How Do You View Internet Marketing Gurus?

Without naming names, I have problems with some so-called Internet Marketing Gurus, and you may have similar thoughts too.

There are several reasons for this.

One issue is that what gurus offer tends to be very expensive. They have set a price for their services on the basis that their knowledge is scarce. This is a price that you may have difficulty in paying. Nor should you pay this necessarily, particularly in the present economic climate.

Another issue is that relationships between Internet marketing gurus tend to be incestuous. They have enormous lists and they promote to each others’ lists – sometimes, it seems, without checking out very carefully the nature of the product or service that they are promoting. Could this be viewed as anti-competitive?

Then there is the fact that gurus, better than anyone, know how to market their skills. You, like me, will probably be susceptible to clever marketing. But clever marketing does not make for a good product or service, as we all know to our cost.

Then there is the philosophical difficulty that I have with the concept of guru when it comes to Internet matters. On the Internet, there are many different ways of proceeding. No one individual has all the answers. And to follow any formula can in fact be the least likely way for you to succeed. Surely you should come to value your own judgements and those of your customers, take a pride in your own area of expertize, be encouraged to believe in yourself and to strike out in your own way? There are no easy answers or quick solutions to building successful Internet businesses and it is doing you a disservice to pretend that there are any such solutions. Hard work, honesty, dedication and skill in your own niche are what you should be aiming for.

Having said all this, I don’t want this article to come across as sour grapes! I admire success and respect the gurus for achieving their dominant and lucrative position. This cannot be entirely smoke and mirrors. But do not for a moment regard their position as set in stone. The wind can change direction and a more democratic evaluation of worth be brought about. You can be at the forefront of such a shift if you choose to concentrate on your core abilities, work intelligently with your partners, and decide to offer real value over hype.

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