Why All Savvy Entrepreneurs Must Be Mindful Of The Deadly Allure Of Free Products And Services!
So do you know anybody that has successfully boot strapped their business, product or and service? Or have you ever seriously tried to boot strap your business, product and or service? It can be quite exciting and extremely challenging, (practically all the time) on lots of levels. Would you not agree?
Recently some of you that have followed some of my latest blog post, see where I’ve been rather adamant about “how” savvy entrepreneurs such as yourself, (can) and should leverage (as much as possible) the enormous power and long term profit generating potential of the Internet.
(BTW: You can and should read that informative three part series about “how” extremely savvy entrepreneurs (such as yourself), that are extremely cash strapped to begin with,
Can still initially boot strap their businesses online, using various low cost or free services and or tools.)
And while you definitely should pursue that route initially, if you find yourself temporarily cash starved and or resource challenged! Entrepreneur (word to the wise!) There simply is no such thing as a 100% free lunch! You either pay with up front out of pocket cash and or credit etc.
Or you initially pay up front with your extremely valuable (and non replaceable) time! But one way or another, you’re gonna pay something! It’s just a matter of “how” and how much!
Now, not to be misunderstood here,and or to imply or infer, that it’s now not okay to try and 100% leverage yourself initially as best you can! It is and that’s totally cool. But there is a potential dark side that definitely needs to be discussed and or disclosed!…. So that you don’t get completely blindsided by it down the road!
Why All Extremely Savvy Entrepreneurs Definitely Need To Be Aware Of The Potential Down Side Of Using Free Tools And Or Services To Build Your Online Business!
( Be Yee Aware Of The High Cost Of Using Free Tools And Or Services!)
Now as some of you are already aware (because) I’ve mentioned it in several previous blog posts. Before I wised up and started using the WordPress.org (not dot com!) blogging platform, I was using various web 2.0 sites (such as) squidoo lens.com. Which is no longer around BTW. And hubpages.com to put my marketing content online.
And I was also using various popular article directory sites to publish my content as well, even though at the time, I didn’t even have a website and or blog of any kind! Is that not interesting?
Don’t worry, it’s nowhere near as mysterious as it may initially sound and or appear! Anyway, one of my best coaches (Becky Joubert) continuously warned me against putting all my content on the various free and or low cost online marketing platforms, such as the ones previously mentioned.
Because (as she so wisely) tried to warn me, for whatever reasons my accounts could be inadvertently shutdown without warning! And the likelihood of me getting them re-opened, were not good!
And as it turned out,unfortunately that’s exactly what happened to me! And since I was still not yet ready to try and conquer learning WordPress, I stubbornly plowed ahead, publishing a grand total of 125 hubpages. (Glorified articles hosted free on hubpages.com’ s servers.)
(Big mistake as things steadily unfolded.)
When all of sudden, totally out of the blue, I get an email notice from hubpages explaining “how” I’ve somehow violated one of their content publishing policies and therefore my account was terminated! Huh? What the heck had I done, after 125 published hubs, that I hadn’t done after my 5th or 67 th published hub? Go figure!
Now most of you have already heard that part of my initial online journey. Correct?
Why You Must Seriously Consider The High Cost Of Using Free Tools!
However, there is another (even darker ) and slightly more sinister side (I might add) to my initial online journey as well. Which involves a negative incident using one of the free online marketing tools, that 99% of you have yet to hear!
And while I’ve shared this story before in private webinars, I’ve yet to disclose it this openly in a much more public way! As you’re about to discover!
(And as you’ll see in the video: I was able to generate 6,700 plus opt in leads using a free autoresponder service.) With I might add extremely limited features!
Now this post is not intended to bad mouth that particular vendor for the eventual outcome that you’re about to read about! Instead, my ultimate purpose (here) is to open your eyes -wide- to what can potentially happen to your hard work, as a direct result of using and or relying too heavily on free products on or offline and or services etc.
Or when you rely on and use replicated marketing systems of any kind! Or when you place all of your emphasis on building followers, on popular various social media sites, like Facebook, twitter, Instagram or Linkedin etc.So here’s the deal.
Boot Strapping Is Great As Long As It Doesn’t Turn Into An Albatross Around Your Neck!
Right after I had generated my 6,700 plus opt in subscribers (and without warning!) Suddenly both my username & password were no longer valid! Say what? Yep! For whatever reasons, my account, along with all those free subscribers that I generated through various marketing tactics & strategies etc; were 100% gone!
And after several repeated emails to the company to inquire as to “why” I could no longer log into my account, they finally responded that there had been some sort of temporary break down of their system! Yea right!
But they offered to let me simply create a new username & password, but guess what happened when I did eventually log into my account?
You guessed it! My entire database had been mysteriously wiped out was the final explanation they gave me! So I’m supposed to believe that 6,700 plus opt in subscribers simply vanished into cyber space! Yea right!
What really happened? I’ll never truly know! But here’s the overall moral to the story! If you’re going to initially use free and or extremely low cost online tools to market your extremely valuable products and services etc!
You Gotta Move Away From Constantly Relying On Free Tools Or Services As Quickly As You Can!
Just be aware there is a potential dark side to doing so! Don’t you agree? So that (my friend) is how and why, all extremely savvy entrepreneurs (such as yourself!) had better be extremely mindful of the potential high cost of using free and or low cost marketing tools online! Any questions?
Please share your extremely valuable comments (in the comments section below) that you can apply to your business, product or service in the next 30 days or less!
As always, if you got any value out of this post, please share this on your favorite social media platforms or tweet this.Thanks!
And if you’re currently registered on Linkedin or twitter,and you’re serious about about doing some type of power networking.Let’s get connected asap!
Extremely important note:And if by chance, you happen to know any of the lesser known podcasters,who also target,small business owners,service providers or aspiring startups entrepreneurs etc.
And they’re pro-actively looking for potential guest speakers.Please don’t hesitate to-either- pass their name and contact information directly
to me or vice versa!Thanks!
And be sure you grab your explosive free 22 step small business marketing idea kit series, because it will help you increase your profits by at least 25% in the next 90 days or less.
And help you master your effective communication in marketing skills.(No matter what your particular
niche market is.)It’s a $97 dollar value and it’s free!
Hard lesson to learn Mark but thank you so much for sharing your experience. The one time I was tempted to do the “free” thing was a couple of years ago when the DIY online magazine craze first took hold and there was a service that a lot of bloggers were pushing that was free – and I have to admit the finished product did look good – but of course their ads were included. I couldn’t say what, but something just bugged me about the whole set up so I passed on it.
Just as I was about to kick myself for missing out, they pulled the plug and closed up. So all those bloggers who had been building content and a following were left in the lurch. I have never doubted my “gut” feeling again! Thanks for the great read. 🙂
Marquita Herald recently posted…Do We REALLY Need a Holiday to Remind Us to Be Kind?
You’re so welcome M!
A lot of people seemed to be convinced that those freebie seekers were just golden! Perhaps some of them
were!
But honestly, I’m totally convinced that the main reason I get any sympathy at all, is because of the rather large size
of the opt in list!LOL!
Sense I was just getting my feet wet online it really didn’t bother me, because I was already in the process of building several list.
That much I understood because of my offline “direct response” marketing background.
So, because I recorded the video ( good old social proof), and I can now hopefully (at least) give some struggling newbies
something to consider!
I feel like what I learned in the process far out weighs the mishap!LOL!
I’m far better off and way more online savvy as a direct result of that mishap!
And so much better at power list building 101 now!LOL! Thanks for sharing one of your experiences as well!
Had I been as savvy as you were back then, I definitely could have avoided that educational process!LOL!
Thanks as always for stopping by and sharing your extremely valuable input! It’s greatly appreciated!
Mark Newsome recently posted…So What Can A Visit To The Red River Gorge Park In Kentucky Teach Savvy Entrepreneurs?
Gosh Mark,
That was far worse than what happened to me – all those subscribers lost. I had a good chunk of subscribers but not as many as that.
I had a similar experience to yours with Squidoo (now Hubpages) and I’ve been very wary of free sites ever since.
So we’re certainly in agreement!
Joy
I love using free tools … except when I am wanting to get serious about things. Then I feel it is necessary to make that investment. I am so sorry that you lost so much. :/
Thanks Heather!
Bu the truth is, that in the long term, the hard lessons were and are
for more valuable to me!
Subscribers will definitely come and go!
But a really good education is a permanent asset!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your extremely b valuable thoughts!
I truly appreciate it!
Mark Newsome recently posted…Why All Savvy Entrepreneurs Must Be Mindful Of The Deadly Allure Of Free Products And Services!
Oh my gosh, Mark! That must have been awful to have lost all of those subscribers! Currently, I use a free and very popular version of a paid newsletter subscriber service for my blog. (It’s a WordPress plug-in). I will be needing to upgrade to a paid version soon due to my number of subscribers. Hopefully when I switch over nothing will be lost.
Let’s hope not Karen!
And as I shared with several others, all was not lost because it was originally
my learned skills and marketing knowledge that actually created that subscriber list, not theirs!
Granted, had I known and or even suspected going in, that the eventual outcome that unfolded was going to take
place!
I definitely would not have gone down that road!LOL!
But now I can use my semi negative, but 100% positive learning experience as a warning shot
for others!
Especially green horn totally inexperienced newbies!So the experience, although temporarily painful,
most definitely serves a much more important long term purpose!
Just be mindful and hopeful, that when the time comes to switch over to the paid version, no has to
re-opt in, because study after study has shown that you can (and often do!) lose up to 90-95% of your
subscribers!
Because they simply will not or don’t wish to re- opt in! Best wishes!
Mark Newsome recently posted…Why All Savvy Entrepreneurs Must Be Mindful Of The Deadly Allure Of Free Products And Services!