The (real) Secret

[Kurt]

Here's a real potent "secret" for building a business online. But like learning to play an old blues song, it's simple but it isn't easy.

And the secret is...building a small team of like-minded people with the sole purpose of promoting the others.

Back in about 2002 there was a group of about 4-5 pretty well known IMers. They all lived in the same city and they'd meet in a little room and talk about how they could promote the other person. They understood that if I said "I'm the greatest" it wouldn't be nearly as effective as someone else saying "Kurt's the greatest".

They would promote each other without affiliate links and say things like, "These aren't affiliate links".

There's other benefits like 5 people can get email subscribers 5 times faster and quickly  multiply their reach.

That's pretty simple, but it isn't easy. Here's the hard part:

• You probably need to find people of the same experience level.
  
  
• Everyone has to be an asset to the others. Finding people that truly understand what a team is all about is difficult.
  
  
• Each person has to have the same amount of time to dedicate. Some people have jobs and their idea of working on a project is a few hours on the weekend. Others will do IM full time and willing to spend 16 hours a day for a couple of months to get things going.
  
  
• It's amazing how often someone gets "sick" about the same time they are supposed to gte soemthing done so they couldn't do their part.
  
  
• Everyone needs to have similar ethics.
  
  
• Everyone needs to have the same general opinions about quality.
  

[Jeffery]

Truer words were never spoken. I would also add that everyone should have a Vested Interest.  I have learned from experience (positive and negative) each person should have a financial investment in the business, especially a business with an expectation of financial gain.

[Kurt]

Truer words were never spoken. I would also add that everyone should have a Vested Interest.  I have learned from experience (positive and negative) each person should have a financial investment in the business, especially a business with an expectation of financial gain.

I agree, especially if you are true partners. There's also a lot of casual teams that can be formed.

Here's an example than all skill levels could do, finding the right matches is the key:

• 5 people get together to form a loose agreement to help each other.
  
• If none of you have built a following on FB, each agrees to join relevant FB groups with the goal of adding value to each and then reaching out and "friending" people in those groups.
  
• If you already have a decent audience of people interested in what you have to offer, look for FB friends that share similar goals and have similar reach.
  
• Now you all just share each others' "important" posts.
  

If you have 4 others sharing your important posts you are in essence getting 5 times your reach on FB for free, just by agreeing to share their posts too.

This makes sense and sounds easy. But finding people (let alone 5) that are dependable and in this for the long term are hard to find.

Also, these types of teamwork shouldn't be a main marketing plan. It should just be part of a daily marketing routine. How long does it take to share someone's posts? (Hint: It isn't the time. It's the discipline.)

[Claire Koch]

I absolutely love that idea Kurt.  Reminds me of WSO I bought where they trained me to get my products
on the bonus pages of all the launches happening.  And then of course the launchers would post on your
bonus areas as well.

A little less organized then what you are suggesting.

People helping people and that works when everyone agrees to do it together.  Be a great area for this forum
Promotion Groups or something.