Online Guru Red Flags
We believe at some point you’ve encountered people like these putting ads on multiple social platforms, claiming themselves as online gurus and telling you how you can achieve a huge result or great achievement just by joining their free training. Once you did that, they will upsell you with more and more of their “product” or “packages” that you can actually get for free.
They will try to convince you that what you’ve been doing is wrong, but they will also try to tell you that by following their EASY method, you don’t need any marketing skill, experience, tech skill, and best of all, there is no risk to make thousands of dollars!
Sounds too good to be true? It probably is.
Common Targeted Industry
It started with motivational speakers, life-coach, then sales and eventually with the increasing interest of digital marketing and e-commerce; of course, these self-proclaimed gurus won’t let this opportunity slips away easily.
Some of the most common industry niche that they will target are e-commerce, Facebook Ads, Fulfilment by Amazon, and online marketing in general.
Why these industries?
Because these are some of the industries that people are generally unfamiliar with, especially during the start of the pandemic, many SMEs are forced to shift their business online. People are unfamiliar with how the online business works and easily fall prey to these gurus.
The Common Prey
These gurus will usually target business owners from age 40-60 years old, and it’s understandable; after all, this age group is the least familiar with the inner workings of the online industry, thus making them the best target.
When faced with the uncertainty and difficulty of adapting to new grounds while juggling with the survival of their business, a “helping hand” that promises them figures with the least effort is all the more attractive to them.
The Harsh Truth
The truth is that it’s never easy. It takes years of experience, knowledge, and effort to be fluent in e-commerce or digital marketing. Even then, some might not even be “good” at it due to the ever-changing nature of technology and methodology available in the market.
Moreover, the information shared by these gurus can be easily accessible from sources like books, Youtube, or online education platforms such as Udemy, Coursera, Harvard Online Courses, and more. Best of all, some of this great information can even be obtained for free!
Disarming the “Trap”
Now that you’re able to identify the red flags, so what’s next?
Here’s some of our advice on what you can do :
- Keep a clear mind, do not act on impulse no matter how attractive or convincing the deal is.
- Make it a habit to cross-check the information you’ve learned online. Googling and study few articles should give you a good idea of what’s real and what’s not.
- Subscribe to a legitimate online course platform if you wish to understand more or specialize in the field.
- Separate the coach and the con. Most of the coaches or experts in the industry are willing to share plenty of materials, experience, and case studies for free while the con will try to charge you for “full access” to their content.
- Let your friends and family know! You’ll never know if the people closest to you will fall into their trap.
How can 13Owl help?
We truly believe in the transformative power of digitalization and the ability to tell stories, provide insights, engage, and inspire people everywhere through data. We aim to help businesses, big and small, to discover what makes them special and helps them grow.
Every so often, we will share plenty of information, case studies, and interesting content for e-commerce and digital marketing. Consider following us on our social media on Facebook and Instagram; stay tuned for more content!
