One of the unfortunate facts of business in the digital marketing world is that there's a lot of snake oil for sale. When you act on behalf of your business, you need to learn how to recognize the people who sell worthless product.
To clarify, most online marketing agencies are completely ethical, and they recognize that their own success depends on the success of their clients. On the other hand, the 'gurus' and other unscrupulous experts focus on only one thing: separating you from significant amounts of money.
Here are some of the red flags to look for when you're investigating whether to work with someone:
1. Is the person actually who they claim? Even today, it's easy for people to spread misinformation about themselves, and there are many who will do it for the sake of more likes and followers online.
2. Do their messages ever talk about how they can add value to what your business is doing, or are they featuring only the 'sale' while ignoring everything else?
3. Are they trying to impress you with how successful they are? You've probably seen already that it's just another sales tactic.
4. Do they sell courses or 'VIP webinars' for high fees? Common price points are approximately $500, $1,000, and $1,500. Most of the content in these packages is available with minimal research online for free, or for only a nominal amount.
If you think that there are other red flags that should be added to this list, please let us know.
We'll see you next time!