Why I’m Changing the Format of Eric’s Tips

Edition #168

As I mentioned in last week’s edition, I’m changing up Eric’s Tips, and I’m going to focus on giving a step-by-step sequential education to help you create an online business.

There will be approximately 100 lessons (mostly screen capture videos), and they will be free for all my readers.

I’m also cutting way back on product promotions, and apart from a handful of promotions that I’m obligated to, I will be using this newsletter strictly for teaching the lessons.

So now the big question is… WHY am I doing this?

Without going into too much detail, I’ve outlined the reasons to give you a better understanding…

1) I’m moving the “free line”.

Some of the internet marketing guru’s have been talking about it for awhile now, but the article that probably explains it best was written by Chris Anderson (Editor of Wired magazine, who also created the Long Tail theory) a few months ago. Article: Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business

I’ll still be monetizing this newsletter, but it will be in more subtle ways. Instead of in-your-face product pitches, I’m going to focus on providing quality information, and simply make recommendations for the “essential” services that I personally use (such as web hosting).

2) I’m tired of contributing to the hype machine.

Don’t get me wrong, many of the tactics used to push products in the internet marketing world are deadly effective, and I’ll be teaching some of those techniques. But in this particular niche (internet business opportunity seekers), it’s gotten ridiculous.

I’ll still promote some other people’s products if I feel it is warranted, but I’m definitely stepping out of the “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” guru game. The problem with that method is that I’ve ended up promoting some products that my readers didn’t really need.

My other gripe with the guru “pitch fest” is that I’m seeing an increasing amount of deception in some marketers’ marketing materials. It seems that a lot of marketers have pushed the “hype” envelope to the point where they think it’s OK to flat out lie to make more sales.

3) You asked for it.

In the survey I did a few months ago, over 700 of you responded with your most burning questions about internet marketing. What I discovered is that the majority of my readers were suffering from “information overload”, with no step-by-step action plan to create a profitable online business.

In other words, you’ve picked up bits of information here and there, but nobody has shown how to put all the pieces together in a step-by-step sequential order. That’s what I hope to do.

4) I “owe” it to my subscribers.

My readers have put a lot of money in my pocket over the past couple of years by purchasing products from me, and from my affiliate links. If I can show them how to build an online business, it’s the least I can do to show my gratitude for what they’ve given me.

5) I want to leave a legacy.

Internet marketing has been a catalyst which has enabled me to pursue some of the bigger passions in my life. My plan is to get out of this business in the not-too-distant future (maybe in a few years), to focus more of my time on some of those things.

Some people will wonder… “if this business is so profitable, then why would you leave it?” The answer is simple. There are more important things in life than making money. If I stayed in the business longer, of course I would make more money… but where do you draw the line and say it’s enough?

Based on the many people I’ve seen and met in my lifetime, it seems that the longer someone stays focused on making money, the harder it becomes for them to draw that line. So I’d rather get out sooner than later.

I think it’s ironic that our society’s epitome of a successful person is a gray-haired CEO or high level executive. I look at those gray-haired executives and think, “if you’re so successful, then why are you still WORKING 60+ hours a week at a job in your old age?”

Now don’t get me wrong here either… I realize that we need CEO’s and executives with wisdom and experience to create the kind of economy that we enjoy in our world. Without them, online business opportunities wouldn’t exist. But that lifestyle is not for me, and certainly not my definition of success.

And in case you’re wondering… no I’m NOT talking about retiring to an island and living a luxurious lifestyle. I’m talking about focusing less on money, and more on family and other things that will have an impact beyond our lifetime.

Since I’ve been blessed with a measure of success, I’d like to help others find success. I want to give a good account of what I’ve done and what I’ve learned, so that others with the same ambition can learn from my experience (including the mistakes I’ve made).

And since I’m planning on leaving this business, I have no reason to hold anything back. That’s why I’m not afraid to reveal any of the “secrets” of making money online, so be sure to post questions after each lesson.

Hopefully that explains it…

I’m planning on posting the first lesson a week from today (June 10th).

As always, you are welcome to leave your comments here on the blog.

Have a great day!