Genuine Money is Long Term

Being the day after Christmas my thoughts reflect on something my financial adviser said to me recently: "Whenever you make money decisions, think long-term."

The number of presents and the dollars spent on Christmas get forgotten over the years, but the consistent caring and building of relationships is remembered.

This is also true in Social Networking. Most people who are using social media to further their Internet Marketing are thinking short-term. They might not even know they are. Join any social network and you will see that many people join you as friends, tell you what they have to offer, and then poof - you don't hear from them again.

People buy people, not stuff. Social Media is technology that makes it easier to connect and stay connected to others. But if your connection is only long enough to pitch what you sell, you won't be getting long-term results.

For each Social Media that you dive into, do it sincerely. Make connecting with people your top priority. Relationships will follow, and money will follow that.

Genuine People Making Genuine Money

Of all the advertisements asking for my dollar to show me the secret way to make money online, the promise no one else could give me, the ONLY company I have ever found that actually had examples of people actually doing it was SBI. They call them case studies. Now whenever I build a site in a new niche, I search for SBI sites in that niche. Then I fill out their contact form and ask how they are doing. What could be better evidence something is genuine than being able to talk to regular people who are doing it successfully?

Michelle Schill is one example.

"I no longer work from home in the evenings and my income is constantly growing. Right now, it's double what I was making when I was standing behind a chair... I do what needs to be done the most at any given time and the nature of website building is such that I can stop or take a break at any point and carry on when time allows. I can work in my pyjamas and fuzzy slippers and switch from work mode to mommy/caretaker to silly dance partner whenever the mood strikes."

Michelle's site is: www.style-hair-magazine.com

Another example is the team of Fiona McCardle and Jim Andrew:

"If you'd told me 12 months ago that a couple of ex knitwear designers with very little experience of the web would now be running a successful web based villa rental company I'd have found it hard to believe. If you then tried to convince me that their plans are now to run it from a poolside, looking out over the Tuscan hillside, sipping on a cocktail, I'd probably think the Tuscan sun had got to you!"

Their site is: www.rent-a-villa-in-tuscany.com

Both of these successful Internet Marketers will tell you to follow the CTPM method taught by SBI.

Check out other Successful SBI Case Studies to see how you can make money too.

Gurus I Follow

There is a tradition of learning in India called, the Upanishads. This word means more or less, "learning at the feet of the master." Can you imagine working day-to-day with an expert for a long time, until you become ready to be an expert for someone?

I thought it would be a good idea to share what gurus I follow. There are so many, like myself frankly, that establish themselves as gurus. One of mine teaches that "you must have a mentor to be a mentor." Rather than lavishly praising oneself, you will see the credibility of a true mentor in what they say and in the results of doing what they teach. So here are my mentors:

Gary Harris: www.SeeMeRememberMeBuyMe.com Gary started out as an Instructional Designer, and now teaches about Internet Marketing.

Gyutae Park at Winning the Web. Gyutae is someone I have been following silently until now. He is one of the few bloggers about Internet Marketing who will tackle both sides of an issue with equal passion. See, Why You Should Stay Away From the Make Money Online & Internet Marketing Niches and Why You Should Embrace the Make Money Online & Internet Marketing Niche.

Ken Evoy: SiteSell: The Blog. Ken is the founder of Site Build IT. What grabs me about Ken is the reality of what he teaches. It made sense to me, unlike much of what I read about making money online that is full of hype.

What about me? I suggest, no, I double-dog-dare you, to follow me for awhile. See if what I say makes sense. Read the case studies I will share in my next post. Contact those people and see if they are making money online. Click on the image of the detective on the right. How many gurus (I'm talking about Ken Evoy right now) will give you the ability to contact their students?

So You Want to Make Money Online?

My friend said that everyone and their dog, and their dog's ex-wife wants to make money online. I don't know about the dog's ex-wife, but there certainly is a lot of people who want to make money online.

Why? Because there are a lot of people making money online by telling you they can teach you how to make money online.

That is the honest truth. I mean, yes, it's my opinion. I mean to put it out there for all to see and comment on. Over and over I meet people who have spent their way into debt following promises of instant wealth based on no or not much work -- via the Internet.

Hence my name and the reason for this blog. Are there genuine ways to make money online? Yes. They are not instant. They are not automatic. They do require work. So what are they?

Well, first, go to Genuine Ways to Make Money Online and you'll find a list. The list is my opinion mixed with study, experience, and my best guesses. I'll tell you which is which if you ask.

Second, take a look at this page on Making Money Online, to see how you can fit it all together.