When Blogging Meets Internet Marketing

Last weekend, I was at Harris Fellman’s place in Scottsdale, Arizona. I was out there because I bought Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula through him and he set up a sort of retreat at his place for others like me as well as some people he invited. Harris Fellman is a classic internet marketer. He makes his money by selling and marketing information products designed to show people how to make money on the Internet.

The event was very enlightening and certainly worth the trip. Harris is a great host. But, one thing that most definitely was clear to me is that that world of internet marketing is VERY different from the world of blogging. I am probably one of the few pro bloggers who expose myself to both worlds. I have one foot in the blogosphere and another in the world of internet marketing.

One of the things that we did at this retreat is “hotseats” For about an hour, one of us would sit in front of the group, talk about our businesses and get feedback and ideas from the rest of the group as well as the internet marketing “gurus” that were there. When I had my turn, I of course talked about PCMech and PCMech University. The first several comments were about the design of the site. Too busy, they said…

Actually, I got some great feedback from these guys. However, one thing is very clear to me. These guys come from the world of long-form sales letters. They’re not USED to blogs - especially tech blogs. Dr. Mike was there and he did speak up and say that PCMech is very representative of the way most tech blogs look like. Ross Goldberg was also there and he, too, understood where I was coming from. Ross does “get” blogging. In my eyes, most of the rest of the guys there don’t get it at all. It is very different from a long-form sales letter.

And evidence of this is that many of the guys at this retreat, if you search for their names, you get little back but sales letters. They have just enough presence online to make a sale. Aside from their joint venture partnerships, I’m not sure these guys could market properly in a true Web 2.0, social media centric world. Of course, there is the element of “they don’t need to do this stuff….they’re making enough money as it is”. That’s perhaps a given.

But, think about it. What could happen if you couple the techniques of internet marketing with a blog? The answer is: beautiful things. That’s where I am. I can see that Ross Goldberg gets that, too.

One thing a blog can never be is a long-form sales letter.

In my opinion, these classic internet marketers, the “make money online by teaching others to make money online” crowd are going to need to adapt to the social web or they will fade into oblivion. We’re seeing folks like John Reese make the switch. But, many do not. The old school guys will continue to depend solely on the JV partnerships to build buzz. It works, yes, but it also results in a huge echo chamber, where the same old guys will be markeing the same shit to the same crowd. These marketers are all part of a big clique and, in many ways, they operate that way.

One thing is super clear. The guys at this retreat are smart, driven people. Some of the brightest guys I’ve had the opportunity to talk with one-on-one at a “conference”. At the same time, though, I was a bit of an odd man out. I am a pro blogger. I have traffic levels these guys would give over their left nut for. The difference is that I am a serious blogger and they aren’t.

I think blogging and internet marketing can form a great and profitable partnership if done correctly. Each world seems to have a bit of an aversion to the other, but those who make BOTH work will be leaving everybody else in the dust.

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