Before I start, I've been reading this board off and on for the past year and finally took the sign-up plunge last week. I've been interested in making a few bucks online for some years now. I'm a professional international relations analyst, and am basically paid to read and write (let alone to drink coffee by the gallon). In addition, my work carries over into my off-duty time, so I spend most of my leisure time researching, reading and writing. My work carried over into a news commentary blog I've built over the past two years, and I even earned my first adsense check last month: only $100, but at least I can say I got paid to write! Thus given my willingness to study from the affliate grognards, research niches and content, and with my patience to craft a site, I'd like to think I'm ready to take a stab at this. But here's the problem: I hate marketing. That is, I'm the guy who chases off pesky store clerks, threatens door-to-door solicitors with bodily harm, and who doesn't make repeat visits to websites filled with in-line google ads. In fact, the more ads a site has, the less likely I am to trust their content. I don't like being sold to. Not even being pre-sold to. Not even the mere hint of either. Furthermore, 90% of my time spent on the web is for research; I see the web as nothing more than a giant library, and I simply tune out online ads as peripheral garbage. As for the other 10%, yes, I shop, but only at one site: Amazon. I've never followed through an online ad to make a purchase, and I've never followed through anyone's affiliate link. I did break down and put a single google image ad and text ad on my site, simply because I needed extra change to pay for hosting. But one line I will not cross is putting ads directly in my writing--ad copy inside content, for me, is one of the most classless things a writer can do. It cheapens the content, and makes me as a reader feel like all the writer wants is clicks. I also have an Amazon search box, and they're pretty much the only shop I trust online. But in two years of blogging I haven't recieved a dime from Amazon. In short, I find what I need online and at best simply filter out all the marketing. At worst, I write on my website about how tired I am of being bombarded by continuous marketing 24/7 (I'm no longer an individual: I'm just someone's marketing target). Given this deep distrust of marketing in general, I can't cross the mental treshold of feeling "unclean" about pimping an affiliate site: if I wouldn't buy from it, why would anyone else? Anyways, my apologies for such a bitter and jaded introduction, but I figured this is the place to find someone who went through the same hang-ups as me.
Yep. Everytime I get worked up and excited about researching a niche, creating a website, and getting the word out to the masses, the excitement crashes once I realize I never actually buy anything from such sites. So I'm in a continuous cycle of thinking "hell, I can do this," to thinking, "hell, why bother?"
I feel the same about pimping my stuff... but marketing is a necessary evil. Its up to the reader to make an informed decision. Don't the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal even wrap their stories around advertisements ? Yet they are well respected. And I am sure marketeers study the work of other ad campaigns and use their research to better market their service or product. Just the same as writer's can be either respected or media "whores"... I think the same can be said with marketing.
Ideally you can run your business effectively by paying people to do the internet marketing for you. If your business model does not produce enough margin to pay you and someone else, then perhaps all you have done is acquired yourself an undesirable job as an internet marketer instead of entrepreneur.
Yeah, I agree with zorde. If your passion and skills are around creating fantastic content and services then stick to what you enjoy and are good at. Outsource the marketing so you can enjoy the parts you actually like doing.
I am totally in the same situation with the thread starter... I want to market but totally lazy to do it... Is there any article on how to get rid of this bad attitude?...
Lol, sounds you like some inspiration! Do you read shoemoney.com, Johnchow.com and/or problogger.net?
Hmmm, its worth a try.. That man holding a google check with $132,994,97 really smart... I would be a millionaire here in Philippines if I receive that amount...
Lazy? Hell, if I were lazy I wouldn't of written almost 1 post a day for the last two years! Seriously, here's the good stuff I've taken away from youse guys: 1) If you don't like the marketing aspect but love the content writing, go with what you love and outsource the marketing. HOWEVER: 2) If you love the content writing, have a dedicated readership, and highlight products or services tailored to your readership, than you probably won't scare off your readers. As long as you don't slap 'em in the face with ads (like about.com does). Much obliged for your feedback!
"As long as you don't slap 'em in the face with ads (like about.com does)." I'm 100% agree with you. It used to be a good site for getting information in the past, but it have been literally been flooded by advertisement and I go for somewhere else if I want to get information...
Hi, Why don't you look at a subject that you really are passionate about? And perhaps find products that you believe in or use personally that offers an affiliate program? Promote that with your content writing skills. That way, you not only utilize your knowledge and skills, and you will not feel that you are "pimping" since you do believe in the product and want to share it with others. In the process, you get paid.