There Are No Real Marketing Secrets?
"There are no real 'secrets' when it comes to marketing."
How many times have you ever heard any of the following...
"There are no 'secrets'..."
"It's all just common sense..."
"You can find out any information you want for FREE..."
Well, if you're a marketer and you actually BELIEVE those statements all I cay to you is...
GOOD LUCK!
Okay, so this entry is more of a "rant" than anything else, but it's lonnnnng overdue. I'm completely fed up! I'm so sick and tired of reading discussion forum posts online where marketers are giving other marketers advice and they put so much energy into telling people that there, "are no secrets."
People that state there are no secrets (or undiscovered tactics) are basically saying one thing...
"I ALREADY KNOW IT ALL!"
I'm sorry, but NO ONE knows it all. NO ONE.
If you don't know something, it's basically a SECRET TO YOU. There are a gazillion marketing secrets I'd love to get my hands on. For example, I'd gladly pay (RIGHT NOW) $100,000 IN CASH to have a report showing the test results from all of Dan Kennedy's marketing campaigns. Believe me, those are some VALUABLE "secrets." While Dan has certainly shared 'some' of them, I'm sure there are MILLIONS OF DOLLARS worth of value in knowing the rest of the results.
It's also funny to me that most of the people saying, "there are no secrets" in these forums are almost always people that aren't making much money. Another trait they have in common is that they are trying to sell "I'll teach you how to get rich on the Internet" stuff. Why? Who knows. I guess, they actually BELIEVE that they know it all. They just don't get it. Not by a longshot.
It's a FACT... there are thousands upon thousands of marketers out there testing things everyday. There are major breakthroughs and discoveries that are found EVERYDAY. The minute you start thinking that there is nothing new to learn, or nothing new for you to discover for your marketing, YOU'RE IN TROUBLE. Now THAT is a FACT.
There's a reason I personally spend a small fortune buying infoproducts and courses from other marketers. Because *I* will continue learning and evolving as a marketer, for the rest of my life. I realize that there are many people out there discovering things that I will never discover. Now I test things like CRAZY. You should know that by now about me. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that there are very few people on the entire Internet that test more than I do. However, who cares? I don't. Why? Because while I *do* test a lot of techniques and tactics, there will ALWAYS be others that test things I never thought of.
So those people know "secrets" that I don't. I don't know about you, but I'm willing to pay to find them out if they can benefit my marketing.
2005 is coming fast. If you want to have the most successful year of your life, you MUST spend some of your time researching, learning about, and applying the techniques that others have discovered. The only way to continue gradually improving whatever it is that you have is to find new things to test.
On another note... there's one thing worse than a "know-it-all" and that's someone that actually DOES know a lot, but doesn't use it. If you look around, you'll see a lot of marketers like that online. It's a shame. They know a tremendous amount but don't do anything with it -- except spend most of their time preaching to other people that they know it all.
Never stop learning and continue to test the new things that you learn.
Comments
Good post John!
I think that there can be a different way of looking at this: there are certain "secrets" that are no longer secrets, but they are general information, for instance, you must always test, test and test again, or that it takes many failures to find a winner.
When you go from the general to the more specific, that's when you encounter the true secrets, just like Halbert teaches, one little change found during testing of mailing campaigns could be the "secret" that makes a person rich. But that's more of a "circumstantial secrets" based on the circustances of the given situation, because that secret could be found if you follow the not so secret of testing everything in marketing.
Just my 2 cents.
Andy
PS BTW where did you get magical code to prevent spam comments?
Posted by: Andy Nova | December 18, 2004 06:53 PM
Hi Andy,
We created the image verification password ourselves to cut down on the spam -- we were getting a ton of it.
~John
Posted by: John Reese | December 18, 2004 08:20 PM
John,
What do you suggest is the best way to learn how to "test and track" properly? I know you have a DVD course on it in traffic secrets, but any other suggestions for those of us who are unable to get our hands on it right now?
Laksman
Posted by: Laksman | December 19, 2004 03:42 PM
Only morons believe there's no secrets... There's advanced secrets that will shortcut your success by 10,000% or more in every field...
Those who have done split tests and have your profits TRIPLE from 1 change, KNOW there's serious secrets that can change your life, almost overnight...
Matt
Posted by: Matt Gallant | December 22, 2004 03:33 PM
Human nature is such that we desperately seek what we don't know.
Secrets are funny things because of human nature.
Imagine a magician who has successfully pulled-off a grand illusion.
It's not uncommon for audience members to instinctively urge the magic-man to divulge his secret. But...
As long as the mechanics of the illusion remain a mystery the secret lives.
But, if a magician should bow to pressure and reveal exactly how a particularly "amazing" trick was done then all of a sudden...
That which was highly sought, prized and rare now seems to be "simple" or "common sense"...
A "secret revealed", to many individuals, loses its value. It's human nature...
It's part of the human experience.
Perhaps it is this curious little trait of humans that has taught the brotherhood of magicians to keep their secrets close to the vest.
Maybe I'm different and wacky, compared to the bulk of humanity, but when I discover secrets from the likes of Gary Halbert, Jay Abraham, John Carlton or John Reese, those "secrets-revealed" still maintain their preciousness and value.
It's likely that the people who will sign up to your $97 per month newsletter will value your marketing secrets even after they are revealed because the price tag will weed out those who think "revealed secrets" are just common sense.
Posted by: Gerard LeBlond | December 22, 2004 04:18 PM
John,
Great post, learning something new every day has been something I have tried to do and it can do wonders for your self esteem.
You said it right when you said nobody knows it all.
The more we learn about marketing, the more it should make us think about how we can do it better, or put a different spin on an old principle.
Thanks for the info John!
DerrickP
Posted by: Derrick Pizur | December 23, 2004 09:14 AM
My problem is not the "secrets" to success on the internet, but I don't even have a website right now because I don't know what to do to make money. Can someone help?
Posted by: Donna | December 23, 2004 02:43 PM
Ha, Ha ... you don't get it Donna.
You said your problem is not the secrets, right?
Then why you don't know how to make money online?
HINT: you haven't found the secret yet!
Codrut.
P.S. Spy how others make money and do what they do, not what they say to do! :)
Posted by: Codrut Turcanu | December 25, 2004 12:26 AM
John,
You are a source of inspiration for me and probably for many other people too. I am glad you are finally sharing your knowledge with other people.
I admire your persistency and that's so important in life. You have never given up and kept on testing things.
Posted by: Make-money-online-info.com | December 26, 2004 01:50 AM
John, I love your blog and jumped at the chance for your newsletter. I do have one request.
Back in '97 making money online with email and selling pages was so easy. Tougher today? Perhaps.
Can you do a piece in early '05 on where the easy money is to be made? So many of us make it so tough on ourselves by struggling in saturated niches or using old techniques.
Thanks for all you do and share....
Posted by: David Ledoux | December 26, 2004 09:23 AM
Hi John
Could you tell us some info / overview on what you do for search engine optimisation. And in particular have you had any problems with getting banned or un-indexed by google with all the marketing that you do?
http://www.foot-care.net
cheers
Ashton
Posted by: Ashton Eibeck | December 28, 2004 02:46 AM
I agree with John, If I don't know it, then its a secret to me. Time is too valuable to re-create the wheel when I can buy the plans. Good, reliable, information must be the best value commodity on the planet - especially when it reveals secrets. What would you rather be a gold digger without a map or one with a map and a geologist.
Posted by: Stuart | December 28, 2004 09:56 AM
Hi John,
Tons of traffic hits my site daily and I convert many every week for my $1,000. commission product. I have my Traffic Secrets affiliate link on my 404 page on three domains and also a link in my sig file and many other places and get several inquires each week when surfers run across it, however to date not one has bought. Any tips or thoughts?
God Bless,
Britt
Posted by: Britt | December 30, 2004 09:15 AM
Britt,
I imagine you are not getting targetted enough traffic. General traffic you are casting a wide net to attract people, and you have to filter out the non-interested ones.
Think of creative ways to promote the product, sales will come.
Posted by: Derrick Pizur | December 30, 2004 10:43 AM
Hi John,
Thank you for the incredible information that you share with so many people all over the world. I agree with your vision as far as real estate is concerned. I have been in the real estate arena for many years and I believe that 2005 will be the year for many realtors becoming extremely wealthy, provided that they are seriously committed, dedicated and willing to walk the talk.
Will also be launching a revolutionary concept in Real Estate in South Africa during the first half of January 2005. Readers all over the world are welcome to visit my websites and most welcome to communicate with me. My sites, if interested are:
www.onebond.co.za
www.buyersdirect.co.za
I have designed a Lottery site to be launched early January 2005.
Urgently looking for Launch Partners
www.lottodominator.co.za
Brand new Real Estate concept to be launched in January 2005 as well.
www.fstrading.co.za
Nothing like this out there! A few things on the site to be fine tuned and it'll fly. The new name will be "The Open Cube" and not Flaming Silver Trading. Thank you once again.
Kind Regards
Vrede Kirsten
Posted by: Vrede | December 31, 2004 09:21 AM
Bravo! Great post!
Whether you call them 'secrets' or knowledge, it's all just a learning process. We all have something to share and something to learn.
I agree wholeheartedly...people who say there are no secrets, or there's nothing to learn past common sense will stand still while other 'seeking' and 'testing' marketers fly past them!
Personally I find all the new tools, knowledge and shared information to be the 'high' that makes internet marketing worthwhile! I still have a long way to go but every day there is something new to discover - test - try - read - apply.
I thank you for being candid, open, and an inspiration! Now tell those commercial printers to hurry up and get The Reese Report out! I can't wait any longer for my own copy!
Posted by: Laura | January 3, 2005 05:03 AM
John,
Many people are trying to get their information to be posted # 1 on the search engines. Yeah so they think! After 23 years of marketing and being online for 5 years, I have found the most sucessful way is to purchase leads from a stable lead source that target leads for my specific company. They have had a presentation and have agreed to try our product. It is then a matter of follow up by email (Personal Assistant) and building a personal relationship via the telephone.
James
Posted by: James Kinney | January 3, 2005 10:42 AM
"Secret - A method or formula on which success is based: The secret of this dish is in the sauce."
Looking forward to the first issue of your Newsletter - and the CD - Good Luck in 2005.
Jess
Posted by: Jess | January 4, 2005 08:16 PM
Secrets are actually very small details which makes a lot of difference!
When you start hearing people share about some under-used methods or commonly overlooked areas, that might be secrets of using small details for big difference!
So keep learning!
Posted by: Samuel | April 12, 2005 12:21 AM
Greetings,
I am new on online business and just signed up as a distributor with Morinda.
Am from Nigeria and just believe I can make good wealth from the Internet.
I will appreciate if am contacted personally with tips and online resource to market and also make money on the internet.
All the best.
Posted by: Andy | May 14, 2005 05:49 AM
Excellent Post! I have pondered the question for quite sometime. I have bought many offline books on Marketing and can find only 1 connection...the Basics are the same, BUT there are secrets and I have unforetunately not found the right ones yet, or invented one (as I believe when I know it all I am done and finished).
I do what all the books tell me but am getting a very small sales percentage, and zero Sign Ups on my Newsletter (and offering 10 Nice Gifts).
John I have listened to small bits of your videos and would gladly give you $5k for them if i had it, just to get started. I know you are only asking $995 but that is soooo far out of price range. If I could make some money then maybe I could buy, but if i were making that kind of money i would not need them, but would still love to hear them as from what little i did get to hear I could tell the whole series would be awesome.
Maybe one day, till then I will continue to read what free stuff you have that i can get my hands on...there are secrets, you either have someone share them with you or you get lucky and create your own.
Sincerely,
Laurie Brandt
Posted by: Laurie Brandt | August 1, 2005 12:28 AM