Comment posted on Keep Your Money, Honey: Which Internet Marketing Products Are Not Worth Their Salt by Dan Reed
I have personally never used any of these, thankfully.
I am starting to really come back for more from you on a regular basis, so glad I found you, Ana. My only recent personal experience that I felt was a waste of time and money was Rob Benwells’ “Blogging To The Bank” The price was not bad, but for what they promised for a monthly fee, which was to put monthly auto content in my blog, was not worth anything because they never provided any, at all.
Ok, before you jump all over the fact that a blog is really meant to be written with feeling and not automatic content based on keywords, I would like to say I really didn’t know any better. When they never came through on their promise, I cancelled, lost everything on the blog I had created and started all over on my own. The only thing I did like was that they provided some good videos on setting up a SEO optimized site, things I would haver never known about, plus good stuff on various marketing tactics.
Bottom line, not worth the monthly and doesn’t full the promise’s made.
(wow, I feel like a weight has been lifted, no one else that I know would understand any of this)….:)
Dan Reed also commented
- Ana, I know you will moderate this first, hopefully you will have read it and approve for the reasons given, if not, I understand…:)
I just wanted to invite everyone to read my last post at:http://instantcashathomesystem.com/make-money-onl…y-at-home-with
Please leave a comment with your own suggestion of what you make your money on and if you like, riff or repost on you own site with my permission, or post to other bloggers that follow you.
Thank you!
Recent comments by Dan Reed
- Blog Audit Friday: Getting Back to Square One
Wow, Ana, I really appreciate someone who has a keen eye for important details. I have attempted a blog or two in the past, but lost them to contractual issues, until this past November, 2010. Before, I had no clue what I was doing. Not saying I am even near knowing now (no, not even close…lol) but I have never had such a clear observation from an outside party give me feedback on my new site. Other than a few people suggesting using a Splash, because of too much info (in TE’s), that is it. ( I just started using a different static page last night)
I am using WP SEO plug-ins on a Theme (E-degree) that is SEO optimized, which is the reason I chose it, besides the fact I thought (in my pure ignorant bliss) it looked unique and different. One of my issues (of probably a few dozen or so) is even getting verified by Google. I tried using the Google Analytics plug-in, but that does not seem to work for some reason and I can’t seem to locate a place in my “home.php” to place their code so it can verify my site as my own instead. OMG, what a little nightmare. (yeah, I dream about it and wake up to it every day) As you can tell, I am quite illiterate when it comes to all of this, just trying to get by, make my way into the cyber-world to claim just a little morsel of the gigantic pie out there. Any feedback would certainly be appreciated. - 202 Bite-Sized Tips To Insanely Increase Your Blog Traffic
Just wanted to say that I have spent quite a bit of time on here as well, all kinds of good stuff to absorb. I would love to include some of this on my own blog, would you care to guest post for me?
I would certainly be honored…:)
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I am a wife to a great husband of 13 years (here ya go, now I have to make changes to this sentence once a year), a mother to a beautiful and, no doubt, genius little girl, and a successful internet entrepreneur. I also devoted my life to Jesus Christ many years ago, and He remains my true priority, focus, and hope.
{ 120 comments }
Ana, I know you will moderate this first, hopefully you will have read it and approve for the reasons given, if not, I understand…:)
I just wanted to invite everyone to read my last post at:
http://instantcashathomesystem.com/make-money-onl…y-at-home-with
Please leave a comment with your own suggestion of what you make your money on and if you like, riff or repost on you own site with my permission, or post to other bloggers that follow you.
Thank you!
Dan Reed´s last blog ..Make Money Online- What Do The Honest Bloggers Make Money At Home With
Hi Ana,
Thanks for putting yourself out there and giving your honest opinion (as if you would do it any other way!). It’s great to know what to steer clear of and what products are worth the investment.
Alicia Jay´s last blog ..My Non-Resolution- Stop with the “Don’t” Thoughts- Start with the “Do” Thoughts
I am still waiting for my head to be taken off by these product creators.
You are very welcome, Alicia.
Ana
Don’t hold your breath. There was an incident last year.
Very popular blogger A created a very very popular product.
Equally popular blogger B critiqued said product with, well…not such a popular opinion, yet professionally like yours.
Very popular blogger A didn’t take it so well, very publicly.
I don’t think many product creators will be taking that chance again any time soon.
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Guest Bloggers- Is YOUR Blog Content Good Enough
Ana,
There is so much crap out there. There is also a lot of useful systems, software and training going on. But even the potentially useful products and services are sold as a one-size-fits-all package. That’s hooey. Selling information is a lucrative and useful business when proper caveats are given.
But the flagging American economy will not recover by people selling information and part-of-the-marketing-pie solutions. The value of an individual/enterprise/corporation/country is by the number of products that have a lasting effect on the people who buy them. Impulsive, stupid, fad-inspired buying will hollow out America and those who follow America’s trends.
Wow, very strong opinion, Richard, and I can’t help but agree with it.
One this for sure though: those products keep popping up because we keep buying them hoping that the next one will definitely make our business a success.
Hey Ana:
Give me some guideline to publish Video on You Tube or other Video websites.If i make video for my website promotion so what thing is important in video and Users needs
We put some jiggle or some kind of symbol like(Guerrilla marketing)etc
Buy facebook Apps´s last blog ..Win a Free iPad – Sweepstakes
I’ve written some posts about YouTube in the past; just do a search for them in the search box located in the sidebar.
Ana,
Thanks for the insights! I was especially interested in UAW and Brad Callen’s products - they both draw raves on some of the forums I’ve been on. I’ve been quite tempted by them - you’ve just saved me quite a bit of money.
I’m off to see what products you DO recommend.
Camden´s last blog ..5 Great Valentine’s Day Gifts for Your Husband or Boyfriend
Definitely, Camden.
Some people talk up a storm about some of these for different reasons: affiliate sales, lack of knowledge, etc.
Welcome to my blog!
Ha ha Ann,
Where did you come from? You are freaking awesomely great! Too much value!
The honesty in calling things as they are is so admirable. No wonder you have a bunch of loyal readers who are always expectant everytime they come to your site and again… you overdeliver. Thanks Ann!
The time and money you save us by revealing these info is invaluable, and I’d better be wise to steer clear of these hyped-products.
Sometimes, I feel I deserve to pay when I read some of your content, because of what is therein. That’s what makes this site a favourite. Thanks Ann!
Let me ask this question: I’m not involved in MLSP because when i started I just didnt have the cashflow to get involved. You are in fact the first person I’ve seen tell the not-too-good side of MLSP. What system do you recommend that can help out?
Thanks again, Ann, for all you do! (((huggs)))
Tosin
…fear is the passion of slaves!
Thank you so much, Tosin, for enthusiastic thumbs up - this is exactly why I am in blogging!
I don’t have a good recommendation for an overall internet marketing training; I am actually doing some research into it.
The only course I know is good is on blogging and how to make money blogging. It’s called “Income Blogging Guide” by Andrew Rondeau. See what I like about it here: https://trafficgenerationcafe.online/best-internet-marketing-tools/
Ana
Hey Ana,
Thanks for the heads up. This post will save many people a lot of time and money. Well done, girl!
I was also with MLSP, as you know. I followed everything they taught, no results. Yes, there are very few people who a getting results with MLSP. I think it’s ideal for newbies, just to get the basic internet marketing training.
As for the other products, I have never tried them and I have no intention to do so.
Great job! Keep rocking!
All the best,
Mavis
Mavis Nong @ Free Marketing Training´s last blog ..My Second Guest Post- How To Get Your Readers Hooked!
I definitely agree that MLSP can be a good initial training tool - short-term, in and out.
Thanks for coming by, Mavis.
Hey Ana,
Nice for you to share with us your experience!
I usually tend to stay away from any products that “teach me” something, I don’t know why but I tend not to trust this kind of ebooks, although they might have great content - I think the number of ebooks I bought can confirm that - my main reason is because of my “ability” to self-educate.
I later realized that UAW(although it seemed cool when I first heard of it and impressed me) won’t last much, and although the system might work for some, it’s slowly starting to die and you can do more just by guest posting a couple of articles (the combined link values will pretty much be the same or greater the UAW’s).
Thanks again for putting yourself on the line, to tell us when not to throw our money.
I hope you won’t get people suggest you to buy super expensive software/ebooks/services
Alex@Jocuri´s last blog ..Selena Gomez la machiaj
You hit the nail on the head, Alex - with a couple of good guest posts, you’ll get the traffic plus much more valuable search engine push than with a thousand of useless links.
I am all for education - I like shortcuts and that’s what ebooks and such provide. However, you are right; you can learn pretty much anything on your own, just takes longer.
And you are welcome!
Thank you Ana for this great reviews on these products.there are to many scammers out there that sell products that do not do as they say in description, not only are these a total waste of money but the main reason is that they are time wasting , some of these can set you back weeks in SEO thank you gain for great review Micheal
seo top of search´s last blog ..Article Marketing For SEO
I agree - I consider myself lucky if all I loose it money, but not my rankings.
You are so very welcome!
Thank you very much for your article! I have wondered about several of the tools / services that you reviewed and was always scarred to pay them because I didn’t know if they will be worth the money.
As for article spinning software, in my experience, if you have good English and you can type fast, you can write your self a 300 word article in under 20 minutes…
Smuze´s last blog ..Prevent Muscle Soreness From Your Boot Camps
It’s not necessarily about writing - that’s the easy part, but spinning might take you an hour or two. Plus, according to my observations, it’s too good for your SEO - too many junk links.
It is almost like we think that buying products miraculously save us from doing the work.
In fact, I am sure that anyone can make it without spending too much money, just believing in yourself, finding your niche and your passion and having a lot of discipline to work and write on a regular basis!
I am talking to myself right now! lol
Thanks for your post Anna
Cat
Catherine Daar´s last blog ..SEO Competitive Analysis- How to Be 1 on Google
You are sooooo right, Catherine!
Products are just tools, they won’t make or break our business; only we will.
Ana
Hey Ana,
Appreciate your insight on the sites listed above. I have not any subscribed to any except one. For that one, I am getting my moneys worth so that is the benefit for me. More importantly, you do address whether or not the product is giving the education and value it says it will.
Tomas
You are very welcome, Tomas - I am glad at least one of them is actually working for you. And thanks for coming by!
Hi Ana
Makes interesting reading, I think we all get caught in the idea that more expensive means better developed and often that’s not the case, many of the big name people seem to develop their membership sites after they have taken the money
I think article spinning will die now that Ezine articles are saying they will close people down who do it
I am staggered by the stuff that hits my inbox daily from clickbank, I now look at certain of that group as offering no value, it’s all pitch on frankly eye watering nonsense, all newbie traps mostly
Products I did rate were Kim Roach’s Traffic Dashboard, it was I think $27 Dollars at launch and had some real actionable stuff in easy to understand videos and a lot of them
I also keep an eye on the Warrior Forum, a lot of good stuff often for under $10 Dollars and yet ready to hand straight to your outsource people to action including stuff on building .gov and .edu backlinks from Adam Roy
Thanks for sharing Tony
Tony Clingan´s last blog ..“Outsourcing Verses Out Tasking The Critical Difference”
I think some marketers price their products high because of higher perceived value. Unfortunately, “perceived” is the key here.
Too bad I don’t have much time to hang out at the Warrior Forum; I hear a lot of good stuff about it.
Thanks for the suggestions, Tony - always great to get thumbs up from someone I trust.
Ana
Ana,
It’s great that more people are talking about this aspect of the IM world. The biggest scandal IMO is the number of courses sold at the 2K price point, where the justification for this price point is mainly that the course consists of ‘video training.
Video is a fabulous medium for teaching some topics - but it is not the best medium for every topic. News Flash for those who put out these kind of course: talking on camera and then writing ‘bullet points’ on a white board is not effective video training. What these guys seem to be doing is taking information that if packaged in eBook form would sell for around $97, converting that information to ‘videos’ that don’t actually take advantage of the video medium, and then charging 2K.
Keep being honest Ana - it’s a rare and highly needed commodity in the IM world.
Paul
Paul Wolfe´s last blog ..Video Deconstruction – The Man With The Golden Voice
I so agree, Peter. I recently purchased a $2K course and a $197 course from the same person and they both contained the same material; just packaged differently.
If I ever created my own product, it will be value, value, value… Maybe I should start working on that.
A very interesting blog Ana - thanks for the info. I was a bit surprised about your including the Callen Bros products - but your reasons are valid I suspect. I have promoted some of those you mention - now I think I will re-consider. Mind you, never made a sale anyway!
I did join the freebie bit of SEO Link Vine and found that it was fairly useless as my blogs wouldn’t accept the generated articles etc.
Shoe Money was useless too. Ditto Exitfire
I just don’t believe that paying monthly fees for software really pays off, so I don’t! In the long run, unless you have a big list to promote to then the revenue is not there to cover monthly fees. And, you I you think raise some serious ethical issues so I need to look at my products.
I have a copy of Market Samurai - and it is worth an investment - one of the few that are.
When push comes to shove, I think following blogs like this are far more value - both for learning the basics and getting great tips for “how to”
Callen products simply don’t provide enough value, Peter - you can do all the same things without spending a dime.
I am definitely reconsidering any monthly-fee products as well - do they really provide enough value to cover the cost?
Hi Ana, Thanks for this post. I have used some of the same products you have and frankly feel quite proud of myself for forming the same conclusion. I too tried MLSP (my lead system pro I think it is now) - and while my hats go off to the fellas… and I believe they do provide some good basic marketing, I found it got too sales like. I also ALWAYS know who’s using the system as the capture pages are all the same and the ‘favicon’ is the same so a person does not stand out.
I was also very disappointed with Keyword elite.
Thanks for your suggestions against some of the other products. Some I had ‘seen’ but not tried.
I find it a shame when some of the marketers start lowering their standards to flog anything to unsuspecting newcomers. I have heard a one or two positives about Russell Brunson. but I get the impression that many of these fellows start out valuable and then start to market anything with a possible affiliate commission attached to it. It’s too bad.
Thanks Ana, ~Jayne~
Jayne Kopp´s last blog ..Enjoy Life Keep it Simple
I found that MLSP was like another network marketing business you had to market before you can market your primary one. Defeats the purpose.
Product standards have definitely gone down lately. It seems like some marketers come up with a product every couple of months and don’t even take their time to make sure everything works.
Thanks for coming by, Jane!
Wow, this was a post I really enjoyed reading. I have not bought any of the products you mention, but I almost bought three of them, and especially StomperNet.
I believe posts like this is more important than the reviews, that always ends up selling the product (because that’s why most people are writing the reviews).
It’s so hard to stay away from products you mention above. Because they all have the professional sales pages and testimonials from well-known marketers, and they’re using all sorts of marketing tricks to make us buy it (like increasing the price after a certain amount of products are sold or at a specific time).
Thanks a lot for sharing this.
Jens P. Berget´s last blog ..Marketing Outside the Box
Testimonials are what irritates me the most about those sales letters, Jens.
All those “big name” seem to stand by each other and scratch each other’s back at a moment’s notice, leaving the end consumer out of money and out of luck at the end.
Hi Ana,
This post was FANTASTIC!
I’m a fairly new subscriber (wish I found you sooner) and love your content.
LOVE the honesty here (direct & diplomatic). Other than StomperNet (not a member anymore), I haven’t purchased any of the products you mentioned. I’ve bought from Russell Brunson before and get a little tired of the 22 upsells you get when you try to check out.
I’ve started unsubscribing from quite a few ‘marketers’ and have found that bloggers who are also marketers tend to provide WAY more value and are actually interested in building a relationship with their subscribers. If the only time I hear from someone is when they’re selling- I’m unsubscribing.
GREAT post! Thanks!
Kim
Kim Doyal - The WordPress Chick´s last blog ..WOW! What an honor! 50 Coolest Marketers of 2010
You are so very welcome, Kim, and pleasure to see a fresh face on my blog!
I am definitely tired of all the product marketing as well; they don’t even pretend any longer that they want to provide straight value, they just sell, sell, sell.
Have a blessed day!
The only one that rang a bell for me was the ShoeMoney one, never heard of the rest. At least I now know which ones to stay clear from.
I could never understand why people promote stuff they’ve never used and so have no idea to their true worth. They don’t seem to understand that whilest they make a sale their credibily suffers.
As for those that buy it, try and then promote it, even though they don’t like it, well they’re fools.
Sire´s last blog ..Of Good Hosts And Bad Hosts- Beware The Bad Hosts
Money, money, money… Money makes the world go around?
It’s definitely no my style, wouldn’t be able to sleep with myself.
Thanks for coming by, Sire.
It’s good to know there’s still a few of us around. We should start out own movement where we show others how to conduct a marketing campaign without trying to rip people off. That’s how you really get a satisfied customer.
Sire@ Blogging Guru´s last blog ..Why I Chose MailChimp Over Aweber
We’ll call it “The Unbendables”.
Or The Dependables because you can always depend on us to do the right thing.
Sire@ Blogging Guru´s last blog ..The Good The Bad & The Ugly of Lists & List Building
I have personally never used any of these, thankfully.
I am starting to really come back for more from you on a regular basis, so glad I found you, Ana. My only recent personal experience that I felt was a waste of time and money was Rob Benwells’ “Blogging To The Bank” The price was not bad, but for what they promised for a monthly fee, which was to put monthly auto content in my blog, was not worth anything because they never provided any, at all.
Ok, before you jump all over the fact that a blog is really meant to be written with feeling and not automatic content based on keywords, I would like to say I really didn’t know any better. When they never came through on their promise, I cancelled, lost everything on the blog I had created and started all over on my own. The only thing I did like was that they provided some good videos on setting up a SEO optimized site, things I would haver never known about, plus good stuff on various marketing tactics.
Bottom line, not worth the monthly and doesn’t full the promise’s made.
(wow, I feel like a weight has been lifted, no one else that I know would understand any of this)….:)
Dan Reed´s last blog ..Online Marketing With Blogs- Some People Are Starting To Take Notice
Well, at least you got something out of it, Dan.
Don’t feel bad; I considered autoblogging before I knew any better as well. Thankfully, I never acted upon it.
Thanks for the heads up on the product; will add it to my list.
Ana
Funny how some of the same names keep popping up with “less than good” product offerings that they, and the rest of their JV clan, make a killing from (at the expense of struggling marketers). They are like a little Internet Band of Thieves. I caught shrapnel from another Brunson junk-bomb, “ExitFire”. The only thing that became heated was me ….
Best to you Ana,
Scott
Scott@Work From Home Ideas´s last blog ..Money Making Online Scams 2011
I am embarrassed for them; how come they are not? It’s sickening how much money they make off our backs…
Thanks for another addition, Scott; will include in the list.
Aba
Thanks for your honest reviews - it’s great for those of us newer in this big bad world of Blogging to know that someone like you is watching our back!
Ana, have you thought of producing a product or membership site yourself (Am I right is saying you don’t have a product?) I’m sure there’d be many people interested in being guided through the internet jungle by you.
You are so welcome, Caroline.
And yes, I am considering something like that. Problem is - it has to be the best, and the best takes time.
Great post Ana! I was in MLSP for a couple of months, and as a newbie to IM, I found it very valuable. However, I felt it wasn’t for me and I also felt like I was paying too much for just a website that wasn’t even hosted. The training was good, but the turn-key system didn’t seem that turn-key.
Also, I wanted to take a break from MLSP for a while, and you still have to pay to take a break ($10 / month). I thought that was sort of ridiculous because you’re not receiving any services whatsoever, so why should you have to pay? After a month on break, I finally canceled my membership and got my account deleted.
I know that a lot of people have found success with MLSP, so I am not calling it a scam like others do, I’m just pointing out that it may not be for everyone. No business is ever for everyone anyway.
Even though I generally don’t like negativity, sometimes the truth needs to be told! Some products don’t do everything they promise to, and it takes a lot of cajones for someone to expose these products, no matter how popular they are. That way, the person who has only seen ads for those products can get a second unbiased opinion on the product and make their own decision.
Thanks!
Rasheed
Rasheed - some college kid´s last blog ..SEE Your Way to Success Step 3- EXECUTE
You got no balls, that’s for sure. I admire you for being straight forward and honest in your opinion about this products, and look forward for more post like this in the future from you. By the way, I bought Thesis Theme and Thesis Awesome because of you and the reason was your review and recommendation about those products. Thank you. I love your blog.
Terje Sannarnes´s last blog ..Entrepreneur Training The Best Search Engine Marketing Solution
I agree about SEO linkvine,, I tried this and couldn’t have been more disappointed! The amount of low quality sites and articles was amazing!
Nothing is easy, hard work is what pays off! No shortcuts!
Heather´s last blog ..Natural Childbirth Books
Hi Ana:
This is a very good post. Thanks for you hard work and taking the time to write about your experience with these products. You have saved me both time and money.
VERY much appreciated on my end of cyberspace !!!
Lou
Hi, Ana -
I’ve had great results with spinning and submitting, but currently one of my sites, my best in terms of profit, is getting the run around from Google. Hard to say why, seems to be going around in my circles with thinner sites for IMers.
Anyhow - UAW worked well for me. I do have theory that’s not easy to prove that it might have resulted in getting my site sandboxed - i just have a hard time believing it seeing other sites and friends sites ranking well with much less in terms of link quality (if you can imagine).
Oh, I did want to tell you it’s Brad Callen, not Brad Fallon, who owns SEO Elite and SEO Linkvine - the latter runs StomperNet.
Altogether, though - I keep coming back because you do have ideas that are in large part much safer than the linking methodology I’ve been using (although we seem to have reached different conclusions about their efficacy).
A’ight. Enough picking on Ana. Work to do.
Always great to see you, James.
Thanks for correcting me on Fallon - Callen; I can’t believe I confused them…again.
My link building methodology definitely works and it’s much less time consuming than any automatic submission of any kind. Plus, it’s a lot less dubious.
Thanks for the review of those products Ana.
You mention Market Samurai, which in my opinion is worth $147, but I got it for $97 by being quick
Peter Fuller MBA´s last blog ..How to do Keyword Research for Free
I did too, Peter, and absolutely love it!
No mention on the negatives, by the way? Surprised, Peter.
Some great insight there, it takes a bit more ‘balls’ to give a negative view of a popular product. Fan boys should be coming a running soon :p
Will be avoiding some of those you mentioned, the final nail in their coffin.
Donace@Hostgator Coupon´s last blog ..My Everest
Since I don’t have any balls, it wasn’t that difficult.
THAT is good to know.
ha!
JamestheJust@The Expensive Copywriter Guy´s last blog ..Welcome To The Google Mosh Pit
Hi Ana,
thanks for your honest review. I only used My Lead System Pro - and I found it terrible for the very reasons you mentioned and because it’s all about upselling - very credit card-draining with dubious benefits, even the training is not very special.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend´s last blog ..Think And Grow Rich – The Ghost Of Fear Of Criticism
Very well said, Oliver - I felt very much the same.
Our attention is always best focused on our own business first and foremost.
Stunned with your evaluation of UAW, the first of many to have negative words…..interesting to say the least.
I had a guinea pig…he was cute.
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..UPDATE! Contest Sponsors Linking to Money Making Pages – I Need Your Honest Opinion – FAST!
As cute as me?
Many folks use it blindly without testing results, simply believing it works.
I am more of a researcher than a follower. My results didn’t add up to their projections of possible results.
OK I’m gonna wimp out here and play my safe card…lets say a different kinda cute and let it go at that.
No no, I do not take any positives or negatives from anyone that I don’t fully trust…..that’s the research I do, they aren’t followers either.
For this reason your nay hit me.
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Comment Contests Will Begin in February…Maybe
wow again a very helpful and knowledgeable post from you. You’re simply making SEO work very easy. Now I’m feeling that I must have come here very early….
Come any time, Shailender - there’s always plenty to learn.
Hi Ana,
Great to see a round up of to counter some of the sales hype out there.
I’m particularly interested to see your and Ray’s discussion about MLSP, since I still use it myself. Although I have nothing like the results of the top referrers, I find that it’s definitely worth my while as a system, and I found the training utterly invaluable when first setting myself up online. So I disagree with your verdict on that one…
Nonetheless I’ve learned to value your opinion so I’ll bear in mind your words on all the above, although I’m a great believer in checking things out for oneself despite the reviews!
Thanks for investigating all these products and sharing your conclusions. Maybe you could get some commission from their competitors?
Jym
Jym Tarrant´s last blog ..The Most Essential MLM Tip Of Them All…
My verdict on MLSP was based on actually promoting is as your primary income source and making your primary business secondary to that.
Ray’s team definitely had some incredible results, no question about it. However, those results are not typical at all.
I am not denying that MLSP can still provide a good training platform. I did use it as such without promoting it, just for pure knowledge.
However, there are better places to get great knowledge without taking emphasis off your primary business.
Commission from competitors… there’s an idea!
I like lead pro for one big reason, if You can make a high level, You get a very high status as a leader because everyone knows about it. However I Am not biased, Am curious, which program do You recommend as an alternative to MLSP…
Unfortunately, not too many people do make it big, Jonathan.
I am currently looking into some worth membership sites; will report when come up with definite conclusions.
Ana
I’ve never heard of any of these products except for Shoemoney. I bet the Shoemoney system would be GREAT for me since it’s too basic for you
But it’s definitely way out of my reach. Well, at least you’ve made it easier for me with the other products.
Kevin´s last blog ..MLM Pyramid Scheme Cartoon By Pat Petrini
Definitely, Kevin. I am not sure how they establish prices for products; sometimes, they are definitely overpriced for what they are.
I agree! Way overpriced! The prices were derived from other products.
Kevin´s last blog ..MLM Pyramid Scheme Cartoon By Pat Petrini
Check out the Article Submission Helper: articlesubmissionhelper dot com
It’s free to use, available on multiple platforms, and will get your article submitted to over a hundred directories. You can input the key words, title, main link page, and enter a signature with HTML. I haven’t been keeping track of my page rankings since I’m not even going to appear on a ranking, but maybe some people will find it of use.
I am not in favor of using article submission software of any kind, James - I find that it can actually have negative effect on rankings.
I gotta tell you Ana, I love your brutal honesty and style in all you do and say. I’ve been reading your stuff for a couple of weeks now and I knew you were doing things right from initial impressions (just based on comments and Alexa alone), but your content is top notch and original as heck.
Thanks for being dang awesome.
Marcus Sheridan-The Sales Lion´s last blog ..Sometimes We’ve Just Got to Learn the Hard Way
Hey Ana, great post, I considered purchasing MLSP awhile ago and I am so glad I didn’t. They just want you to become an affiliate for them and their products.
I did find a good training site that is free of charge and has most of the training that you will find in these monthly membership systems.
I also offer free training, for Internet Network Marketing, on my blog as well. If you look hard enough and find people like you Ana, you can learn on your own, it just might take a little longer.
I didn’t want to put a link in my comment, but anyone who wants more info on the free training, go to my blog and comment, or contact me(my contact info is on the about page of my blog, in the bottom paragraph). I will help you get the answers you need. Thanks again Ana, I am truly greatful for what you do!
Ian Belanger´s last blog ..XanGo Testamonials- Fibromyalgia- Chronic Pain Are A Thing Of The Past When You Use XanGo
You are right, Ian - most of the things can be learned for free.
However, it’s not the most efficient way of doing things, plus you still might be missing out on important pieces of information that might make or break your business.
I definitely recommend online business owners invest in their education and tools to help them; my point is to choose wisely.
Ana:
This post is the epitome of why you are so valuable to the community. I can appreciate the amount if money you spend on education and proceed to give us that knowledge as well…free of charge might I add. Therefore, anyone reading your blog should know that whether it’s good or bad…we’re gonna hear it like it is. It’s that russian charm of yours!
have a good day,
Lisa
Lisa´s last blog ..Your Personality Is Dull- No Link For You
Thanks so much, Lisa - I am writing this with a smile on my face.
I’ve bought a few products myself, some of which are truly awful.
I hadn’t specifically heard of any of these but I had been reading about article spinning and came to the same conclusion you did in that it was too time-consuming and the articles ended up at low-value sites anyway.
At least now I’ll know not to invest in any of these other systems. Yikes, some are quite steep!
Thanks for going through this, it seemed like quite an ordeal. I also can’t see how you could be “Scraping” when you paid for the course, but I guess she didn’t see that logic.
Thanks for the post, I’ll retweet so hopefully others are spared…
John Garrett´s last blog ..A Drawing of Don Draper of Mad Men
Thanks for spreading the word, John - I am sure there is a great number of internet marketers who would greatly benefit from this info.
Thanks Ana for providing these tools and their different sides. It’s a big help, I am really amazed how you spent those money. But anyway we will never know unless we try right?
Ana sorry for this question, this is absolutely out of line I forgot to ask this earlier. Ok here it is, what’s your time zone? I just thought If I will ever meet up with you on Sundays after church.
John from Electricians in Paddington´s last blog ..Electricians Paddington – Great Local Electricians Vs Average Local Electricians
You have no idea how much money I spend on education, John - this is nothing!
No question is ever out of place - I am in Mountain Standard Time.
I am totally impressed how dedicated you are to trafficgenerationcafe, and actually inspiring. Not all bloggers love their blogs anyway.
Oh! thanks, but me I’m in Greenwich Mean Time.
John from Electricians in Paddington´s last blog ..Electricians Paddington – Great Local Electricians Vs Average Local Electricians
Ana, this may be the Year of the Rabbit, but someone must have told you and me that it is the Year of the Disclosure.
I think it is fantastic that you are calling out what you think are poor products. I’ve only seen one dissenting comment, so far, but I have to wonder how many people are willing to step up and admit that they’re blowing wads of money each month, in the hopes that “things will get better soon!”
There is one site that I would put into my own “It’s not necessarily bad” column.
Kyle and Carson’s WealthyAffiliate membership site. I learned a lot in the three months that I kept my membership. I was also distracted by all of the “experts” pitching their systems. I mean, if WA was supposed to be the bee’s knees why did I need another system?
Anyway, your post validates a lot of my conclusions about Internet Marketing products. It makes it tougher for the legitimate marketers but, maybe not. If a legitimate marketer simply markets her products well, she will reach enough people to sustain her business. She just might not reach those who never learn the definition of “insanity”.
Cheers,
Mitch
Mitchell Allen´s last blog ..You Totally Suck at Marketing
Year of Disclosure - I love that, Mitch! You are right, I am bound to get some disgruntled readers, maybe even very upset product creators.
However, the positive feedback far outweighs the negative. Plus, I am pretty sure my readers trust just went through the roof.
Thanks for mentioning WA; will add to the post.
Hey Ana, I feel so left out of the world, lol. I have NOT heard of any of these products.
My blog is new and I am still not on it 100% so I guess I didn’t see the need to get the tools.
The first website I build (and the only one making money) was build with Site Build It! and I am completely satisfied. I always thought it was pricey but when I see how much money all these tools cost I am completely sure I got my moneys worth.
I can’t wait to see suggestions for your guinea pig test and recommendations from you. I sure would buy from a person that tried it (I always buy only from people I believe). Thanks for the list, at least I won’t get tempted if I run into some of these.
I will check out this YouTube thing, to get that blog access, however I left my e-mail and when it took me to the sales page, I believe is saw a price of 359$.
Brankica´s last blog ..Human spammer How to lose reputation as a blogger and get banned the easy way
Hey Brankica…dont you dare spend $400.00 on that garbage…I have all the info you need, you know how to get in touch with me…mmm k?
Dino Dogan´s last blog ..Sex and Cash Business Theory
I had no intention to
I was just saying.
$359? I thought it was a waste at $199… I still have it, by the way… If you are interested.
Hi Ana,
I also sampled MLM Lead system pro, and discovered that it wasn’t quite what I was looking for. I need leads for my core business, and a minimum input sytem that could generate a lot lf leads would be good. But I found that it was pretty much buying into another network marketing business. With only three or for hours a day for my own business, I decided it wasn’t doable. I don’t know how it might work out for most people as a core activity. So, I agree with you and thanks for the advise on the other products.
Lou
Lou Barba´s last blog ..The Bottom LineThe Bottom of a Hole
Definitely, Lou, and that’s exactly what I found with MLM Lead System Pro as well.
Excellent collection worthy to keep! But you will make a lot of enemies
Good that I have not tried any of them; I’ll stay away from them. Thanks for the concrete stuff.
Jane.
Jane Sheeba´s last blog ..How to Add a Custom Favicon to your WordPress or Blogger Blog
I think making enemies online is pretty much inevitable, Jane.
We’ll see if I can grow thick skin…
No regrets I did it and I will continue to post more as I find them.
Hi Ana,
I was a member of StomperNet, yes they have had good training causes at that time (2009). Keyword Elite and SEO Elite both by Brad Callen, I think?!?!?
I spent some money on some SEO softwares in the pass just to found out later that there are free & better performing tools such as SeoQuake, or Google adwords keywords tool which I feel it work quite well for me.
Rose @ Samui Art Gallery´s last blog ..Is My Social Media Art Marketing Sucks
It seems like every good system, however good it is, has its expiration date, Rose.
Looks like StomperNet reached theirs, although there’s still a lot of great information in the back office. I am just not sure it’s worth $197/per month.
This post is freaking awesome. I can’t even count the number of IM products I purchased in the past that all spouted some “ninja tactic” that ended up being crap and not worth the money. While I stopped buying a bulk of products I did recently buy Mass Money Makers for $37 as I want to get more into affiliate marketing this year. Long story short on that is it’s an interesting technique of article marketing, but nothing new past the blogs I read.
So glad you like it, Robert.
Thanks for heads up on Mass Money Makers!
Definitely worth the read this morning. It’s great to have someone who has already forged the path ahead and discovered what to do (or NOT). Saves me time and money!
Thanks again.
Demetria´s last blog ..Discover Your Personal Company Message & Voice For Optimal Success
Definitely, Demetria - absolutely my pleasure.
I am grateful to @MrBenWan for introducing me to your site. Coming to your site is like going to an encyclopedia. You provide so much valuable information and you give so generously that no wonder you have a trustworthy reputation. Thank you for this blog too, Ana, great to have someone like you simply - tell the truth:) By exposing the sub standard products you have saved not just $$$ for unsuspecting consumers , but also preserved many a dignity because when something like this happens or we fall prey to some scam, often it is the victim that feels anger, shame and guilt. I used to be very naive and trusting so I speak from experience. Thanks again.
So are so very welcome, Olivia, and glad you found your way to my blog - thanks, @MrBenWan!
I wish somebody saved me my money back in the day… At least, now I can do for someone else.
Thanks for the list Ana,glad that none of these products are in my list of affiliate links and my own wishlist
Umm,one question.What is your opinion of Mike Filsaime products? I still remember my inbox got spammed by him 3 years ago
Wan Firdaus´s last blog ..How to Promote Your Website Offline and Online Tips
I’ve tried a few of Mike Filsaime’s products - don’t remember what they were at this point, but I do remember I wasn’t blown away. Fairly generic.
Well that’s refreshing! It’s nice to see someone talk about what doesn’t work for a change, rather than the usual “Rah-Rah! This is great!” affiliate-link-laden post.
I don’t buy a lot of IM tools myself, and have been disappointed with some of those I have - most notably those of the link-building variety. I don’t believe there’s any shortcut to link-building. It just takes work. But then that’s not what people want to hear, is it?
Thanks for the great list. I’m off to check out the list of things you DO recommend, now. I’m sure there will be some “must have” tools there.
Cindy Bidar @ Internet Marketing Strategies´s last blog ..How to Write Articles that Don’t Suck
Transparency is the key and that goes for both good and bad.
I agree with you, Cindy - link building needs to be done by hand and it’s really not that difficult to accomplish.
I completely disagree with your valuation of my lead system pro (it hasn’t been called mlm lead system pro in over a year). There is more training in that system than any other system I have ever seen and it grows weekly. The valuation you gave it is, in my opinion, one easy to give from an outsiders point of view that has never gone through it or perhaps went through it when they were first getting started 1-2 years ago.
I know so many people, friends of mine, of course including myself, that has had a lot of success with that system. I don’t say that lightly as there are a dozen systems that are infinitely worst than mlsp out there.
Usually I am right with you on your opinion, in complete disagreement on this one! But hey, that’s what makes the world go round right?
Take care Ana
Ray Higdon´s last blog ..Jump Start Your Homebased Business with These 4 Little Projects 1
Wow, I am enjoying a little discussion coming from you, Ray!
I’ve been through MLM Lead System Pro twice - first when they just started, and the second time past summer to see if anything changed.
I don’t discount its value as a training tool for the newcomers to the business. A lot can be learned from it.
However, as a “system” it’s quite useless.
How many sales do you generate for MLM Lead System Pro? And how many sales of your primary business came about through it?
Will we have to agree to disagree?
I have generated 98 sales through mlsp on auto-pilot, that is, without picking up the phone for them.
I have made about 40 sales by prospecting people and sold them mlsp when they said no to my primary.
I have generated 46 sales for my primary business as well. As the #1 income earner in my primary, I pay close attention to where each sale comes from. I am very grateful for what they have taught me.
I guess that isn’t bad for a system =)
Ray Higdon´s last blog ..Jump Start Your Homebased Business with These 4 Little Projects 1
I also don’t do any pay per click
Ray Higdon´s last blog ..Jump Start Your Homebased Business with These 4 Little Projects 1
You are right, that’s pretty good, Ray.
I suppose now that the readers have 2 opposing opinions, they can make their choices accordingly.
I really appreciate your input, Ray!
My two top guys in my team that made over $200,000 in 2010 also use mlsp, that being said, that does NOT mean I recommend it to everyone. Like anything that works, it takes time, I ask people what they expect it to do before I suggest they join. There are too many people staying in the library in mlm and attempting to become internet guru’s…instead of focusing on the easy to duplicate ways of really making money. So, is mlsp for everyone? No, no way, but, if you follow what they teach and have clear expectations and continue to prospect rather than think of it as a magical bean, then Yes, I highly suggest it. =)
Good chatting with you Ana =)
Ray Higdon´s last blog ..Jump Start Your Homebased Business with These 4 Little Projects 1
As someone who is way into the technical aspect of the Interwebs, watching some of these Internet Marketing is really really painful.
It seams that (like YouTube Secret Weapon) they are targeting total nubs.
So feel free to add to the list Facebook Cash Generator, Commission Blueprint, anything with the words “black mask” in it, anything with the words “click bank” (everything you need to know abt click back you can learn from click bank…duy!),omg…the list goes on and Im trying to forget it
Anyways, I havent used/seen most of the ones mentioned so I appreciate the heads up.
Dino Dogan´s last blog ..Sex and Cash Business Theory
Much appreciated, Dino - will add to the post!
It’s not often that such honesty about products is forthcoming. Kudos to you for taking the plunge; I’m not quite so brave!
Somebody’s got to, Ryah!
Ana Thanks for the heads-up.
None of the above were on my “to investigate list” and now they defo will not be.
There is a lot that can be learned from quality blogs. Once you have that level of ‘blog knowledge’ you’ll be in a better position to know what products you should spend your hard earned cash on or not.
I find most membership programs have a limited shelf life. They are great in the beginning when the info is fresh and new, but then end up going stale. Especially if they are popular.
Chat soon
Dwayne
Dwayne Huggins@How To Make Money Blogging´s last blog ..How To Get Your Emails Opened Without Using Any Jedi Mind Tricks
Definitely, Dwayne.
Especially when those membership programs were created by some big names in the industry. They inevitably stop paying attention to them (usually after they make enough money off them) and the info level just plunges.
Have a great week, my friend!
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