremely deep to wade through!
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You Go Girl.! Too many times a day we are inundated with BS emails and threats to action. Some folks need to chill. It’s almost like the continuous pop-up ad. If I didn’t jump the first time, what makes some idiot think I’m going to jump the second or third time. I love your big mouth. Keep on spittin’ the real deal….Peace
Thanks Dwight! I’ve been around the IM block or two now, and there are some things that just really really irk me. I love the industry, I mean I’m part of it! I can’t imagine doing anything else. I just think some of the methods used are ridiculous, misleading, and way too embraced in general.
I will most definitely keep my mouth going… it’s what I do best!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ramkumar, Marilyn Martin and Jared Silver, Winter Perkins. Winter Perkins said: I See Through Your BS http://goo.gl/fb/fsv8B #internetbusiness #internetmarketing #honestmarketing #internetmarketing [...]
Wow – what an encore! Winter we are all in your debt as these posts are a great service to the internet marketing community. Thanks.
And yes, I’ve seen all these as well as some “not sure if you got my earlier email” subject lines lately.
Looking forward to your next post
It’s not just IM Winter. It’s classic advertising copywriting that’s worked since the first salesman put pen to paper (or papyrus or parchment or maybe in clay). People are the same no matter what the technology is that’s being used. It pisses you off, it pisses me off too. But it works and as long as it keeps working it’ll still get used.
)#&^)(&#$!^% expletive deleted,
Diane
What a great follow-up article, Winter! I fell for most of the tactics mentioned when I started – hopefully this post will help other newbies avoid the common sneaky tactics.
Great work, thanks for posting!
Again, Another awesome post! I am proud to be in company of honest marketers. We all start out falling for these tactics, but that is what they hope for…Look forward to your next post!
@Donald – No debt at all! I’m more than happy to what we’ve learned. Most of us learn by our own mistakes. Maybe a few of these tips will help save someone couple hundred bucks they don’t have
@Diane – Exactly… it’s everywhere. LOL at papyrus and clay! I’m sure as soon as man figured out how to lie, he put it to use, so this might just be true! It does make you angry, and it will be around forever…. because it will always work.
@Lynne & Marcy- Thanks ladies!
The funny thing is I guess, we call all share our “I was such an idiot!” stories here. Look at everyone, we all fell for it!
I can laugh about it now, because it’s like “DUH, of course that stuff is a lie,” but I think when you first get here, you’re so caught up in the exciting possibility of making a living online, you’re an easy target. You know in your gut it’s too good to be true, but you want it to be true so badly that you try it anyway.
Well when I do X left, I program it that way. For instance the Sweeva special credit subscription it litterally will disable the button if there are 100 subscribers.
PS. your comment form is whacked http://screencast.com/t/ZjNiNmJj
I think I recognize these tactics… LOL It is funny how these are used so widely and they work. You would have thought by now something would have changed. I am glad this discussion came up yesterday on TE Live. It has been a pet peeve of mine for a few years now! Way to bring it to the forefornt Winter!! Thank you, Paul
Well of course. That’s why I said there actually are exceptions to this rule. You do it the RIGHT way. If you say there are # left, I know there really are that many left, so I better get my butt in gear if I want it. As a general statement though, you and I both know, most of the time there really isn’t # left. It’s a common tactic used to create that feeling of “Oh no! They’re almost gone.. I better get it right away!”
You’re almost always an exception to the rule Tim, and I respect that.
The comment form only does that in firefox…. I’ve tried to fix it, but it hasn’t worked yet as you can see. Any suggestions O Wise One?
@Paul – As Diane said so perfectly…. it will continue to be around because it works. We come online, we’re new, we’re ignorant about the practices, we fall for it. There’s so much new blood coming into this IM world on a daily basis, it doesn’t matter how many of us wise up. There will always be brand new targets eager to gobble up their BS.
Been there, done that, I didn’t get a Tshirt or anything! What I love most about having learned this the hard way, I’ve really learned to recognize a true deal, the value in a good product, even offline. I have my boots on, and they’re never coming off!