The Dirty F Word
I spend a lot of time in the traffic exchanges. I really enjoy the communities that are being formed, I love seeing how people promote themselves and their businesses and most of all, I love hearing that folks are getting huge results from the TimTech businesses, especially ClickTrackProfit.
What makes me worried though is the lack of focus I see while surfing. Yes folks, ‘focus’ it’s a dirty dirty dirty word that gets thrown around online a lot and rarely, if ever gets followed.
Shiny objects, slot machine marketing, whatever you want to call it. People seem to lose it at the drop of a dime. I guess it’s the promises of instant 30 day riches in ClickBank. Or the latest cycler-randomizer, 15 level MLM they are being sold….
I’m not sure what it is, but I know that people will ALWAYS do the best in this business if they focus their energy on 1 or 2 businesses.
I know, I know….It’s not sexy. Especially when you see a program that is in ‘pre-launch’ and ready to ‘revolutionize the industry’…Big promises, little sustainability.
Example, some folks got in ‘early’ at CTP…They made some great money. They got in on a community that was being formed and to be honest, some of these folks were looked at as leaders. So what do I see while surfing the other day? The same few members, instead of promoting themselves and the leadership role they got are in, they promoted the fact they got 5 bucks by using a paid to click system….
Hundreds of dollars, leadership role in a community based program VS. 5 dollars in a paid to click…
Shiny objects I guess…
Focus! There is a reason why someone like Bill Carr has been ‘the man’ when it comes to building downlines…He focuses his energy on Traffic Hoopla. There is a reason why Jerry Iannucci is the man when it comes to safelists and viral list builders….Focus. There is a reason why I’m referred to as ‘the Traffic Exchange Guy’…Focus.
Master one thing, become the best at that one thing…And then you develop new ‘streams’ but you cannot get to that until you focus your efforts on one thing first.
Tagged with: advertising online • affiliate marketing • branding • building downlines • how to promote in the traffic exchanges • online business • online marketing • online promotion • surfing for success • traffic exchange advertisers • traffic exchange advertising • traffic exchange community • traffic exchange expert • traffic exchange guy • traffic exchange industry • traffic exchange news
Filed under: Uncategorized
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Awesome, funny that we make the same points with blog posts pretty much at the same time. Just awesome, lol.
LOL Ya man, crazy…But it’s a message I hope more people take to heart. Wow, do I ever hope more people ‘get this’ and how important it is!
LOL Yes the ever dreaded ‘Shiny Object Syndrome’
A terrible disease going around..
Way too easy to catch.. Very hard to get rid of..
No matter how many times you try and teach some..
those Shiny Objects keep attracting way too many..
Would be great to see lots more catch the ‘Focus’ Train..
It is Far Far Far MORE important than any ‘Shiny Object’…
Hi Jon.
Great post! Makes me realize something … I lack FOCUS! lol I’m sure learning a lot from you these days.
I think (and I really mean this) that the “Click Track Profit” system is one of the very best things out there. I’m seeing GREAT results already with it, and I’m a fairly new member
Take care,
Paula
Jon,
I am a big believer in having options, many options.
However, we all need to acknowledge our own limitations, as well as our goals.
If a new program comes along that can help you keep on track and spotlight your main focus… go for it.
But, when your options start falling off of your plate… it is time to take stock and prune the deadwood, as well as bury the time-suckers and distractions.
Having a clear plan in front of you each day, can do wonders for maintaining focus.
Good post!
Carl
The Focus Train….
All aboard!
I like that Connie, great name for it.
Too bad most won’t jump on…
Thanks Carl – I think the big thing is that people bite off more than they can chew. Heck we do it at TimTech all the time but we get slapped by Justin and he tells us to focus on what we have.
It’s VERY important.
I think new stuff can help folks, but if you are joining new things, just because they are new and shiny…It’s a bad reason to join anything.
Wow, thanks Paula!
It’s posts like that…That make me smile and keeps me motivated.
We hope we continue to provide a valuable service to new members and current members.
It’s tough with all the shiny objects LOL =)
Nice blog, Jon!
I’m a member of a number of programs but I don’t go around promoting all of them. I choose the most important ones that I need to focus on. I wish that CTP was there when I started. I wouldn’t have joined all those TEs I don’t even have the time to visit. LOL! Seriously, FOCUS is indeed important. But I do need to keep updating my splash pages if I want to keep up.
Rain
Great post, Jon.
Part of the problem could be that the very word “focus” is often misunderstood. Some may take it to mean “see clearly” while others interpret it as “looking at fewer things.”
A slightly better statement may be to “look at” and put your efforts into one thing at a time. But even this interpretation can be misunderstood or misapplied.
Let’s say my “focus” is on traffic building. I want to put all my efforts into building more traffic.
To accomplish this, I then promote (advertise) Traffic Exchanges, Safelists and other viral forms of traffic generation.
Is that “focus” if I advertise 100 different Traffic Exchanges?
In one sense, yes. But it is still a dilution of my advertising.
I can focus ALL my advertising on one thing, yet still promote and build multiple programs to achieve a certain goal… even multiple goals (ie Traffic plus Conversion).
What one thing can I advertise (input) to accomplish multiple goals (output)?
The answer is best described as a funnel. But it can take several different forms… my own list, or a “downline builder”, or any automated system that allows me to concentrate on optimizing the necessary input (traffic).
This concept only touches on the front-end advertising aspect of focus. The other side of the coin is the business (money). It’s just as important to apply “focus” to your budget to ensure positive and growing cash flow and avoid a bankrupt business.
I think you summed it up best with “focus your efforts on one thing first.”
IMHO, that one first thing is TRAFFIC.
Traffic + Conversion = Income
Too many people want to focus on the money first. That is a recipe for disaster and bankruptcy.
The easiest plan in the world has GOT to be a business built on traffic. Keep your focus on traffic and you don’t have to worry about the business. It takes care of itself by taking advantage of the Traffic + Commissions aspect of Traffic Exchanges.
Well… that was more than my two cents. Keep the change. :~)
Hi Jon
Yup, been guilty in the past of jumping around looking for that golden goose. Without success of course!!
So I started my own business and I’m loving it! It may be small ( heard that somewhere before!!) and my learning curve may be huge, but it’s mine, I’m proud of it and I will now have something worthwhile to show for my online efforts.
As Elvis used to sing, “Viva Las Focus”
Paul
Rain – Thank you miss. I really appreciate the post.
Scott – Traffic + Conversion = Income that’s a great formula and I completely agree. We tend to get things backwards, and instead of the money first, let’s get the systems set up and then the money will come.
Paul – Man, I was the king of slot machine marketing. For the first couple of years, I bought into everything. Nothing teaches you like experience =)
Hi Jon,
Great post! And what perfect timing too because I was just reading my email a short time ago and I was saying to myself “Self…you know I really hate all this same garbage that I see in my mailbox day in and day out! It is so stupid because these people send me this stuff about all the new greatest and latest and each one sounds the same!”
Then of course myself said back to me “Who do they think they are kidding and fooling with all of this?” I thought about this for a moment and said “Self, some people really are gullible! But I do not know how people can not see it is the same regurgitated crap being said over and over again! I don’t get it!”
So Self and Myself just shrugged our shoulders and said “Well, All we can do is pray that one day they will wake up and smell the coffee.”
Do you think they ever will Jon? If they would just put as much “Focus” on themselves as they do on that nonsense imagine what those people could be doing! It’s a shame really…and I have talked with people and explained what they need to do to be successful, and it’s like they do not listen and they think they know the best way to do things. DUH!
Oh dear, I think I am on a rant! Let me stop now before I write a novel.
Thanks again for the great post today!
Marilyn
Phew…For a moment I thought we had Gordon Ramsay posting today… I couldn’t agree more with your thoughts Jon. I learned my lesson a few years ago… The hard way…
Marilyn – LOLOL That was great. thank you for that comment!
George – Nah nah, no ‘F-bombs’ yet…Maybe in a week or so lol
This is a great point Jon and one that I am quite guilty of not doing from the start. Way back when affiliate programs and TE’s came along I thought to be really smart and promote my aff ID’s on the TE’s and spend a lot of time getting loads of traffic.
Well surfing the TE’s I saw those ‘shiny objects’ and grabbed one, two, ten fifteen and more of the ‘freebies’. My HD began to fill. More shiny objects, then giveaways whoohoo. More info more products more shiny objects.
A couple of HD’s later, getting bigger each time and now I have GB’s of info and products. Focus, I tell myself and you tell me and others in the know tell me.
So I search the HD for something to focus on. After a few months/years of putting prod A with prod B and ProdC, doing what is recommended by the ‘leaders’ at each step but still getting nowhere…cause when I go looking for something to focus on I find all the other stuff and focus goes out the window with a few hours of wasted time.
I was away from the TE’s for a couple of years and then decided to come back. Hey join this community and to get in you just need to join these programs and get in on this and that and now there’s more stuff and more programs and more communities and where the hell did all these TE’s come from????
So I’ll just plod along trying to keep the SOS(thanks Connie for naming it) at bay and do my best but focus…well I’m getting a little old for that but I’m still working on it.
Well that’s my story….but let me say this
I Love Hits has been over the years one of my favorite TE’s and will continue to be. HEN is one of my favorite newsletters and I appreciate all you share.
Heh … I thought it would be a post about that microphone malfunction at TE Live yesterday
I partially agree with this statement. But, the people you mentioned – Yourself, Bill Carr, & Jerry Iannucci are all program owners, as well. I would think it would be much easier to FOCUS on promoting my own program. This only makes perfect sense.
In the mean time, people like myself have to find a way to take advantage of all the affiliate income we can acquire. I think you find so many people promoting the shiny bright new program because they want to grab that early affiliate income. People who have huge lists, will make a good income with this strategy. That is why you will never get them to stop.
I try not to be a program jumper. Recently, I made the decision to primarily promote myself. People who show enough confidence, in me, to submit their name and email address will receive information on how I make a profit each month. This information will include all the programs which I feel are solid EVER GREEN programs, like CTP, plus some other fun stuff to make money.
You won’t see me promoting the latest and greatest new “fair” matrix but I see why some people do it.
Thomas LOLOLOL Nah man, F bombs are an art….
Catherine – quick story for you. when i stopped promoting every affiliate program on earth and focused on MPAM…I learned lots. I met great people and it put me into positions to create my own programs and well…Get ILH handed to me.
Didn’t happen cause I was looking for ‘affiliate income’ it happened because I stuck with one program…For years. And then the opportunities and the income started to find me…I wasnt looking for it.
Hi Jon,
I thought the dirty F-word was “fail” and how that isn’t really a dirty word (we all fail initially–it’s how we learn). However, you’ve made me think about this more–a lack of focus makes us fail faster yet eliminates the one advantage of failure–lack of focus keeps us from learning from our failures.
That’s what makes lack of focus such a killer and prevents success–the distraction of the next shiny object prevents the needed self-introspection into what one is doing wrong & doing right. It isn’t the joining all of the new programs that is the sole problem–it is the lack of learning that results from all action.
Focus can be painful–it is easier to blame the program and move on to the next than to admit (even to yourself) that you suck at something (RIGHT NOW) and need to learn how to do better.
We all start out as newbies and will remain as such until we focus on one thing at a time and learn the skills we need at that one thing & master it. And, like you said, if it is working, it makes no sense to stop there–keep working at it and get better at it–that’s how success grows!
That applies to a skill set or a program–offline or online.
Just my 2 cents.
Karen Kuty (klkuty)
It does not matter how slow you go, as long as you do not stop.
Love it Karen – thank you for that comment!
@Jon – well I guess I am still new because I don’t know the meaning of MPAM.
Face it Jon, you, and the TimTech guys, have a legion of loyal followers. (Me Included) Yes, you worked very hard to get to that point. Right now you could promote snow cone makers in Alaska and would probably make a huge profit.
I have learned a lot from you and your colleagues. I am still learning every day. One of your main lessons is “Promote Yourself First.” I am taking this lesson to heart and trying hard to gain some good friends, contacts, and business partners along the way. Hey, maybe in 10 years, I can be in your position. I can tell you this, I won’t give up!
“Focus” is the key word for competition surfers…
Competing? Surf 1 site only. Focus, and you can surf
400 sites per hour… Cut 400 in half for each site in
addition to the first. I like “f” + “c”. Focus + Coffee!!!
Catherine – That’s the ticket. Promote yourself first in everything you do. Huge dividends if you do!
Doug – Thank you sir! Much appreciated. Hey, you know we all come back to this stuff. I remember, I was about to give it all up…When nothing was working for me…But when Rich Taylor (RT) grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and told me to ‘focus’ it all sorted itself out.
Oh….
BTW….
B0708B19D6
I have to admit that I looked into a lot of different programs when I first entered the online marketing arena, but after a few months I found a niche that suited me and I settled into it. I now focus almost entirely on my primary marketing niche and am earning steady income from those efforts. I think it would be next to impossible to be at the level I am today if I was still trying to promote all of the programs that I started with a year ago. It’s better to do one thing very, very well that to do a dozen things half-ast.
Jon, I couldn’t agree more and have even decided to do a blog post about this. It wasn’t until I started to focus on one thing that I actually started to see results and even heaven forbid, make some money!
If you become a focused purple cow, who knows what will happen!
Great posts from everyone, always something here to help me out…
A lack of FOCUS is most likely the #1 cause of most failures…
I saw this once…
F.O.C.U.S
* Follow
* One
* Course
* Until
* Successful
And that is exactly what I am now doing…
Regards
Craig
Which are the best colleges to venture to for a Creative Writing degree?
What i don’t realize is in fact how you are now not actually much more neatly-preferred than you might be now. You are so intelligent. You already know therefore significantly in relation to this matter, made me in my opinion believe it from so many various angles. Its like men and women don’t seem to be interested until it is something to do with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs great. Always handle it up!