Confessions Of An Internet Marketing “Guru”
May 19th, 2010 | 
Author: Thank You For Taking The Time To Participate In My Survey
Dear Friend,
Over the past few years I have enjoyed teaching internet marketing to you, although it has had its fair share of challenges, I am grateful that you look to me to help you.
For the first eight years of my internet marketing career I basically hid out in my office and made money promoting various affiliate offers totally unrelated to the "make money online" niche.
While that was fun and INSANELY profitable… people began to ask me what the heck I was doing and if I would show them how to be affiliate marketers so they can make money online too. My desire to help people and start a new profitable business began in 2007 as I started teaching people.
However – I ran into a few speed bumps.
My major hurdle was how to weed out the truly serious people from those who just want to TRY this marketing thing out, or those who think buying a program will make them rich overnight…
So… Do I slap a huge price tag to attract a different crowd?
Or do I keep it inexpensive so the people who REALLY need the help can get it?
This has really been a struggle to me… While I do want to help people, this is a business and as a business it must act in the most profitable way, and allow me the freedom to live how I want…
So what I have done is provide an INSANE amount of free content on my sites, blogs, and now even on my youtube account. Believe me… there is plenty of information out there on my sites for someone who is "broke" to get started and get going.
Here is the hard part for me… while I do care for those who are struggling… I also realize that there are priorities in life… according to the statistics the average family in America spends over $2,600 a year on entertainment (mostly movies and T.V.) while i am no saint in that department (i love going to magic shows and broadway shows) we probably spend twice that if not more…
BUT this year alone i have already spent WELL over $10,000 on my internet marketing education and over the course of ten years I have spent well over $170,000 on my internet marketing education… that’s like the cost of a PHD. 
If it was a choice between going to the movies or learning something new that could help me… LEARNING always wins… Hands Down!
Now… I’m not saying go hock your house and buy a bunch of training… In fact… the neat thing about the internet is you can grow with it… if you average the $170K I have spent over 10 years you get $17K per year… Now the average year for me has been much much higher than that in profit… I kept learning as I made more… and will ALWAYS be a student of marketing.
So what is my point…
Well for starters priorities are important… and a quick audit of your finances as well as mine will quickly show where our priorities are…
Make Learning A Priority… Not Just With Me… But In Every Aspect Of Life
This is me talking to you as a friend… not a salesman, not a guru trying to get your money, THIS is why I started teaching in the first place… because I really do care about my students.
That is why this is NOT clickable…
So Stop Trying 
)
Now I’ll be the first to admit that things haven’t been perfect… we had a few support ticket systems fail on us, our general 800 number got flooded with calls that we couldn’t keep up with… and frankly… this got me really depressed… to the tune of gaining over ten pounds… not much for the average guy… but I’m only 5′1′ with shoes!
So what is the deal… why am I writing this…
Here it is in a nutshell…
I want to help the serious people only – because they are fun to work with AND actually do the things I teach and they are always my most successful students…
Right now… I would like you to examine how serious you are about this business, what you are willing to do to make it happen, how much of yourself you are willing to put in…
When I first started back in 1999…
Failure was not an option… it wasn’t even in my mind
If I truly felt something could help me… I got it at all costs (even if I had to cut back on luxuries – like eating out)
I took action… sure… some stuff didn’t work… but I evaluated my results, didn’t give up, went forward, and worked on INSTANT profit stuff FIRST to live on… and also worked on long term profit strategies
I realized that money isn’t something you make… its something you earn based on the value you provide
That was my focus… either provide small value to lots of people or BIG value to a few people
THIS is why my first full year as an internet marketer brought in over $67,000
Does This Sound Like Something You Can Do?
Please… Share Your Thoughts Below
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Jiji Lee on 
Richard Boodhan on 
Graham in UK on 
Paul Kerkkonen on 
Brett on
Marcus,
Like I previously mentioned….I bought your program, it was over my head !!!!! Was actually going to hire someone local to help me with it, and the disc wopuild not work on his computer.
Hi Marcus, I have been a steady student of your since last August. At best my grade is c-. But that is based on my performance not yours.
When I would hit a speed bump, I would look for automation or a solution in a webinar or an email would that come along that seemed to answer my problem; what it has done though is drain my bank account and spread me too thin. I have spent a lot of money on stuff.
Most evenings and weekends are spent on internet marketing, but I am not doing any internet marketing???? Like many who arrive here, I have a full time JOB and a few other committments.
My goal is to go full time, but i have to make $1 first, then $30, the $5k then…
I will keep going until I make it.
Hi Marcus,
It’s very cool that you care so much about us out here in the “learning” mode, tho anyone with a modicum of awareness could see that in your tutorials and blog.
I look forward to the day I actually have a website generating revenue. That will be a “WOW”!!
So far, I run into roadblocks in the Simple Sites videos. I’d love to hear back from you.
Regards,
Lady B
Hi Marcus,
I’ve been enjoying your videos and Simple Sites Big Profits materials (I have one of the older versions, I think… Some links don’t work anymore), as well as this blog and your YouTube channel (I subscribe to your videos). Thank you for making it all available!
You hit the nail on the head for me when you mentioned that you “worked on INSTANT profit stuff FIRST to live on… and also worked on long term profit strategies”. As obvious as it sounds, this is something that became clear to me just recently. Believe it or not, for the past several years I was actually doing quite the opposite – trying to “secure my long-term income” with next to nothing in “instant profits”. And I finally had to tell myself that this was not working and something has to be done differently.
As far as determining who of your customers is going to be serious and who is not, it’s not as simple as slapping a different price on your product. You never know what each person’s situation is (unless you ask, of course)… Someone who can afford to pay for a high-ticket informational product may also afford the luxury of forgetting all about it and letting it sit and collect cyber dust on his hard drive. And on the contrary, someone who would benefit from it most and would be ready and fired up to take immediate action may never even have a chance because they cannot afford it.
The ideal solution (although not a very easy one) would probably be to do just what you did with your survey – to have your potential customers “apply” for the “Marcus Campbell University” and fill in a detailed survey (not just marking check boxes, but giving detailed answers to very specific questions that you would prepare) that would help you determine how serious this or that “applicant” really is. An “entrance exam” of a sort. (Well, why not?) Then you may even set some performance requirements that your MCU students (kinda a catchy name, isn’t it?
) will have to meet. And – what the heck – you may even decide to issue some sort of “grants” for the most promising students. Also, perhaps, some students who cannot afford to pay for their “tuition” up front could be given a chance to “earn” it – perhaps, you could outsource some of your regular manual tasks to them (doing market research, or compiling keyword lists, or submitting articles, or whatever).
Just some random ideas off the top of my head.
~Nat
Marcus,
Like I previously mentioned….I bought your program, it was over my head !!!!! Was actually going to hire someone local to help me with it, and the disc wopuild not work on his computer.
I really appreciate your concern you show for your students. I am a new student and finding it very daunting to comprehend the stuff. Though determined to achieve success. Marcus, to use high price slap to determine those serious students is neither here nor there. Example, the first time i stumble on your site, there was nine of us who express interest in the programe but for the cost am the only one who went out to borrow to pay for the cost. Though am currently unemployed.
You can seek other means to determine who could be a serious student. You may include some social test, not secular examination to find out the background of individuals. If you really want to help the lowly in communities, then slapping a higher price will defeat your purpose. It is those lowly ones who most often are serious. You can therefore decide to probably maintain the price and include a promotional affiliate programe for your students.
Steve
Marcus,
I bought your simple sites program and it did not provide enough detail to get started. I bought your simple blog profits and that fell short on enough detail. If you think you have put enought information and training on the web and your blog then please tell me exactly where they are and I’ll check them out. So far my ROI on time and your products is -0-!
Thanks for your consideration.
Your stuff is not over my head. You explain it all quite well. You are not pretentious like other internet “gurus”. I bought some programs by others that showed the “step-by-step” but their voices were monotone or British and quickly my attention span would wander because of it. You are a nice normal guy that most can relate.
I have seen you “get too big” which I would say is your only flaw. By that I mean, so popular that you no longer can offer personal service as you did in the early days. But no need to get depressed about it! It’s a good thing–you are helping people!
My main thing is I have a hard time working a conventional job. I SOOOO want to make money from home–enough to quit working for “the man” I definitely have the drive and desire. I am laid off but get up everyday at 7 am or earlier and I work on the Internet til about 8 at night. (I enjoy it!) There are not enough hours in the day! My goal is to not have to go back to my conventional job when unemployment compensation runs out.
I have sold successfully on eBay for 10 yrs and continue to do so but need to make at least $1000/mo with my other venues. And I have plenty! My niche is art instruction since I am also an artist. I just need the targeted traffic to buy. I only plug products I would buy myself that have real value. No junk or scams.
I opted out of all my junk mail as I had info overload. That was my biggest problem. Now I feel I am on my way thanks to your great videos you send me jam packed with tons of free advice.
I would recommend you to anyone who is serious. You are top o the line in my book!
Vivian
Hey Marcus, I have been enjoying your videos for a couple of months now. And your products are very appealing but I haven’t purchased… I’m not sure what I’m waiting for… I haven’t purchased any programs save a $7 google funnel or some such which had outdated links etc. What do I expect for $7 right? All I can say is not what I got!I don’t like getting burned for any amt. I know it would be difficult to do but I have often wondered why someone doesn’t create a system of payment AFTER you succeed training. Anyway
Here’s an idea for training… I just got a Facebook acct. and most friends are crazy into Farmville? treasure Island? games of life I guess you could say ` It’s amazing how much time and effort people spend in learning and playing these things. Make a game out of IM except for real dollars instead of farm dollars.
Hi Marcus,
I can appreciate the position you are in. I’ve been buying your programs over the past 14 mo. and enjoy them. The results are my responsibility and you have certainly provided enough information to make a small fortune I think. To purchase additional products, though, I would have to feel that help was available when the things didn’t go as they should. Weekly calls that went over somebody’s site really helps…if it’s ‘my’ site that you are going over. If not, we sit and listen and try to see how their problem even comes close to my challenge. Having a tech person to help sounded good…but never happened.
I hope my remarks help with perspective. They are mentioned to help and should be balance with pages of compliments on how much you care and how great your stuff is.
It has gotta be tough to balance so many levels of experience that join up with you.
Best of luck on your survey. I will be following you with interest and will ‘jump back in’ when the time is right.
Warm regards,
Dr. Jerry hoskin
MArc, you have spent a lot, but made millions. I have spent 89,000 and made and made zilch with a capital $000 after two years I am getting smart. I quit. Frank@fravir.com
marcus the problem with guys like me is we need someone to take us by the hand ;and i mean something so simple like this ok press a press b press c and wala!!!! you are a good person but you can only do so much THANKS FOR CARING. sincerly jesus
Hello Marcus,
I really appreicate u willing to help me succeed n Marketing, but, as of now I’m trying to deal with my passed surgery and this job is good enough to explore and learn.Sometime soon I will b ready for it….I need a very,very, big push ! I don’t own a computer either..I just can’t see it with my income…..
Thank’s and Be Blessed !
I think Nat above has the best idea. Have your students prove they are motivated, then offer “scholarships” or “grants” to the ones you choose who qualify, if you want. I appreciate your asking.
Best regards,
Randall
I have been doing affiliate marketing for about 3 months now. I can certainly see how so many people end up losing money and quitting. But I went into it with the mind set of failure is not an option and that I will succeed. I have started seeing revenue come in. But at the same time a lot is going out in advertising. But I can see tha there is potential.
I think that Natalia had a lot of good ideas. I think that you should think about implementing some of her ideas. For the hardest part is money. When you have already cut back on everything what is there left to do. So it is always scary investing more money.
I purchased your programme last week and am hoping I will get to understand it better.I know it can be done and many make thousands with affiliate marketing.I want to be one of them.I have done many of the MLM things with some success and many failures and am taking a break from that form of money making for now.
So far all I have done as per your info is start a blog and place adword ads and amazon as 2 ways to make a few dollars here and there.I am a bit overwhelmed as to what to choose as my niche so am procrastinating.(maybe a good webiste to do one one?)
I am with Jesus comment above when he said “marcus the problem with guys like me is we need someone to take us by the hand ;and i mean something so simple like this ok press a press b press c and wala!” Thats me as well.
You are doing a great job but as you have been doing it awhile its easy for you to understand but for many including me the simpler and the slower the better.
I do appreciate how much you care for others tho. I am like that also and look forward to the day when I can say I have made it and can teach others how to do the same.
Keep smiling
J
It seems our biggest problem is staying focused on a certain system. If it doesn’t work right away most of us give up. But it’s hard when you only have so much time to devote and you need to see those instant results. Your absolutely right, there is plenty of free valuable information all over the web for us to get started making money, but we all need assurance. This huge amount of uncertainty and limited time is what blocks our success.
The internet is probably the easiest place to get distracted. Though it is mostly our failure to take responsibility to use our time productively, our inability to succeed isn’t entirely our fault. There are just so many potential ways to make money online that our attention is yanked in all directions. Most aren’t confident enough to invest all their time in one method when another one comes out promising results even faster than the first. This information overload leads to a lot of promising ideas and thoughts floating around in our heads that never get acted upon.
All of this added to our own self doubt magnifies the problem. Sure most of us get the picture: find the audience, find what they want, give it to them. But its the in between requirements that overwhelm us. Like the research, how to setup the website/blog, where to get the content, autoresponder, traffic, etc… The anxiety over how much will it cost? and how long will it take? and how much will i end up making? can be too much for most. A lot us unknowingly have enough information to succeed, unfortunately we lack direction and focus and the actions aren’t taken. I am not here to point the finger, but we all need to take responsibility for our choices and how we spend our time. Most people who succeed don’t just get ‘lucky’, they plan to and act on opportunity, albeit there are exceptions.
I think money is a big part of the problem, but to me it’s not the biggest. I just don’t think that those of us who live in america, at least, should be complaining. What are we really spending our money on? There are so many luxuries we have that we don’t even notice are luxuries. So much suffering going on, we are lucky to even realize we have the possibility to change our environment. Time. How we spend it is the biggest question. You can get money back, but time is our greatest resource, something we can never get back. I agree with marcus to never stop learning.
Marcus, you have truly done more than enough to help others. I can’t imagine the amount of increasing pressure you face as more and more people are turning to the internet. But I’m sure if these gurus can manage despite their dishonest marketing and huge following I’m sure you can. I think even a forum or monthly webinar would help a lot. Nat’s ideas were good too. Although the customers aren’t always right, most times they are. A survey or Q&A like this can help a lot to see strengths and weaknesses. We all can do more and improve more. You were succeeding alone, but you did decide YOURSELF to be a leader, so you can’t entirely blame us for falling short. But i can’t say anything for sure because i don’t know your exact goals nor do i know how much success your teaching has given others. Maybe you can ask in return for you helping your top students, if they would like to reciprocate then they could check into a forum you create every once in awhile to help with questions. I don’t know I’ve raved enough already. Thanks for being one of the good guys. Hopefully you’ll follow up with all of us on what you receive from this survey.
hello marcus I have read and opened all your emails from reading all the things being said about you I feel that your not like all the others …but I have tried to call you and email you and you have not responded….I know Im not the only one…you tell me that you will be there…how will you do this when there is no one on the other side and there is never a return call..so you won’t be there should I need help and that scares me a lot..thanks for being so special…angelo bourdon
You have the same problem as any teacher or consultant. As your business grows your support requirements grow exponentially .You have to work harder and harder.You become more and more stressed out. You run out of time. the reason for all of this is that as only one person YOU HAVE NO LEVERAGE! Some solutions to this are. 1.) Stop growing and find your optimum level of satisfaction of Income vs. work level that will make you and your family happy enough. 2.) Since you appear to be a competitive entrepreneurial guy I’m guessing that you have a much larger need for challenge and fulfillment. In this case you need to enlist more capable people with complimentary skill sets to you own in order to off load you so that you can focus on what you do best and help brainstorm your growth strategies. The four basic management types are Entrepreneur (YOU), Producer, Administrator and Integrator. You must gradually add these types and build them into an organized TEAM! You may not be the best one to eventually lead them. 3.) Your first need is to build an internal automated internet question and answer support capability and eventually an exhaustive list utilizing your customer inputs. As you are well aware SUPPORT is your weakest link.
Hi Marcus…
I’m a new student, (bought the CD version). I haven’t activated the membership yet because I want to finish viewing and taking notes a second time to completion before doing so. There’s a heck of a lot of info, but I get it. (Some of the videos and tools don’t work, however, I’m hoping they kick in when I activate the membership. If not, I’m sure you’ll sort it out for me.)
I am DEAD SERIOUS and WILL SUCCEED at this. However, you could never possibly judge my integrity with a price tag. Presently, I am broke and struggling to raise my son with very little money to do so. If my truck breaks down, I’m out of work and in trouble. I wake up at 4:30 am, take my boy to daycare, work all day, pick him up, do all the evening things, (chores and tending to him), then study your course when he’s in bed. I average 4 hours sleep a night, and my job is very physically demanding and I’m exhausted constantly. Any spare time I have on the weekend I use to study and absorb what you are teaching. (This is not a sob story, I don’t sit around feeling sorry for myself, it is simply my situation). If I could afford the $10,000 and had the time, I’d do it in a heartbeat, or at least the $2000-$5000 course you offer. But I don’t, and this has absolutely nothing to do with the depth of my resolve or level of seriousness. Am I scared? At times, yes. Do I get overwhelmed and discouraged? Of course, I’m human. Will I give up….? Let me quote Churchill… “Never give up…,Never, Never, Never!”
I read an article by a life coach who was challenged as to why she charged high prices for her coaching. It was to weed out anyone who wasn’t completely serious about working with her, and she reasoned that when someone puts out a significant amount of money for a course, they are more than likely going to stick it out and get their moneys worth. She actually tried doing it for free as an experiment, and it was a disaster. People got lazy, didn’t show up, dropped out…. etc. So I see your reasoning in how you are trying to find only serious students. Especially when thousands of people express interest. Sadly, no formula will accommodate all situations. It is evident that a large price tag only excludes a serious student,(me), and higher resources for someone in my situation, but I understand, and will work with what I can within my means.
I appreciate what you are doing, and think you’re a pretty cool guy. I feel very fortunate that you offer the summery of ten years of trial and error, blood, sweat, and tears on your part, and that I have the opportunity to have a better starting point than you did as a result. I know I have a ton of work and research ahead of me. Looking forward to shaking your hand one day when I fly first class down to California to thank you personally.
Sincerely,
Brett
hi, Marcus
I totally agree with Natalie Hawthorne. If the price was any higher I couldn’t have afforded it. I am $60,000 in debt, unemployed for over a year, and sleeping on my brother’s couch. Dan Lock says that motivation is good but desperation is better. In my position I can’t afford not to be serious. 6 weeks ago I didn’t even know how to send an email and thought that Paypal was the guy who bought me a beer. I have made a lot of progress and was seconds away from starting a PPC campaign when I reached a point where I just didn’t know what to do, so it is now on hold. I know I will run into similar problems setting up a website, and whatever, just very small gaps in my knowledge, but I will keep trying. If you want to raise the price on the back-end I don’t care, as the information you give is very valuable.
Thanks,
Paul
Hey Marcus,
Everybody i see on here is from the U.S, what about us in the caribbean, can we also make money with your program, i am really interested but just dont know if you reach this far across the world