Ego Blogging and the Money Idol.

Ego Blogging and the Money Idol.

Banner ads just don’t work … so they say!

Something about the blogosphere lately has been bugging me. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what it is because it’s not a black and white problem and I’m an active participant and proponent of at least part of what I see as the issue.

Blogging as we know it today evolved from online journal writing, a very reflective and personal thing to do centered around one individual’s life. Back then it was expected that a “weblog” would focus mostly on the person writing it and consequently, unless the person led a very interesting life or had a gift for writing, only a small handful of people would read it - perhaps friends, family and coworkers.

Today blogs have become much more than journals, yet many of the blogs we idolize are very ego-centric. Often popular blogs are driven by the personality of the author. While most blogs are not necessarily talking about a person’s personal life, often “life” is the muse for topics, even if they are skewed for relevancy to a certain group of people, a target market.

For example, my blog here is about Internet business and blogging and many of the posts I publish draw on my own experience in these areas. This article you are reading right now is exactly that - I’m writing this as a result of my recent experience reading other blogs.

The blogosphere is personality driven, so it’s natural to expect that the people with the biggest personalities, the most interesting stories, unique talents and/or some form of celebrity, are at the top of the A-List of blogs. There’s nothing wrong with that on the surface, but what I do see as a potential problem is what we value and what concepts we raise to ideals to emulate.

Money As Motivation

I remember the first time Darren Rowse published how much he was earning from his blogs and the subsequent buzz that spread online about the potential for income from blogging. Since then many bloggers have revealed their earnings and continue to do so. I did exactly that for my March 2007 blog earnings.

With the obvious interest in the topic “making money online” many bloggers have launched blogs focused on it, some make money, some chronicle their journey of making money and may not make any yet. The focus is squarely on how to earn more and how to get more traffic so you can earn more. Again, there is nothing wrong with that per se, the problem as I see it, is how much energy we give to the topic and how we idolize certain people who have achieved something we want to achieve.

Will Money Make You Happy?

There’s a very old question that most people feel they know the answer to - Will money make you happy?

I don’t think money specifically can make you happy, but certainly it can buy freedoms that contribute to happiness.

The problem I believe is better defined in the reverse - does a lack of money make you unhappy?

I think for many people that last statement is true and we thus wake up each day with money as a key motivator, not the only motivator of course, but certainly a major one given society’s current structure.

If you have read my previous article - The Key To Happiness - you know that my belief is that happiness is simply a choice, but for the sake of this article I’ll assume that you may conceptually understand that, but have difficulty putting it into practice 100% of the time, which sums up my experience too.

Where’s The Value?

If you presently read blogs that talk about making money, or any blog where the author spends a lot of time focused on their own life, make sure you stop and ask yourself whether reading the blog contributes to a goal you currently have and whether you leave that blog having gained an insight or something you can actually action and benefit from.

What it is you admire about the blog and blogger and why have you have decided to offer them a portion of your life - a fraction of the time you have available in a given lifetime? That’s a hefty price to pay so you better be clear on why you are there and what you want from the relationship.

Many blogs offer very little value beyond entertainment, essentially a distraction from what you really need to get done. Entertainment is great, but often times entertainment is procrastination. This is an especially important point for all you workers out there surfing the web in an attempt to get through yet another “boring day”. Something needs to change.

At some point you have to consider how long you are prepared to read about how successful someone else is, how much money they make or the ramblings of X number of mini-me bloggers also attempting to replicate the success of A-List profit bloggers. What exactly is in it for you or are you there to simply help that blogger make more money by being yet one more visitor adding to their traffic count?

Focus On What’s In It For You

Watching others achieve what you want to achieve will not help you unless you actually take away a lesson and apply it. If you currently read bloggers that spend most of their time rambling on about how good they are, or how much money they make or what they last had for dinner, or how amazing their traffic growth rate is, and you walk away feeling feeling depressed because you can’t seem to make any money or you are simply “passing the time” you are not moving forward.

As you are about to finish reading this article you can ask yourself - What did I learn? How can I change my behaviors for the better as a result of this article from Yaro?

My hope is that you will start to make better use of your time and challenge every blogger you read to benefit YOUR life.

I may end up losing some readers as a result of this article as they realize that Entrepreneurs-Journey.com doesn’t specifically offer them any value given their current situation and goals. That’s fine, what’s important is that you read this article, have an insight and take a step that leads to enhancing your life and making you happier.

Remember, money as a purpose in life is a false idol, as is worshiping people who are fixated on making money. Monitor your feelings and gravitate towards what works for you and what feels right. There’s nothing wrong with making money and being motivated by it, just remember that it’s not the only reason to do something, there should be a deeper motivation and purpose - a reason why that makes sense to you, a way it can help you and a way you can use it to help others.

[Via - Yaro Starak]

Taking the Mystery Out of Mystery Shoppers

Taking the Mystery Out of Mystery Shoppers

SEO Basics - Good Link, Bad Link

Who wouldn't love to try luxurious products for free? It's this premise that entices many people to become mystery shoppers.

Market researchers often solicit real consumers to anonymously evaluate the quality of a product or service by purchasing it and then reporting back. It's a seemingly great deal for consumers -- mystery shoppers are reimbursed for their expenses and get to keep the product.

But beware: There are a number of fraudulent mystery-shopping promoters waiting to pounce. In fact, last week the Federal Trade Commission charged a company called Mystery Shop Link with promoting fraudulent claims to consumers who lost millions of dollars because of the service. In a written release, the FTC states:

"In exchange for the $99.95 fee for one year of service, consumers thought they would be trained and certified as mystery shoppers, and would gain access to job postings available through the company, with enough paid assignments available to ensure a steady part-time or full-time income. Instead, consumers received a worthless certification and access to re-postings of other mystery shopping assignments posted by other companies, who were unrelated to the defendants. Consumers still had to apply for these jobs, most of them low-paying, and had no advantage over anyone else who found the postings elsewhere for free."

So how do you find a legitimate mystery shopping gig? First of all, know that you will almost never have to pay to become one. If you come across an ad promoting a mystery shopping service that requires you to fork over any cash, move on.

Also, you should avoid mystery shopping promoters who claim they can get you "certified." Companies that need mystery shoppers usually require no such thing. And if you get a pitch to become a mystery shopper by e-mail or see an ad in your newspaper's "help wanted" section, it's probably best to move on.

To make sure you're not swindled, follow these steps from the FTC to find a real mystery shopping job:

• Do a Web search of mystery shopping companies. Look for ones that are accepting applications -- and don't charge a fee for you to complete it.
• Do your homework. There are many books available on the subject, such as "The Mystery Shopper's Manual" and "How to Become a Mystery Shopper." Read up and understand what it takes to be a good mystery shopper.
• Start with the Mystery Shopping Providers Association Web site at www.mysteryshop.org. You can find out how to register with an MSPA member company, browse available jobs and feel confident that the ones represented there are legitimate.

Source: StartupJournal | Retailing

Pithy Insights On Startup Marketing

Pithy Insights On Startup Marketing

Stix figures throw opportunity at entrepreneur - Business

1. Most Startups Have A Marketing Problem: Most startups I know today do not have a technology problem. It is much more likely that they are capable of building a product than they are marketing that product and finding customers.

1. Seek Leverage: Startups need to be efficient about how they go about distributing their product. Few can afford the expense of a direct sales force. Instead, startups should seek activities that have leverage (i.e. where a small expenditure of resources can result in disproportional success). The best way to find leverage is to try lots of small, creative things and figure out what works.

1. Don’t Look For Customers: This one’s a little controversial. I think in today’s world, it’s very expensive and difficult for a startup to go out into the market looking for people or organizations that will be great customers. Instead, I think it’s much more effective to instead help your best customers find you. This one’s really important so I’m going to give you a sound bite:

Instead of spending money trying to seek our your best customers, startups should instead focus on helping their best customers find them.

Reduce Time To Enjoyment (TTE): In most markets today, customers are impatient and demanding. Try to find ways to reduce the customer’s time to enjoyment for your product. The time to enjoyment is basically the time it takes from when a customer decides to try/buy your product to when she actually gets some enjoyment/benefit from it. Many startups focus on increasing the level of enjoyment (i.e. “if you just spend 15 more minutes, you’ll get so much more value…”). This is the wrong approach. Don’t increase the level of benefit, but decrease the time it takes to get the minimal benefit.

It’s Easier To Market A Product Customers Like: This is an obvious one, but still needs to be said. If customers like the product, they are more likely to tell other people. This is one of the highest points of leverage there is and the most efficient ways to get distribution. It’s important to note here that you may not actually know what it is that customers like (what you think makes your product valuable may be very different from what customers actually see as valuable). When in doubt (which is most of the time), ask the customer.

Non-Dead Products Sell Better: Potential customers like to see that a product is evolving. Demonstrate to your market that there are signs of life in your startup. Don’t go “dark” for months at a time with no updates or news on what you’re doing to improve the product. A product that is not changing is a dead product. Nobody wants to buy a dead product (however good it might be).

Be Transparent: We live in an age of abundant options and lots of “noise” in the market. Customers have become skeptical and cynical. Most startups don’t give their customers enough credit. They’re smarter than you think they are. Be honest. Be transparent. Trying to lure customers into buying something by misleading them may work in the short-term and get you a few customers, but almost always fails in the long term.

Your Customers Should Be Selling: Everyone knows that customer referrals (where a customer refers another customer) is a great way to market a product. In this case, everyone would be right. Referrals are a great way to market a product. I’d go so far as to say if at least some of your sales are not happening as a result of customer referrals, there’s something wrong. If you’re doing things right (and being transparent and not misleading), then customer referrals should be a natural outcome of your activities.

Be Objective and Empathetic: It amazes me how exceptionally brilliant people can often delude themselves about their product offering. Sometime today, take some quiet time when you’re all alone and ask yourself the question: “If I were a potential customer, knowing everything I know about the company and product, would I buy?”. Stated differently, if you left your startup tomorrow and knowing everything you know, would you buy your own product? When selling something, empathy is often the most underrated skill. If you can be honest with yourself and truly put yourself in shoes of the customer, amazing things start to happen.

Go to source.

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