In my morning meditations today I was in total bliss, I also had ideas and thoughts just bursting forth. I was torn between staying in the bliss, and working on the ideas that were streaming to me.
I had thoughts of the world, the number of people suffering, the financial stresses that many of us face, and also asking myself how I may be able to help.
I’m always seeking greater connection with ‘purpose’, and so I focus on that and seek to open my heart to whatever comes. In connecting with my heart(the ancient greeks thought of the heart as the subconscious) and feeling and seeking and asking for guidance this day.
Some of what I received was the reassurance I am on the right path, and to follow my heart, to keep doing my best at sending out inspiration. I got that a big issue that many face is to keep inspired, to focus on the good, and not let their current external circumstances get them down.
Now I recently joined twitter (along with a zillion others) and what strikes me is the sheer number of people who are just throwing links out there hoping that someone will click on them and they’ll make money. I don’t know if it works for them, I think probably only marginally if at all, but if they like it so be it.
It’s an interesting thing these social networking sites, they’re supposed to be about social-networking, but many focus solely on the ‘networking’ part, and I believe it’s putting the cart before the horse.
See we all want to feel connected, loved, and a part of things, but I tell you, when I see someone just throwing out 20 tweets with nothing but affiliate links I want to run the other way!
There’s nothing interesting in that… Now the people who put out interesting thoughtful comments, I think: ‘I want to know more about this person’, ‘that post made me feel good’, ‘I want to hear more’.
Now there’s something you probably never knew about me; I can tell the future…
And here’s my latest prediction: ‘The future of internet marketing is going to be one of which people will want to know who they are dealing with and connected to before they will buy’. There I said it, you heard it here first!
So focus on being REAL first and giving the best service you can, and solving peoples problems, then later expect to get paid. Certainly there’s a place where ‘the rubber hits the road’ and you try to make money, but most likely it’ll be AFTER you make relationship with your audience.
I mean in any relationship how long is it before you get to have sex with that person? Usually there are some preliminaries-sometimes not, but USUALLY you want to get to know the person, have a meal or 2, maybe a couple dates-really get to know that person, because you may find once you do, you want nothing to do with them, OR they’re the greatest.
It’s like that with all our relationships(not necessarily the sex part). It takes time to create a good friend, to build a strong marriage, to have a large and fruitful client base.
as Zig Ziglar says: “if you help enough people get what they want, you’ll surely get what you want”.
In the end you may realize that what you are looking for are lasting relationships, not the ‘one night stand’.
So whether you’re internet marketing, selling personal services, or just about anything it’s all about being personable, letting people know who you are, and will what you have for them will increase their life experience or not.
Another thing that really seems to sell, that frankly bothers me, is the whole notion of scarcity. Marketers will tell you ‘you have to make it seem this is their only chance’. If there’s an offer that I’m the least bit unsure of, and I get the whole ‘act now before it’s too late’ I always decline. I know there’ll be something better right around the corner. I suggest you do too, because if you’re buying into scarcity-then you probably shouldn’t be buying at all!
To Your Ultimate Success! Jonathan
