Sunday, May 17, 2020

How to be a Kind Marketer


Entrepreneurs are marketers, and vice-versa, and I am both.

Except, I'm not the usual, stereo-typed marketer.

I cannot sell blindly.

I have to know what I'm getting myself into.

I have to know that what I'm offering people has real value, and not just to fatten my own pocket.

Ideally, and this will seem very strange to you, I don't promote stuff asking for costly monthly subscriptions.*

Why?

Because that's tough.

Not everyone can hack high, monthly payments.

Just like you, I've been there, done that.

And with this covid crisis, now is not the time to ask for steep monthly payments.

Makes more sense to offer a low, one-time, annual fee that most everyone can afford.

I don't know how marketers will do that, but therein lies the challenge, and the heart.

I also don't feel comfortable -- Christian or not -- to have people pay every month, just so I get paid through that.

Now, you're probably wondering how this dummy could ever make money.

We'll get to that, donchaworry.

My marketing, ever since I became a born-again Christian (for eight months now) has been through FAITH alone.

I trust that God knows my needs, and will provide.

I merely do the work I was meant to do, guided by His Grace.

It just so happens I like writing and marketing, so I write about marketing -- among other things, haha.

I also don't promote "funnels", wherein you entice your prospect with a shiny ball offer, and when they take the bait, you offer another, and another, all the while the price keeps getting higher, and you keep asking them to buy what they may not need, or want, and you keep getting fatter and fatter commissions.

More often, than not, the poor customer gets stuck with many offers -- related as they may be -- that he won't ever use at all.

Not only that, he get confused, as there are too many things to study.

Many slick online marketers do that, padding everything.

Nope, I can't do that to you.

I don't like to bombard you with useless, heartless stuff.

That's why  a lot of programs and marketers get stuck.

Anything that defies Jesus' Law of Love kinda gets put in its place.

Greed is usually fed by fear -- that there won't be enough, or that you'll run out of ideas.

Also, people can't keep up with the expensive monthly payments.

I'm doing everything I can, so I don't have to resort to that, just to earn.

I can't "feed" off of you.

I don't have the heart to do that to you.

I know, I'm a weird marketer.

But, at least, I can answer to God with a clean heart. 

The Creator knows me inside out, outside in, and I think He laughs mostly at this child of His. 

Methinks that's also why matrixes don't work.

Not everyone's active, not everyone can see, or carry, the vision to fruition.

Not everyone has the cash to put in -- although there are some programs I've joined wherein they give you a starter bonus, and you're able to use that to invest, and soon, you get referrals, and you're able to re-invest your earnings more -- at no initial cost to you. That worked for me.

I've joined one, and was doing quite well, until the owner, in a burst of his generous heart, practically opened it to the world, and now, the system couldn't sustain that volume.**

It went in shock.

Things went crazy after that.

People started complaining (I didn't).

People started demanding (I didn't).

The site became "top" heavy.

I didn't want to rain on the admin's parade, even as I had my own ideas, so I just kept quiet.

As a marketer, I work quietly, I study quietly, I observe quietly, I sign up quietly, and I promote relatively quietly.

I don't do webinars, I hardly write comments, unless something really ROCKS, and I put in my two-cents worth.

Mostly, I just blog my findings.

I prefer the "soft" sell.

The thoughtful approach.

What I call my blog monologues hahaha.

I "document" my findings, so I can find my way back to those programs, too, for I tend to create a LOT of blogs and posts, and join many, many (too many) programs.

Well, I started with nothing online in 2017, as I researched many programs where one could earn reading mails, promoting programs, getting paid for referral's purchases.

And that's when it occurred to me to create a blog for it.

I discovered JV sites, which were really fun, and easy, to navigate.

FREE to join, too!

Some owners and admins paid.

Others disappeared, and didn't pay.

So, there's really no way of knowing until you stick it out.

I first got curious about earning money online in 2015.

Newbie that I was, I lost quite a bunch, from unscrupulous owners, and I'm still paying for those up to now.

But I just kept at my craft, enjoying what others call the "shiny object syndrome", which I didn't mind, for I do a lot of research, and testing.

I took the risks, so I can deliver the goods to you.

That's my form of marketing, quiet as I may be.

I can't offer you anything I haven't tested first.

I get especially excited when I start earning, and are able to cash out for a low rate only.

That means, I can finally share the program with you!

I always try to put myself in your shoes, and don't wish you undue hardship.

Those programs are few, and far between, though.

Very difficult to earn online, unless you upgrade to the max.

Other high-end programs, with great potential for earning, didn't appeal to me.

They were too slick, and everyone belonged to a "clique".

I'm not a wimpy marketer, but neither am I a greedy one.

I just like seeing everyone win and succeed, through legitimate means.

But, of course, you know that marketing -- online and offline -- are filled with sharks.

And that's where I come in.

No, not as a shark, but as a happy dolphin.

I do my research, blog about my findings, feature an exceptional owner or admin, and promote their sites.

Many admins reward me with an upgrade, or lots of credits, which I dearly appreciate, even as they didn't have to do that.

I just like doing what I'm doing -- WRITING about cool marketers, awesome programs, and SHARING all that with you.

I don't earn a cent from my many blogs.

It's a service I enjoy doing.

Much more fun if you share something, with no strings attached.

People don't feel obliged, or obligated.

There's FREEDOM in my marketing. 

I'm a grateful marketer who's always GRATEFUL for EVERYTHING. 

I guess you could say, I'm a no-fuss marketer.

Bring it on, straight up, no hidden agenda, no baits, no tracking, no sly moves. 

And yes, I do  a lot of what I call "unsolicited" promotion, wherein I promote sites, for free.

I don't charge a cent at all.

And why should I?

I sign up at a program I like, write about its features, and give the owner or admin a link to my article, as a gift.

I'd like them to know someone's paying attention to their efforts and kindness.

To my mind, if there's only one person who can do that for you, now or in the future, you're in good company, so I take the initiative, because I can't keep cool stuff to myself anyway.

Dolphins are happy creatures, you know.

I don't expect anything back, but more often than not, they are pleasantly surprised that I'd even write about them.

But, of course, I would!

When Spirit and I find something cool and kind, we feature it.

That's our marketing DNA.

Plus, we know how marketing is.

Difficult, difficult, difficult.

We're all in this together. 

It's a habit in my marketing that I give first.

I take the initiative, with no thought of return.

If anything, I shrink from such a thought.

It's not my way.

I show my belief and confidence in people's projects, by signing up, and promoting their products and services. 

It's enough I signed up, enjoyed their program's cool offers, and promoted their sites.

It's a wonderful way of helping each other up.

As God would have it, I've met many wonderful owners and admins of FREE advertising, for that's really my focus now.

I like the idea of people earning their way to an upgrade, even as they're FREE members, and there are quite a few sites doing that.

I find the coolest sites, with the kindest owners and admins, and share my own links with other interested persons.

I can't offer what I don't believe in.

I always test, and observe.

I like ease of use, generosity, exciting design, and kindness in any marketing I do.

Life is difficult enough; why complicate it for others.

I really have a very simple philosophy in business.

I've been burned a lot, and it hasn't changed the core of my being.

I still believe in humanity.

At the rate I'm going, I won't get rich, but I'm already RICH!

I have God.

I have you.

What more would I need?

Money is a temporary thing.

It doesn't define me, whether I have it or not. 

You'll probably be disgusted with my simple thinking, but that's me. 

Being a born-again Christian is good for the soul.

It has helped me become a better person in business, too.

There was a time I was an "enfant terrible", too.

If you are interested in my form of marketing, may I share the following blogs with you?

Band of Banners
Marketers Unite
Marketing Like a Five-Year-Old

I know, I know.

I'm a serial blogger.

At least, I'm not a serial...you know.

Thank God.

This article is mostly on online marketing. I will write an article on offline marketers, too, for I had been that since I was age eight.

*I am an independent marketer promoting FREE advertising, but I also tell people to promote the sites of other marketers we all sign up for, as they have to keep their business going. They have to pay hosting fees, and all other online expenses. We can't just use the sites of these owners and admins, without contributing anything, like time, money, and energy. Marketing has, and will always be, give and take. Thank you, Katrina Graham of Love My Adz, for that wonderful input!

**Strangely, I was led back to that matrix site yesterday, and I saw my bit earnings, considering I had not touched the site for nearly a year. I'm grateful the kind and diligent owner saw to that, as I was one of the early adopters, until the whole drove joined, and everyone got stuck. I also checked the people still waiting for others to "pay it forward" for them, but it seems the volume cannot be sustained.