My New Rant – It’s O.K. To Surf
I kinda chuckle at the rest of the ‘Internet Marketing’ world. It’s self-imploding, it’s losing it’s might but still, some traffic exchange ‘professionals’ are telling surfers they could be doing better things with their time instead of surfing. Surfing isn’t as effective as ‘drafting emails and writing ad copy’…Ha!
What is wrong with traffic exchange surfing?
Why has it always been looked at as ‘a bad thing’ to spend hours a day clicking?
I got a rant about it on video but I hope to hear what you think about the lack of pride that seems to happen in this business.
Thanks for watching the video, now let’s hear what you think!!!
Tagged with: traffic exchange • traffic exchange business • traffic exchange community • traffic exchange industry • traffic exchange owners • traffic exchange surfer • traffic exchange systems • traffic exchanges • traffic exchanges 2.0
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Jon Rock On! I love Traffic exchanges and I know they work.
I am working on talking about traffic exchanges Off Line too.
Surf 4 (your advice from Hits clicks and misses)
Im here Im a surfer and Im proud to be an exchange owner.
Gotta listen closer. It’s not surfing they were talking about, it’s MINDLESS surfing. If you surf x # of sites (x could be any number) and actually view the sites as you go along (maybe even respond to one or two along the way), that’s a good thing. You’re benefiting yourself…you’re benefiting those that are advertising their sites.
If you’re just clicking along not caring a bit about the sites you see…just click click click. THAT is what they were talking about yesterday. Typically when you see someone surfing 2000, 3000, 4000, or more sites a day on a site, they get associated with this kind of person by default, which may or may not be correct depending on the motive of the surfer. Are they just looking to pile up a ton of credits? Or are they also looking to possibly benefit from sites they see while surfing?
Just my two cents.
Thanks,
Stephen Whittle (swhomebiz)
Love it Jon. I love Traffic Exchanges and can’t see why everyone doesn’t. I don’t think they are trying hard enough. They are not building a splash or squeeze page to promote themselves so they think it does not work.
Right on Stephan, makes a big difference when it is put in context!
This has happened for YEARS. No big deal, make an ad that gets people’s attention. Do you really think people watching TV are carefully checking out every ad? No.
But when you notice an ad that you like you start to notice it EVERY TIME it’s on. Right now if I’m flipping channels or skipping over on the DVR, I notice that phone commercial of the guy not getting the text about the flash mob.
So let’s stop coming up with some reason why things are bad, and focus on how to use our MARKETING SKILLZ to get their attention
Awesome Rant Jon, I am a surfer and is way better if your paying for the membership with a higher ratio makes me a addicted to traffic exchanges
Hey Jon,
Great video…
The key thing I see here is balance.
While I see absolutely nothing wrong with people surfing 1,000 pages at a social traffic exchange, connecting with the membership base by way of things such as social chat, and discussing things pertinent (or even completely irrelevant) to what they are viewing, I do see issues in people power surfing 5000 pages at 6 different traffic exchanges all at once, ignoring the advertisements at hand, and not bothering to connect with anyone in the exchanges.
That being said, it is the job of the advertiser to meet the ever evolving demands of the demographic which they serve.
If more people are surfing higher amounts of pages, it is up to the advertiser to improve his or her game to catch the attention of this specific group of surfers.
On an entirely separate note, surfing for hours without a system in place can be an absolute waste if you aren’t surfing for the right reasons.
Traffic means nothing without an effective system (lead capture system, autoresponder series, downline builder, whatever it is).
There are myriad reasons why people surf, however, and it depends on the specific needs of each individual surfer to determine whether or not it is worth the time and effort they are putting into it.
If they are actively engaging the membership base, learning new things, and building a mini-tribe, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with surfing all day, every day.
On the other hand, however, if they are mindlessly clicking 5000 pages every day on a variety of traffic exchanges, without even doing so much as setting up a little lead capture page or personalized splash page, then these people are just burning up credits and wasting their time.
As with everything in life, nobody can tell you exactly what you need to do.
It depends on your specific needs, time restraints, funds, systems, connections, etc.
Thus, when anyone makes such a broad statement as “surfers surfing a lot is bad for advertisers”, it really holds no weight whatsoever.
Likewise, however, stating that surfing is always good and the best possible thing that everyone can be doing, out of the millions of potential tasks they could be completing… Well, such a statement really can’t hold truth either.
Just my two cents.
Thanks for the great post!
- Jared Silver,
The Teenage Internet Marketer
Contact Me:
Jared@SterlingSilverMarketing.com
Thank You Jon.
I love to surf. I do have
people that are
website owners who also teach,
and they don’t recommend surfing.
They believe that you should be
writing articles and getting backlinks
and so on.
Most of the people I meet
are on traffic exchanges surfing.
Great stuff thanks for sharing.
@jared “I do see issues in people power surfing 5000 pages at 6 different traffic exchanges all at once”
“I plan on surfing for the better part of the day… I love getting a bunch of credits and then not having to surf for weeks.”
?? =P
Thanks Jon, love the video. Yes, fellow surfers know what we feel, and fellow surfers know what we are doing, and my fellow surfers rejoice with me too at times.
Surf away everyone, surf away!
@Tim – LOL… Good point, good point.
In that Tweet, I was referring to surfing at a couple of exchanges with social chat and such…
“… I see absolutely nothing wrong with people surfing 1,000 pages at a social traffic exchange, connecting with the membership base by way of things such as social chat, and discussing things pertinent (or even completely irrelevant) to what they are viewing…”
Of course, my browser decided to crash on me before I could even fully initiate that. So I went and played WGT instead. lol
Thanks for seeking truth with facts
- Jared
There are as many different niches as there are people, and every niche is better reached in this or that way by this or that marketer. Do what works for you!
Personally, I find that TEs do a better job than some other things for me in terms of helping me accomplish what I’m trying to do … but if they don’t work for you, then do what does. No need for us to beat each other over the head about it.
Many people will never get the value of surfing a traffic exchange. All they look at is the conversion numbers or the hits per impression. (These are the same people who thing if you get 100 hits you should get 50 sign ups.)
I am still relatively new to using traffic exchanges for advertising. So far, I have built an inner circle of friends which I feel comfortable asking for advice. The true benefit of using TE’s is the connections you will make along the way. If you just surf to surf, then yeah, it probably is a waste of time.
But, If you surf with an open mind you can:
Build Relationships
Find Creative Ideas
Establish Business Connections
Learn Marketing Techniques
And So Much More………
I’m a surfer and I learn something new every day!
i love clicking and surfing and chatting all day and night in the te world of course with all the chatting i do i dont get in as many clicks as i’d like too lol but i have fun and meet lots of fun people so its all worth it thanks jon
At one time I was hitting 3,000 pages at no least than five exchanges and I kept participating actively in the chat systems as well as we had team surfing going on and got rewards for being an A-Team.
Actually met a few TE owners from there which even trusted me so much they gave me full access to their main ftp site so I could make small changes for them.
Now, hitting 3k per day on several TEs everyday is no easy task and it consumed my entire day so I didn’t kept doing that for long.
I started upgrading and noticed that for a third of my time I could accomplish the same credits but also got rewards, bonuses, contest draws (which I won a few) so like Jared says, there has to be some balance in there.
I agree that IMers like to look down at TE surfers and owners but I believe that it’s mostly because of lack of knowledge and proper understanding.
They normally say it’s junk traffic or not targeted traffic.
It’s ridiculous to think something like that because with the recent implementation of social media you can interact with like minded people and learn from that it’s working for them and not.
I have learned what programs are good, which ones are bad and all of this has been done mostly at social media exchanges.
Heck I even got a recent business proposal to buy hosting from me and it happened right there in a social media exchange.
I wasn’t even promoting that, I just wrote about an experience I had at my blog.
Having said that, it’s ridiculous to believe that traffic from exchanges is not targeted.
I have around 2 weeks in the social media community and I have made a lot of great connections already.
Being an IT guy and working around computers for more than 20 years now, I don’t bite into hype easily and I definitely know how to invest my time.
(Social) Traffic Exchanges do definitely work if used right and there’s a huge sea of opportunities and relations just waiting to be connected.
So yeah Jon, it’s OK to surf indeed!
Well, you can consider me a newbie in the field, but that’s how I learned all that I know.. and to this date, continue to learn… from surfing social media traffic exchanges, interacting with fellow marketers, asking questions and simply just jumping in to see what works and what doesn’t.. and no, I don’t do mindless surfing as I do watch out for new ads that grab attention and try to be as creative when I come up with splash pages and all. But the bottom line, I surf because I enjoy it! ^_^
Personally, I like Jon’s rants. It keeps things alive in the TE industry. Keep up the great posts, Jon!
Rain
Jon,
By nature, we gravitate toward others who are similar in mind and purpose.
Likewise, we repel those things that are not comfortable and compatible.
Inevitably, as we find our way, some of us justify our own course by diminishing the course of others.
To be sure, making mindless, hurtful statements and actions NEVER serves our purpose as intended.
Eventually, negativism reflects poorly on ourselves and places undue limitations on our choices, down the road.
Most would do well to learn, that an open mind is much more beneficial than an open mouth.
And I thought my college philosophy was wasted… lol
Good post,
Carl
Go Jon, people think I am crazing for sitting for hours clicking away especially my husband. But I am trying to figure this all out and one day I might be like YOU!
don’t get why people are always so negative! If you don’t like something, just don’t do it! Find something else to do! I know that my dad and I have branded ourselves really well through a balanced blend of traffic exchanges, email list builders, and text ad exchanges! They are ALL exchanges where you can exchange your time to earn your advertising or you can exchange your money to get your advertising!
If it doesn’t work, then there is probably something wrong with the advert you are putting out…most people are so quick to pass the buck though…
Thanks for the rant, I enjoyed it!
Whoo-hoo, Jon! Darned right it’s okay to surf! And for me, it doesn’t even matter whether or not the TE is a social exchange or not – I still get results. But thanks to the naysayers, there have been times when I have felt guilty about surfing, thinking there were better ways to spend my time. Jon, I have always respected your opinions, and if you say it’s okay to surf, then by the old gum, I’m gonna surf! Thanks for the post.
Lynne
P.S. Sadly, the new time for TELive doesn’t fit my schedule, but I’ll see you there when I can…I love TELive!
I think we should just let people surf for as long or as little as they wish…it is up to the individual.
As advertisers then it is our job to grab the attention of as many surfers as possible.
For my part I can see a page six, seven or eight times and click past it and then the next time I see it I may want to have a look.
But if the page stands out and hits me between the eyes then, of course, I have to look.
On a separate issue I am always amazed at the reaction I get from some people in the internet marketing industry when I tell them that I regularly use traffic exchanges.
Some get it but others look at me in utter disbelief and puzzlement and tell me they would never use traffic exchanges and just don’t want to hear about them at all.
I think the debate should not be about what is better for the advertiser or what is better for the surfer. The TE environment has to be both beneficial to the advertiser and the surfer at the same time or they will not work at all.
Hi great rant Jon, I am a surfer, I just have a comment even if I surf alot of pages and I surf 5 exchanges at once I still have time to see the splash page etc. and if there is one that seem interesting i will stay on that page and read it. but there is a lot of pages that I see over and over again and that some of them I am already a member so I don’t need to look at that page. But when I see a new one come along just because the 6 sec are up I am not going to click I will look at it and read it.
thanks
Diane
OMG!!! I guess I would qualify as a “POWER SURFER” I rotate between Te’s and average about 5000 to 10000 page views a day.
Not on every Te but I make sure I have what I need to display my sites. As far as do I look at pages? Sure I do, in fact I join safelists other TE’s and Advertising sites from the surf all the time. NOW LET ME TELL YOU THIS: Yes I am moving quite quickly and chatting as well am I distracted no I’m not! But I’ll say this if you want me to click your page you darn well better be sticking out. That’s the only way you get my attention! Proote an affiliate page and I’m blowing by you fast.
Show me your picture and I think Hey I spoke to this person at bla bla chat let me stop a second and see what he’s doing.
I teach this to others you all need to remember There Is A New Breed Of Marketer Out Here!!!!
I think what Stephen said is right on…
What is the definition of “mindless”?
You can have 5 people surfing traffic exchanges for 5 different reasons:
- Free member surfing to earn credits (can’t afford an upgrade/to buy credits)
- Looking for inspiration for their own splash/LCP pages
- Chatting while surfing at the social exchanges
- surfing for cash (which was so frowned upon not so long ago)
- trying to win a contest/promotion
Are any of these reasons mindless? You may agree or disagree with a person’s reason to surf…and so what? WHY a person surfs is not your concern! If you’re advertising your business/brand in traffic exchanges, how you can optimally project your business/brand to the surfers should be your only concern.
Jon nice video but I disagree with you.I certainly don,t think traffic exchanges are down the bottom Iam a big exchange user,
But surfing them is yuk,boring and a waste of overall marketing time.
I surf a little to see what websites are doing the rounds but I spent years building downlines within the exchanges to fuel the credits and comms to my splash pages so there is no need to surf as the traffic exchange monster takes on a life of its own once the downlines are built and even now 50 percent of my marketing is dedicated to building downlines in traffic exchanges.
Sorry Jon but thats my opinion on just the surfing aspect.Other wise I love traffic exchanges for the traffic and off course on going comms.
OK, what is the alternative to surfing? Getting a job, being stuck in rush hour traffic (enjoy the pun) every day? There are a few people who do think that driving back and forth to a job is boring. And there are a few J.O.B.s that are boring.
As a TE newbie, I enjoy surfing because I am learning so much. Surfing isn’t just about earning your own credits, it’s also about paying attention to others and building relationships. This is a people business. Besides, when I get overwhelmed and info overloaded, surfing gives me a chance to relax. I participate in the chat room and I am getting to know the other surfers and this community.
Jon, I do appreciate your rant!
Lets think about new members to this world!
TX activity moves one on to signing up for sites, some bad. We all get burnt sometimes!
Then you get good ones that really help, like banner and safe mail sites etc
Traffic Exchanges are the start to get newbies trained up and savvy to online life
Lizzie
Great video John,I agree 100%.
In the beginning I did not like the idea of traffic exchanges,I thought people were just mindless surfing and not really looking at the pages being surfed,but I have to tell you,I have got more sign ups from traffic exchanges than any other method I have used.
Thanks again,your loyal surfer
Timothy Eller
OMG That is so funny i always think its funny when people think they have a right to tell other what to do. I have been surfing traffic exchanges for over 6 years and sometimes i surf straight through the night, now why do i do this well its call dedication and the will to succeed. The more you surf the more credits you earn and the more you can promote your site or program so to me its common sense to surf alot
I surf loads of exchanges and have come across some great people while team surfing so im glad that i started surfing,
THUMBS UP TO ALL US TE OWNERS AND POWERSURFERS
Richard Topp ( raphale )
Could not agree with you more that surfing is very important, I am proud to be a surfer and no one can say that its a waste of time as many of us have made a good business using these great programs.
Many will not believe I said that because people have made out by some things I have said that I do not like surfers and that I try to stop it. In fact the reason I have limited surfing at my exchanges to 750 pages a day is mainly to stop the same people seeing the same sites too many times and also because if people have surfed more than 750 a day they do not pay as much attention (My belief so disagree if you like) There is nothing stopping people surfing other places as well I just believe that the quality will be stronger if people are surfing under 750 pages at the exchange. That is in my view making the quality of the traffic provided stronger, Now yes argue that if they surfed double that and earned double the credits and then had there site seen twice as much by surfing 1500 pages a day the same results will be achieved. Yes this maybe true but then the value of 1000 credits is reduced because you need twice as many per action. Please believe me in that what I am trying to do is make the value of one hit at my exchanges more profitable, more like a deluxe 750 hits than a normal 2000 odd
But if people say its bad to surf, nooooo nooooooo its not, Most of us full timers do it and we do very well from it and actually built our businesses doing it
how many calories in a grapefruit, In this grand pattern of things you secure a B- for hard work. Exactly where you actually confused me was in your specifics. You know, people say, the devil is in the details… And it couldn’t be more accurate here. Having said that, permit me inform you precisely what did work. Your writing is certainly very engaging and this is possibly why I am taking an effort in order to comment. I do not make it a regular habit of doing that. Next, even though I can notice the leaps in logic you come up with, I am definitely not convinced of just how you seem to unite your details which inturn produce the actual final result. For right now I shall subscribe to your point however trust in the foreseeable future you actually connect the facts much better.