I like to think that really the whole internet marketing can be summed up quite easily: 99% of the sites you see advertised in the internet marketing niche (that is, sites selling products teaching you how to earn online) are an absolute con.

That isn’t to say that there is never any usesful, practical information contained in the product — there often is. But for the sake of making it look unique, the product creators will often insert much unnecessary fluff which given the target market of the product (relatively newbies) does little more than have them running around in circles and actually does implant false information into their heads.

XFactors adsense course is a prime example. Sure he sells an ebook on it now, but the fact is that all the information you need is available for free in his thread – it just takes a little more effort to filter through it, and it’s not quite as guided (doesn’t hand-hold you so much) as his ebook course does.. but for those who aren’t 100% ignorant or new to what it takes to earn money online, it’s really not a necessary purchase (though still worth the money).

The problem is with peoples mindset. They believe it takes money to earn money, and that’s somewhat true. IF you’re building sites you need web hosting and domain names IF you’re going to sell niche-specific products you may need to pay for advertising and pay for product research and development. However, you need not lay out hundreds or thousands of dollars for any course, for all the information you need to earn online can be found for free. There are few to no exceptions to that rule.

Further to that, people believe that the more they shell out to learn about earning money, the less work will be involved to make it. FALSE. If you don’t put in the effort (and it IS a lot of long work in nearly al cases) you will NOT earn enough to make a living from — period.

Having said that, if people are prepared to spend $xx, £xxx or $xxxx on educational ebooks and courses that wll nearly always lead them NOWHERE but chasing their own tails, why don’t they simply spend that money on outsourcing the work that it’d otherwise take them to build a business instead?

The fact of the matter is people are lazy and easily manipulated by the marketing and that is the goal of it – it’s successful. The marketers are successful, and the aspiring marketers/customers are not. Not unless they pull their finger out, or have enough cash to waste on products AS WELL AS to pay others to outsource the work to.

If you’re getting into marketing, be ethical. Don’t be one of the guys who has others chasing their tails. Offer plenty of free information (as is XFactors case) and those who feel you genuinely helped will be wlling to hand over their cash to say thankyou. Moreover, you’ll build up a better reputation for yourself in the long run.

If you’re trying to earn money by other means (publishing, etc) then pull your finger out and realize that the only way you’re gonna replace your living and become a full-time online earner (or even supplement your income in any significant way) is if you put in the work and stay focused.

- CHOOSE A METHOD THAT WORKS (such as adsense) – examine it.. does it seem logical? Remember, there are no magic bullets, buttons or fairy dust. IF something works it’ll work (and most stuff does work – some better than others), but some stuff just doesn’t work. Use your initiative and pick something that does. STICK WITH IT! If you don’t, you’ll chase your own tail and earn sweet nothing. EVER.

- START WORK – quit dreaming about how it’d be nice to earn a living doing that. Dreaming or hoping or needing will not earn you squat. Nada. Nothing. EVER. Until you take action (or outsource the work – if you got the time, do it yourself, though) you won’t earn nothing.

- BE CONSISTENT – Don’t put in a few hours wrk then complain about being bored or not even seeing a few cents worth of earnings that you can use as a means to perpetually motivate yourself. A lot of stuff you do online (SEO wise, etc) takes time to settle down and show results. IF you stop every time you’ve expended some effort and wait to see the results, you may find you don’t see any results. Give it some time… if the method works and you’re doing it, you will earn.

Would you rarher work a week on something, stop and wait for a month only to see a measly 5 dollars trickle in your account, or would you rather work the whole month and a month later see $500 dollars for your efforts? That’s the decision you need to make: MAKE IT.

That is the advice I’d give to anyone.