Internet marketing is not what you think it is. And New Media Marketing is exposing that more and more each day. Sure you could still make a big hit marketing what basically amounts to get rich quick dream to a bunch of lazy “dee-de-dees.” Yes, you can make serious money marketing online (your own business or others,) but it’s not going to be done the way it was even as recently as six months ago.

And if you want to sell to anyone with reasonable intelligence or affluence — you immediately need a different approach than the latest designer drug that the typical internet marketer is pushing on the virtual street corner.

Face the facts people… the Internet is NOT a business!

The Internet is a communication channel by which you can market. Real businesses that have marketing online at their core, like UnderScore and Agora, understand that fact and live it. The typical internet marketer on the other hand doesn’t own a business. They own a gambling habit! What else would you call an existence where you move from one launch (”table”) to the next looking for your next big win (”fix”)?

Building a sustainable business (one that runs profitably without you for a month or more at a time) and creating real wealth (net worth and passive cash flow, not launch day winnings that are split 50 times till Sunday) requires serving people’s needs — not figuring out “how can we fool em’ again.” It’s like Zig Ziglar says; “if you help enough other people get what they want, you’ll get everything you want.”

If you own a real business, or if you’re new to marketing online, this may seem like common sense. But if you’ve been looking for a better way to market your online or off-line business using the internet you know how patently insane the internet marketing industry has become.

Look, let me put it bluntly…

The internet marketing crowd has become completely incestuous

Many “Internet marketing experts” prove this out, climbing into bed with their own kind in two ways:

• 1. They’re marketing to wanna-be marketers, selling the dream of raking in windfalls of cash while they sleep. Most people who fall prey to their wily ways are working day jobs they’d chew off their left arm to escape. So when a seemingly easy way to make money online comes along wrapped in a nice package, they’re hooked. They move from one marketing product to the next, desperately looking for the high they need to escape the reality of their daily life.
• 2. Internet marketers cross promote to death. If you’re on the email list of almost any internet marketer, you know how it goes. This guru promotes that guru’s product, and that guru promotes the next guru’s product, and round and round we go.

There’s nothing wrong with helping people in your own industry or niche if you’ve made it big. And there’s nothing wrong with cross promotions with partners. But making those the two cornerstones of your “business” with an attitude that there is an endless flow of “fresh eyes” is downright offensive — an New Media is making this more obvious every day.

We’ve heard it from hundreds of business people over the last two months from Arizona to Australia. The lack of respect shown to people who want to learn how to market online is abominable. And the smart gurus at the top know it too. They’re making big changes to the structure of their businesses and the level of respects they show to their subscribers.

Sadly, most internet marketers are still on board partying the night away on board the Titanic while the ship takes on water.

Respect your target audience, reap the rewards!

Nothing is more secure when marketing — online or offline — than to service and respect your target audience. That takes content creation, it takes education, and it takes some sweat (gasp!!) to get it done.

The Titanic (representing the “quick hit” make money in your underwear dream hyped by gurus) is sinking. And in 2007 you’re if you’re smart about learning how to market with New Media you’ll have a better than equal shot getting not just into the lifeboats. But getting onto the ship of online persuasion sailing off into the sunset.

Internet marketing as most people think of it is a sinking ship. But marketing using the internet is NOT drowning. New Media is transforming the marketplace and making it more interactive, engaging, and more importantly — focused on people.

That means that the tricks and tactics used in the past will need to be replaced by a thorough understanding of human psychology and honest appreciation of your target audience not as an unthinking herd — but as tribes that need to be won over.

And that means opportunity for the men and women willing to take the time to learn how to persuade online.

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John-Paul Micek is the premier Click-and-Mortar Business Coach. He’s been described as the “Communication Commando” and “Profit Matrix Master” by peers and coaching club members. With four multi-million dollar businesses under his belt and over 8,500 hours of experience coaching business owners and marketers to success from the inside out, J.P. is ready to help you get the profits, performance, and lifestyle you want from your business online and off-line. His latest book Secrets Of Online Persuasion is the definitive guide on marketing with New Media. J.P. is a weekly columnist for the Honolulu Star Bulletin, and professional speaker. You can reach J.P. directly via [communicationcommando@gmail.com].