re: The Internet Marketing Conspiracy.

[Brian]

note**I posted this on ablake's site as well.

Hello,

I have watched in astonishment over the last several weeks since John Reese's "Traffic Secrets" has come out people argue and bicker about the quality of content delivered in his course and I am truly amazed at how many marketers have jumped to John's side defending him and attacking fellow marketers who have the "nerve" and "audacity" to question the content of his material. For goodness sakes people...last I checked Freedom of Speech and Thought was a right given to all, including those who don't jump on the proverbial "bandwagon" and praise Traffic secrets as the greatest internet marketing course of all time!!

Allow me to introduce myself fellow marketers. My name is Brian. Let me answer some of the more immediate questions you have regarding me:

1) No...I don't make a lot of money on the internet.
2) No...I don't have a name as you can obviously tell
3) No...I have not been to any seminars or "networking" events

Okay...since I am not a "Big Boy" I am sure that many will probably disregard my comments and my posting because I am a nobody in the internet marketing industry. That's fine, but, to those who read this posting in its entirety, many of my comments will probably ring true for some and prompt criticism from others. Again, that is totally fine but I needed to voice my opinion on this issue irregardless of the criticism I might receive.

If John Reese is reading this posting, John...I have no intention of criticising you or your material because quite frankly I don't know you, have never spoken to you and haven't purchased Traffic secrets from you so that we are clear on this.

Personally, ladies and gentleman, I have nothing against John Reese. As a matter of fact...I think he is absolutely brilliant and his marketing strategy for Traffic Secrets was ingenious. Much of the debate surrounding his course is the question of content and that is where most people are missing the big picture. Most people are analyzing the course from a micro level when in fact you should be analyzing the macro level strategy used by John to market his course. Am I confusing you? Okay, let me try and explain what I am getting at.

Essentially, John Reese's Traffic Secrets is a course dedicated to providing you with many different methods for generating traffic to your site/service/product allowing you to exponentially improve your online profits. Traffic secrets is not unlike other courses available by other marketing gurus except that it appears to be much wider in scope delving into many different topics and traffic generating strategies.

I guess the debate is whether these techniques and strategies really work? Just like other courses and ebooks in the internet marketing niche, Traffic Secrets attempts to provide you with many different strategies that can be used to derive substantial profitability on the Internet if used properly.

Now, I'm not a guru or marketing giant but it occurs to me that many are really missing the big picture. There is an old saying and allow me to modify it slightly to cater to the Internet Marketing industry and it goes something like this:
"Do what the Internet Marketing Gurus Do, not what they say!"

Again, I'm not a genius but it occurs to me that the best way to success is to follow what the big boys do and not necessarily what they say in their books and courses. Although I haven't gone through Traffic Secrets I have read many ebooks and courses from some of the other gurus about succeeding on the internet and they actually do reveal information that will make you profitable on the internet. However, if your definition of 'profitable' is a few hundred books a month then yes I would recommend these courses. The truth of the matter is, Internet Marketing Gurus are not going to reveal to you the "real" way to make a huge amount of money on the internet and quite frankly why would they? If you notice many of these materials being sold always have a little disclaimer at the bottom that says that they can't guarantee success and it depends on the amount of work and dedication you put into these strategies that will determine your success. Its ironic though that the rest of their sales pages hype their strategies and reveal a sure fire way to succeed just by following their strategies and steps, kind of like a plug and play solution, if you do this then that you are guaranteed 5 or 10 thousand dollars per month.

Well folks I don't know about you but I am sure as hell not going to settle for a few hundred bucks a month when these big boys are making 5 figure revenues on a monthly basis. I don't know, maybe I am thinking too big here, perhaps I need to pay my dues and make a few hundred bucks a month for 10 years before I should be given the privilege of making 4 or 5 figure income.

Folks, the truth of the matter is that there is no real secret strategy to becoming successful on the internet, its actually quite simple and obvious to those who know how to do it. Look at John Reese's marketing campaign for Traffic Secrets and you will see that it is quite obvious. Lets look at it closely: Does Traffic Secrets rate high in search engines under keyword terms such as 'Internet Marketing' or 'Web Marketing'? The answer is simply No. That tells me that Search Engine Ranking/Optimization strategies were not used as part of his marketing strategy. Did he focus on pay per click advertising to market 'Traffic Secrets'? Again the answer is most likely No since I haven't seen it being used. People, the strategy is right there in front of but you are not focusing on it. Why did he make so much money off of Traffic Secrets? What was his most effective strategy? He contacted over 40 of his friends who are also Internet Marketing Gurus with large lists and got them to market it for him by sending emails to their lists in exchange for a handsome affiliate commission. There it is. That's it, no secret, no unique strategy, nothing exciting, just a play old fashioned joint venture!!

That's the real "secret" to Internet Marketing ladies and gentleman. That's how John Reese successfully marketed Traffic Secrets - by joint venturing with large list owners and gurus who have the power to make sales by endorsing a product to their large list, in exchange for a large commission of course.
Fellow 'How To'ers, I know that what I have said is probably not a huge surprise nor should it be. Its true that some of the gurus do mention the power of Joint Ventures but it is often put aside in favour of more detailed step by step strategies and approaches which quite frankly are more sellable from the perspective of these Internet Marketing gurus. They know the true power and value of Joint Ventures and if you watch closely what they do you will see this. Internet Marketing is not rocket science, its quite simple and obvious but the obvious is not marketable and the gurus are quite content on selling you pipe dreams which put money into their pockets and leave you working your ass off for a few hundred dollars a month advertising their products.

However, another thing you will probably notice is that these Internet Marketing big boys tend to joint venture with a fellow big boy and what they have effectively done is created an elite inner circle which is difficult to penetrate unless you are willing to spend thousands of dollars going to seminars which doesn't guarantee you anything or the alternative which is to kiss major ass which will also most likely get you nowhere. And I have to say, there has been a lot of brown-nosing going on with regards to people defending Traffic Secrets and its material. Again, I am not saying that the material is lacking, quite honestly I cannot in all conscience make any reference to the materials presented, but based on critiques from well know marketers such as Markus Allen I am assuming that much of the material presented is nothing new and/or revolutionary if you consider yourself to be a seasoned/intelligent marketer. As a side note, I would like to thank Markus for delivering an unbiased/ethical review of Traffic Secrets which has unfortunately and unfairly reflected negatively on him and its shocking how many marketers have jumped on board to trash him and defend Traffic Secrets. I do have a comment to those that have jumped on board this bandwagon to defend John and his product. Do you think that by defending John and his course that will increase your chances of working with him and others and becoming accepted as a member of the elite inner circle? Well sorry to disappoint you folks, but that unfortunately isn't going to happen. Many of these gurus talk about this so-called 'Law of Reciprocity' but when it comes down to it, it really doesn't exist for those not belonging to the 'Priory of Internet Marketing'. Like the 'Priory of Sion' in The DaVinci Code, I would think the chances of becoming accepted into the elite inner circle is almost as likely as finding the "Holy Grail".

Well folks, I hope I didn't bore you with my rantings on Internet Marketing. I am sure I will get a fair amount of criticism regarding my views which again is fine and since I am not too concerned with the opinions of others, I think I will remain true to myself and my integrity rather than jump on board the bandwagon and defend someone I don't know and will likely never know.

Fellow marketers, thanks for taking the time to read my long rant and I sincerely wish you luck in your online endevours.

Unbiasedly Yours,
Brian

[Lou]

Great post!! Much of what you have said is dead on.

Although, I have to say that I slightly disagree with your conclusion that "all is lost" for those not in the Internet Marketing Guru "Club".

I would argue that all is not lost. I would urge those looking to succeed from scratch to form alliances and networks with OTHER "newbies" and "up-and-comers".

Maybe you can't crack "The Guru Code" and enter into JV deals with those obviously super-human "guru's", but you CAN start slowly and then keep building until one day people start calling YOU a "guru" or "superstar" or whatever corny term people are using a year from now.

You see doing business online is really no different than doing business offline in many aspects. The most basic aspect being - It's not always WHAT you know, but rather WHO you know.

We've all seen this in our "real" lives outside the Internet and we've all seen it online as well.

Networking and establishing business contacts and friendships is an incrediby important step in making money - online and off.

My advice to those looking to do what the "guru's" do, is to do what they ACTUALLY DO, not what they write in their salespage hyped ebooks and over hyped sales letters. This is exactly what you said.

Don't get me wrong - affiliate marketing is great. But the BEST way to make money is with your OWN PRODUCT, that affiliates market FOR YOU.

All those affiliates out there making money with PPC's are doing okay, but they aren't doing as well as the people they are promoting for.

Say the commission is split 50/50. Well, the affiliate has to pay for advertising and promoting the product just to make his/her 50%. Heck it isn't even 50% after fees. Subtract from that 50 or 45% the expense in attracting ONE customer and pretty soon affiliates are REALLY only making 20-30% on each sale.

And that's being generous! Many affiliates only see a 10-15% profit from each sale.

And many other affiliates spend money on ads that result in ZERO sales and ZERO commission. These affiliates actually lose money.

Meanwhile the product owner sits back and lets OTHER people advertise for him/her. Not spending a dime on advertising or promotion.

That means that after affiliate commissions are paid out the "guru"/product owner makes 100% Profit! They didn't spend any money advertising or promoting, it didn't cost them anything to deliver the product, that's 100% pure profit folks.

The people making the REAL money in all of this are of course the product owner and Google and other advertisers, not the Affiliates.

So what the hell am I saying?

Well, if you wanna make real money like the "guru's" start doing what the "guru's" DO!

Simple as that!

......And pretty much exactly what you said, Brian.

Peace.

[John Reese]

Brian,

As I stated on the Blake forum, your "strategy" comments only apply to products being sold to the INTERNET MARKETING market. There are 1,000s of other highly profitable markets online. Internet marketing is one of the most competitive markets there is -- because it's many of the top marketing experts in the world fighting over the same customers. So any new person that comes along *IS* out of luck. Why? Because you can't successfully sell to this market without a proven track record of making money online in OTHER MARKETS. How can someone teach someone how to make money online if they haven't done it themselves? Surely, there are exceptions to this with some types of software products, etc. But the reality is, if a new person trying to make money on the Internet thinks they are going to make a living by selling products to other Internet marketers, then they need to face reality that they will have a very tough time doing it. There are 1,000s upon 1,000s of other ways and markets to make money online aside from trying to sell to Internet marketers.

People are selling ebooks to people with arthritis, to hobbyists, to people planning a wedding, to people having a baby for the first time, and so on, and making a nice living from it. THOSE markets are a much easier way to make money online because the competition is MUCH less.

Hope that helps.

-John Reese
MarketingSecrets.com

> note**I posted this on ablake's site as well.

> Hello,

> I have watched in astonishment over the last several weeks since John
> Reese's "Traffic Secrets" has come out people argue and bicker
> about the quality of content delivered in his course and I am truly amazed
> at how many marketers have jumped to John's side defending him and
> attacking fellow marketers who have the "nerve" and
> "audacity" to question the content of his material. For goodness
> sakes people...last I checked Freedom of Speech and Thought was a right
> given to all, including those who don't jump on the proverbial
> "bandwagon" and praise Traffic secrets as the greatest internet
> marketing course of all time!!

> Allow me to introduce myself fellow marketers. My name is Brian. Let me
> answer some of the more immediate questions you have regarding me:

> 1) No...I don't make a lot of money on the internet.
> 2) No...I don't have a name as you can obviously tell
> 3) No...I have not been to any seminars or "networking" events

> Okay...since I am not a "Big Boy" I am sure that many will
> probably disregard my comments and my posting because I am a nobody in the
> internet marketing industry. That's fine, but, to those who read this
> posting in its entirety, many of my comments will probably ring true for
> some and prompt criticism from others. Again, that is totally fine but I
> needed to voice my opinion on this issue irregardless of the criticism I
> might receive.

> If John Reese is reading this posting, John...I have no intention of
> criticising you or your material because quite frankly I don't know you,
> have never spoken to you and haven't purchased Traffic secrets from you so
> that we are clear on this.

> Personally, ladies and gentleman, I have nothing against John Reese. As a
> matter of fact...I think he is absolutely brilliant and his marketing
> strategy for Traffic Secrets was ingenious. Much of the debate surrounding
> his course is the question of content and that is where most people are
> missing the big picture. Most people are analyzing the course from a micro
> level when in fact you should be analyzing the macro level strategy used
> by John to market his course. Am I confusing you? Okay, let me try and
> explain what I am getting at.

> Essentially, John Reese's Traffic Secrets is a course dedicated to
> providing you with many different methods for generating traffic to your
> site/service/product allowing you to exponentially improve your online
> profits. Traffic secrets is not unlike other courses available by other
> marketing gurus except that it appears to be much wider in scope delving
> into many different topics and traffic generating strategies.

> I guess the debate is whether these techniques and strategies really work?
> Just like other courses and ebooks in the internet marketing niche,
> Traffic Secrets attempts to provide you with many different strategies
> that can be used to derive substantial profitability on the Internet if
> used properly.

> Now, I'm not a guru or marketing giant but it occurs to me that many are
> really missing the big picture. There is an old saying and allow me to
> modify it slightly to cater to the Internet Marketing industry and it goes
> something like this:
> "Do what the Internet Marketing Gurus Do, not what they say!"

> Again, I'm not a genius but it occurs to me that the best way to success
> is to follow what the big boys do and not necessarily what they say in
> their books and courses. Although I haven't gone through Traffic Secrets I
> have read many ebooks and courses from some of the other gurus about
> succeeding on the internet and they actually do reveal information that
> will make you profitable on the internet. However, if your definition of
> 'profitable' is a few hundred books a month then yes I would recommend
> these courses. The truth of the matter is, Internet Marketing Gurus are
> not going to reveal to you the "real" way to make a huge amount
> of money on the internet and quite frankly why would they? If you notice
> many of these materials being sold always have a little disclaimer at the
> bottom that says that they can't guarantee success and it depends on the
> amount of work and dedication you put into these strategies that will
> determine your success. Its ironic though that the rest of their sales
> pages hype their strategies and reveal a sure fire way to succeed just by
> following their strategies and steps, kind of like a plug and play
> solution, if you do this then that you are guaranteed 5 or 10 thousand
> dollars per month.

> Well folks I don't know about you but I am sure as hell not going to
> settle for a few hundred bucks a month when these big boys are making 5
> figure revenues on a monthly basis. I don't know, maybe I am thinking too
> big here, perhaps I need to pay my dues and make a few hundred bucks a
> month for 10 years before I should be given the privilege of making 4 or 5
> figure income.

> Folks, the truth of the matter is that there is no real secret strategy to
> becoming successful on the internet, its actually quite simple and obvious
> to those who know how to do it. Look at John Reese's marketing campaign
> for Traffic Secrets and you will see that it is quite obvious. Lets look
> at it closely: Does Traffic Secrets rate high in search engines under
> keyword terms such as 'Internet Marketing' or 'Web Marketing'? The answer
> is simply No. That tells me that Search Engine Ranking/Optimization
> strategies were not used as part of his marketing strategy. Did he focus
> on pay per click advertising to market 'Traffic Secrets'? Again the answer
> is most likely No since I haven't seen it being used. People, the strategy
> is right there in front of but you are not focusing on it. Why did he make
> so much money off of Traffic Secrets? What was his most effective
> strategy? He contacted over 40 of his friends who are also Internet
> Marketing Gurus with large lists and got them to market it for him by
> sending emails to their lists in exchange for a handsome affiliate
> commission. There it is. That's it, no secret, no unique strategy, nothing
> exciting, just a play old fashioned joint venture!!

> That's the real "secret" to Internet Marketing ladies and
> gentleman. That's how John Reese successfully marketed Traffic Secrets -
> by joint venturing with large list owners and gurus who have the power to
> make sales by endorsing a product to their large list, in exchange for a
> large commission of course.
> Fellow 'How To'ers, I know that what I have said is probably not a huge
> surprise nor should it be. Its true that some of the gurus do mention the
> power of Joint Ventures but it is often put aside in favour of more
> detailed step by step strategies and approaches which quite frankly are
> more sellable from the perspective of these Internet Marketing gurus. They
> know the true power and value of Joint Ventures and if you watch closely
> what they do you will see this. Internet Marketing is not rocket science,
> its quite simple and obvious but the obvious is not marketable and the
> gurus are quite content on selling you pipe dreams which put money into
> their pockets and leave you working your ass off for a few hundred dollars
> a month advertising their products.

> However, another thing you will probably notice is that these Internet
> Marketing big boys tend to joint venture with a fellow big boy and what
> they have effectively done is created an elite inner circle which is
> difficult to penetrate unless you are willing to spend thousands of
> dollars going to seminars which doesn't guarantee you anything or the
> alternative which is to kiss major ass which will also most likely get you
> nowhere. And I have to say, there has been a lot of brown-nosing going on
> with regards to people defending Traffic Secrets and its material. Again,
> I am not saying that the material is lacking, quite honestly I cannot in
> all conscience make any reference to the materials presented, but based on
> critiques from well know marketers such as Markus Allen I am assuming that
> much of the material presented is nothing new and/or revolutionary if you
> consider yourself to be a seasoned/intelligent marketer. As a side note, I
> would like to thank Markus for delivering an unbiased/ethical review of
> Traffic Secrets which has unfortunately and unfairly reflected negatively
> on him and its shocking how many marketers have jumped on board to trash
> him and defend Traffic Secrets. I do have a comment to those that have
> jumped on board this bandwagon to defend John and his product. Do you
> think that by defending John and his course that will increase your
> chances of working with him and others and becoming accepted as a member
> of the elite inner circle? Well sorry to disappoint you folks, but that
> unfortunately isn't going to happen. Many of these gurus talk about this
> so-called 'Law of Reciprocity' but when it comes down to it, it really
> doesn't exist for those not belonging to the 'Priory of Internet
> Marketing'. Like the 'Priory of Sion' in The DaVinci Code, I would think
> the chances of becoming accepted into the elite inner circle is almost as
> likely as finding the "Holy Grail".

> Well folks, I hope I didn't bore you with my rantings on Internet
> Marketing. I am sure I will get a fair amount of criticism regarding my
> views which again is fine and since I am not too concerned with the
> opinions of others, I think I will remain true to myself and my integrity
> rather than jump on board the bandwagon and defend someone I don't know
> and will likely never know.

> Fellow marketers, thanks for taking the time to read my long rant and I
> sincerely wish you luck in your online endevours.

> Unbiasedly Yours,
> Brian



 john

[Francisco Aloy]

Hi Brian,

I agree with most of what you say and I think it's important to watch what the Gurus do, not what they say.

I think the build up to John Reese's Traffic Secrets was masterful in the fact he let out just enough information to build expectation to a fever pitch.
I think that had more to do with the actual success of Traffic Secrets than anything else. Not to take anything away from Mr.Reese, I do think he is a masterful marketer, he plaid all his cards well.

Many of the constant stream of "secrets" being sold on all corners of the Net are nothing but facts that will come to the mind bent on a dispassionate analysis of the facts, such as yours. Some of them are nothing but dreams and mind candy sold to the unsuspecting.

BTW, I'm a very newbie Internet marketer and don't claim to know all that much but I can say this: The Internet is maturing as I type and what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. Seems the real challenge to Internet Marketing is keeping up with the ever changing nature of the Net. As an example: email based marketing may be highly restricted as a means of keeping in touch with your customers. It may even be on its way out as a viable tool. What will we use then?



 paco

[Mario Giordani]

> note**I posted this on ablake's site as well.

> Hello,

> I have watched in astonishment over the last several weeks since John
> Reese's "Traffic Secrets"

Hey, let's not bash John Reese! Just kidding. Freedom of speech means we can say anything we wantk, even if it's contrary to what others think. Stick to it!
BUT...But...The only thing I care about is this:

1. Has the course worked for you and in what "monetary" ways.
2. I know you've learned a trick or two or a LOT but...

Have you made any money? If you've made money, then JR's course speaks for itself. If you have truely applied what he says and you're still paying on your visa, then, there might be a problem. Talk about results. That's all I care about, personally. The rest is just sales stuff.

2cents.

s stuff.

2cents.


 Ma Blog

[Reed Floren]

Hi Everyone,

Let's just point out a trait that we all have. We are all unique and 100% different from one another... instead of bickering over these minor differences why don't we just try to get along and help each other with Internet Marketing.

That way we all feel better, we end up making more money and we help others with all of our increased productivity and excellent products. That seems like win-win to me, doesn't it to you?

Regards,

Reed Floren



 P.S. I have arranged for you to get a FREE 30 Day Trial with a #1 Ranked Web Host
 reed

[Lady B]

Have we kicked this round enough now?

Doesn't seem to be anything more to say.

Wanna kiss and make up...?

B

 and make up...?

B

[J.F. (Jim) Straw]

"Networking" ... not MLM ... in the business community has been the foundation of many, many fortunes ... even mine.

Over the past 40+ years, I have counted among my associates some of the biggest names of my era - but - also included in those numbers were many of the biggest names of today on their way to the top.

You need only reread "Think & Grow Rich" to discover the value of the Master Mind Group.

It isn't a secret. It is just a valuable tool in the marketer's toolbox.

Unfortunately, most business beginners want to be associated with the "gurus" in order to gain the guru's favor - but - the most often forget that they must "give" before they can receive.

The gurus have become gurus by virtue of giving into the network before receiving from the network. -- That's the only way it works.

If you won't give what you have, you cannot expect to receive.

Jim



 Power Tools for Entrepreneurs
 jfstraw

[Bill Hely]

Brian, thank you for your thoughtful and provocative post. Whether respondents agreed with you completely, in part or not at all, there was potential for an interesting, enlightening and very much forum-on-topic discussion.

What a shame that it got hijacked by a very small number of self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing noise makers who almost single handedly were able to completely destroy the potential of the thread.

I forced myself to wade through all the irrelevant crud in the hope that the conversation would get back on track. Unfortunately it never recoverd. I'm sure many people who may have had a positive contribution to make just lost interest and moved on.

Can I offer one suggestion to those people who were perhaps unwittingly caught up in the maelstrom: Do Not Respond To Moronic, Vindictive, Baiting or Completely Irrelevant Posts! If you don't have the articulation to succinctly pull the offender into line, stay out of it. A spoiler with no one to argue with soon ceases to be a distraction.

I'll see if I can find your topic on ablake.com. Maybe there was more contribution and less static there.

Best regards,
- Bill Hely
- Author: The Hacker's Nightmare
- http://HackersNightmare.com



 How to keep hackers, worms and other "germs" out of your PC.
 
 bill.hely

[Mike Watkins]

That is absolutely 100% groundbreaking, earthshaking, mindboggling true what Belinda just said. I came back and read what was said about John Reese from Brian and to ME what does it help to "blast" anybody else about how they made a million. AND if someone is new or has an opinion OR has to be corrected by a forum moderator for their error in the way they post - THAT'S THEIR JOB! There has been ALOT and I mean ALOT of BASHING in this forum. I am going to re-enter now on the advice of a great leader from another forum. I will certainly be mindful of the rules and respectful of others BUT I know that if I am attacked again I will remain planted defiantly and snap back with the right attitude and answers. The bottom line is I beleive everyone comes to this forumand any other forum to learn, to grow and here it comes (drum roll) MAKE WHAT THEY CALL M-O-N-E-Y!!! Relationships are formed, partnerships are made, strategic alliances are setup and income is generated. I hope that EVERYONE can learn to try and look after each other in ANY way they can and help each other build success!
> note**I posted this on ablake's site as well.

> Hello,

> I have watched in astonishment over the last several weeks since John
> Reese's "Traffic Secrets" has come out people argue and bicker
> about the quality of content delivered in his course and I am truly amazed
> at how many marketers have jumped to John's side defending him and
> attacking fellow marketers who have the "nerve" and
> "audacity" to question the content of his material. For goodness
> sakes people...last I checked Freedom of Speech and Thought was a right
> given to all, including those who don't jump on the proverbial
> "bandwagon" and praise Traffic secrets as the greatest internet
> marketing course of all time!!

> Allow me to introduce myself fellow marketers. My name is Brian. Let me
> answer some of the more immediate questions you have regarding me:

> 1) No...I don't make a lot of money on the internet.
> 2) No...I don't have a name as you can obviously tell
> 3) No...I have not been to any seminars or "networking" events

> Okay...since I am not a "Big Boy" I am sure that many will
> probably disregard my comments and my posting because I am a nobody in the
> internet marketing industry. That's fine, but, to those who read this
> posting in its entirety, many of my comments will probably ring true for
> some and prompt criticism from others. Again, that is totally fine but I
> needed to voice my opinion on this issue irregardless of the criticism I
> might receive.

> If John Reese is reading this posting, John...I have no intention of
> criticising you or your material because quite frankly I don't know you,
> have never spoken to you and haven't purchased Traffic secrets from you so
> that we are clear on this.

> Personally, ladies and gentleman, I have nothing against John Reese. As a
> matter of fact...I think he is absolutely brilliant and his marketing
> strategy for Traffic Secrets was ingenious. Much of the debate surrounding
> his course is the question of content and that is where most people are
> missing the big picture. Most people are analyzing the course from a micro
> level when in fact you should be analyzing the macro level strategy used
> by John to market his course. Am I confusing you? Okay, let me try and
> explain what I am getting at.

> Essentially, John Reese's Traffic Secrets is a course dedicated to
> providing you with many different methods for generating traffic to your
> site/service/product allowing you to exponentially improve your online
> profits. Traffic secrets is not unlike other courses available by other
> marketing gurus except that it appears to be much wider in scope delving
> into many different topics and traffic generating strategies.

> I guess the debate is whether these techniques and strategies really work?
> Just like other courses and ebooks in the internet marketing niche,
> Traffic Secrets attempts to provide you with many different strategies
> that can be used to derive substantial profitability on the Internet if
> used properly.

> Now, I'm not a guru or marketing giant but it occurs to me that many are
> really missing the big picture. There is an old saying and allow me to
> modify it slightly to cater to the Internet Marketing industry and it goes
> something like this:
> "Do what the Internet Marketing Gurus Do, not what they say!"

> Again, I'm not a genius but it occurs to me that the best way to success
> is to follow what the big boys do and not necessarily what they say in
> their books and courses. Although I haven't gone through Traffic Secrets I
> have read many ebooks and courses from some of the other gurus about
> succeeding on the internet and they actually do reveal information that
> will make you profitable on the internet. However, if your definition of
> 'profitable' is a few hundred books a month then yes I would recommend
> these courses. The truth of the matter is, Internet Marketing Gurus are
> not going to reveal to you the "real" way to make a huge amount
> of money on the internet and quite frankly why would they? If you notice
> many of these materials being sold always have a little disclaimer at the
> bottom that says that they can't guarantee success and it depends on the
> amount of work and dedication you put into these strategies that will
> determine your success. Its ironic though that the rest of their sales
> pages hype their strategies and reveal a sure fire way to succeed just by
> following their strategies and steps, kind of like a plug and play
> solution, if you do this then that you are guaranteed 5 or 10 thousand
> dollars per month.

> Well folks I don't know about you but I am sure as hell not going to
> settle for a few hundred bucks a month when these big boys are making 5
> figure revenues on a monthly basis. I don't know, maybe I am thinking too
> big here, perhaps I need to pay my dues and make a few hundred bucks a
> month for 10 years before I should be given the privilege of making 4 or 5
> figure income.

> Folks, the truth of the matter is that there is no real secret strategy to
> becoming successful on the internet, its actually quite simple and obvious
> to those who know how to do it. Look at John Reese's marketing campaign
> for Traffic Secrets and you will see that it is quite obvious. Lets look
> at it closely: Does Traffic Secrets rate high in search engines under
> keyword terms such as 'Internet Marketing' or 'Web Marketing'? The answer
> is simply No. That tells me that Search Engine Ranking/Optimization
> strategies were not used as part of his marketing strategy. Did he focus
> on pay per click advertising to market 'Traffic Secrets'? Again the answer
> is most likely No since I haven't seen it being used. People, the strategy
> is right there in front of but you are not focusing on it. Why did he make
> so much money off of Traffic Secrets? What was his most effective
> strategy? He contacted over 40 of his friends who are also Internet
> Marketing Gurus with large lists and got them to market it for him by
> sending emails to their lists in exchange for a handsome affiliate
> commission. There it is. That's it, no secret, no unique strategy, nothing
> exciting, just a play old fashioned joint venture!!

> That's the real "secret" to Internet Marketing ladies and
> gentleman. That's how John Reese successfully marketed Traffic Secrets -
> by joint venturing with large list owners and gurus who have the power to
> make sales by endorsing a product to their large list, in exchange for a
> large commission of course.
> Fellow 'How To'ers, I know that what I have said is probably not a huge
> surprise nor should it be. Its true that some of the gurus do mention the
> power of Joint Ventures but it is often put aside in favour of more
> detailed step by step strategies and approaches which quite frankly are
> more sellable from the perspective of these Internet Marketing gurus. They
> know the true power and value of Joint Ventures and if you watch closely
> what they do you will see this. Internet Marketing is not rocket science,
> its quite simple and obvious but the obvious is not marketable and the
> gurus are quite content on selling you pipe dreams which put money into
> their pockets and leave you working your ass off for a few hundred dollars
> a month advertising their products.

> However, another thing you will probably notice is that these Internet
> Marketing big boys tend to joint venture with a fellow big boy and what
> they have effectively done is created an elite inner circle which is
> difficult to penetrate unless you are willing to spend thousands of
> dollars going to seminars which doesn't guarantee you anything or the
> alternative which is to kiss major ass which will also most likely get you
> nowhere. And I have to say, there has been a lot of brown-nosing going on
> with regards to people defending Traffic Secrets and its material. Again,
> I am not saying that the material is lacking, quite honestly I cannot in
> all conscience make any reference to the materials presented, but based on
> critiques from well know marketers such as Markus Allen I am assuming that
> much of the material presented is nothing new and/or revolutionary if you
> consider yourself to be a seasoned/intelligent marketer. As a side note, I
> would like to thank Markus for delivering an unbiased/ethical review of
> Traffic Secrets which has unfortunately and unfairly reflected negatively
> on him and its shocking how many marketers have jumped on board to trash
> him and defend Traffic Secrets. I do have a comment to those that have
> jumped on board this bandwagon to defend John and his product. Do you
> think that by defending John and his course that will increase your
> chances of working with him and others and becoming accepted as a member
> of the elite inner circle? Well sorry to disappoint you folks, but that
> unfortunately isn't going to happen. Many of these gurus talk about this
> so-called 'Law of Reciprocity' but when it comes down to it, it really
> doesn't exist for those not belonging to the 'Priory of Internet
> Marketing'. Like the 'Priory of Sion' in The DaVinci Code, I would think
> the chances of becoming accepted into the elite inner circle is almost as
> likely as finding the "Holy Grail".

> Well folks, I hope I didn't bore you with my rantings on Internet
> Marketing. I am sure I will get a fair amount of criticism regarding my
> views which again is fine and since I am not too concerned with the
> opinions of others, I think I will remain true to myself and my integrity
> rather than jump on board the bandwagon and defend someone I don't know
> and will likely never know.

> Fellow marketers, thanks for taking the time to read my long rant and I
> sincerely wish you luck in your online endevours.

> Unbiasedly Yours,
> Brian


> Brian

[Dane Morgan]

> Remember this, you can
> always ignore the posts of people who don't share the same views you do.
> It's very easy to do.

You can even ignore those of people who's style you dislike, regardless of what you think of their views.

Dane Morgan


 danemorgan

[Sam Freedom]

 samfreedom2003

[Dane Morgan]

 danemorgan

[Sam Freedom]

> I'll be sure and signup for you "guru course" when it comes out
> (LOL)

Thanks! And you will benefit immediately because one of the first lessons has to do with not wasting bandwidth by quoting 80 lines of post along with your one substanceless line. (LOL!)

Seriously, Mike, I truly thank you for having the courage and strength to participate and play. If you notice, these threads that appear to spiral out of control do begin with a question about a marketing strategy, tactic, or concept, in general. Then someone, citing free speech, tries to assail mine. If you pay even the scantest attention, you'll be able to tell that many detractors are not even responding to the message -- but the way it's being expressed. So they are responding to the "abrasiveness" and not the "question" or the "point".

And that is fine. Not every seed takes root. ;-) And like you, I am learning, perhaps something different, perhaps the same, perhaps a little of both. And if I say perhaps enough times, I might convince myself that I am deep and philosophical.

There, I laughed at myself. Your turn...perhaps?

Sam



 samfreedom2003

[Mike Watkins]

I'll be sure and signup for you "guru course" when it comes out (LOL)

> That's because you weren't here to understand. You just wanted to say
> whatever it is you felt you had to say and you could say the latter is
> true about me, but I'm here to understand. The reply I gave to you is to
> demonstrate a concept and those who are able to appreciate it are going to
> do so. But most of all, I do it for myself. Because noone is getting hurt,
> and everything -- yes, everything -- can be used towards something.

> If my last post made 0 sense to you, this one is sure to make "less
> than 0" sense to you.

> Are you trying to tell us something about a shady past? ;-)

> We'll never know, will we?

> The only secret you need to know, is that people are basically stupid and
> what they throw away every moment of every day of their lives can be
> harnessed by those with a fraction of intelligence. There is an invisible
> food chain. These ideas point to real processes yet someone like yourself
> just repeats standard cliches, or talks without really knowing what you're
> talking about and swears by it.

> It is only at the end of your letter that you realize it could possibly
> make no sense and for THAT I commend you, but it took you long enough! ;-)

> That would really depend on your reason for being here. Maybe your reading
> them, and participating in them is a waste of airspace, but you ought to
> reconsider generalizing as if you are the only person who can determine
> whether or not there is something unobvious to be learned from these
> exchanges.

> Thank you, but I can't accept. That places me in the class with grade A
> department store complainers. If you meant my "way" of being
> vocal, or the way I express ideas when being vocal, or adhering to certain
> principles and not, ahem, wavering then that's altogether different.

> You don't have to be prominent here to be heard, or express your opinion.
> But in the situation that you're so vocal about now, I expressed rather
> bluntly that I perceived a conflicting message in Reese's post. And I
> wondered, aloud, how someone found a confirmation in that. Immediately
> after, all hell broke loose as if those who are constantly screaming about
> freedom of speech suddenly saw fit to revoke mine. And I don't even cry
> foul -- I just roll with it. ;-)

> That's because I'm just so good.

> It did, and it didn't. It crissed and crossed and weaved and bobbed, but I
> got the essence of it. You're basically unhappy but you're basically ok
> with it. Am I right? ;-)

> Sincerely,
> Sam


,
> Sam