I remember when I was first getting started in digital marketing years and years ago. I would watch my Facebook newsfeed fill up with fancy pictures as the "gurus" infiltrated my feed with tips and programs on how I could be "just like them" They would post pictures of their Ferraris, beach front mansions, and screenshot the "millions" of dollars they were making each year, month, week, or day... (I didn't know at the time that most of it was staged)  And they would run complicated funnel sequences with multi-step video series, 2-hour long webinars, and pushy follow-up sequences that left me feeling more overwhelmed than inspired. (Their goal was to show people how they knew nothing... and clearly needed to guru to have any chance of succeeding)  To them... I was a failure. A peon. A "nice-guy" who would at some point get trampled by the ruthlessness of the industry and the fickleness of the market.  And weak for not manipulating my audience to buy things they didn't need, didn't want, and wouldn't use. So what did I do? Well little old me just kept plugging along... Adding value where I could. Creating content that I thought would help the people I cared about (ie you). Caring more than they said I should.  And doing everything in my power to never, ever, ever jeopardize the reputation I was building as a trustworthy, ethical, and authentic source for top quality marketing strategy. Fast forward a few years and here's where we're at... 95% of the "gurus" that once littered my newsfeed are gone (either by moving on to another shiny object, getting run out of town by the market, or simply realizing that building a REAL business just wasn't worth the work and sacrifice) Turns out their strategy wasn't a strategy at all. Just a tactic disguised as a real plan and one based on simply getting people's attention - no matter the cost. And their success was either a facade, or a flash in the pan. Because you can't build a real business on shock and overwhelm.  You see getting someone's attention is easy. All you need to do is:

• Scream
• Say something obscene
• Be obnoxiously opinionated
• Make outrageos and unsubstantiated claims
• Light your hair on fire

It's keeping attention however, and in a way that fosters goodwill, creates brand ambassadors, and builds customer loyalty that really grows a business.  Fortunately, for the 5% of us still here and that didn't get sucked into the internet marketing rabbit hole of yesteryear... well we're still doing what we've always done. Caring. Creating value. Helping. Serving. And focusing on authentic attention over fake, phony, or hypy tactics. It's a path that has lead me to create blogs articles (http://adamerhart.com/blog/) Video series (https://www.youtube.com/adamerhartvideo) And podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/modern-marketing-podcast/id1177731106) As well as a free + printing and shipping print (ie paper and ink) newsletter full of my very best for only 9 bucks (https://www.adamerharttraining.com/p/memos) It's a path I'd suggest you follow as well. Care more than your competition. Reputation is everything.  Adam "care bear" Erhart