Jim’s bold Internet Marketing predictions for the next decade (updated 2012 version)

Posted by in Creative Ideas, Great Business Ideas, inspiration, Leadership & Influence, reputation and influence | 67 comments

1. Real world “traditional” (also called brick-n-mortar) business will continue to be confounded by the fast paced marketing changes that the Internet and mobile web have brought.  As evidence of this, most businesses still have no success to report with their online or mobile marketing efforts. (NOTE: having a website built is typically an entirely futile exercise for many businesses, so I’m not suggesting that’s the next step!) Online marketers like us will race to fill the void AS WILL GOOGLE.  Google isn’t our competitor though! They make the tools that make our job easier, and if you are willing to talk to biz owners you could build a thriving business. One way to take advantage of this trend is by joining OfflineBiz.com.  Members of that site stay up to date on what works online without having to be a technical nerd to make it all happen.

2. The car you drive, the house you live in, the ‘toys’ you have etc. will mean less and less compared to your “influence” as measured by your online audience. Strange things will happen in the world of business as the “little guy” destroys the big guy. An extreme example;  for the first time in history it’s quite possible that a 13 year old in a small town in nowhere Nebraska could bring a company like Pepsi Co. to its knees because of the loyalty and size of his audience on Youtube. Influence is the new gold standard. Grow your audience and give them reasons to be loyal. (Update for 2012 – use tools like Klout.com to find influential partners and measure your own online influence.)

3. Good ideas, great ideas, bad ideas, wrong ideas and all sorts of other ideas will continue to pound and distract the masses. To get big things done you need a clear mission, you must position yourself on a platform of expertise, and you’ll need supportive peers and partners along side. That’s what MySilentTeam.com and OfflineBiz.com are all about. Find a community, grow with it, and support it.  Start your own community, or belong to one. For goodness sakes BE PART OF A GROWING COMMUNITY ONLINE.

4. Relationship will rule.  It’s not the slickest websites, the best “traffic generation” tactics, or even necessarily the best content that will rise to the top. It will be the businesses that establish real and trusting relationships with their audiences that will thrive. Make the price of “divorce” so high that it hurts. That’s how you win online now.

5. It’s going to get harder and harder to be a long term successful “scammer” online. The honest and worthy will rise even more quickly and the bad guys will fall faster than ever. Honesty will be very self serving to the point that even the dishonest at heart will start to catch on and use these strange new tactics called “honesty and extraordinary customer service” as a self preservation tool.  Customers are already demanding the twitter feed of CEO’s before they’ll buy a widget…it’s going to get worse (or better depending on your perspective). Update 2012: It finally pays to be irrationally generous in all you do…because it’s so easy for your customers to share this fact with their large and growing circles of influence.

6. Bad content online will become increasingly invisible and consumers learn to trust the trustworthy. It will get harder and harder for junk to rise to the top. The good will get better and the bad will disappear. Google is only going to get BETTER and finding and punishing anything they deem to be “spam” on websites or in email. Update 2012: There’s a lot of “junk” out there to be sure, but it’s easier than ever to avoid it. Junk slingers are going broke because the “crowd” is now voting and being heard. It takes more effort than ever to waste time on junk websites.  Real RELATIONSHIPS are being formed.

7. Those reading this article will be followed by TENS OF THOUSANDS who are newly eager to learn the secrets of this online business world that they’ve always scoffed at. Suddenly WE are the smart ones who have job security while they are getting laid off from big companies (like Pepsi that was forced into layoffs when it got nearly shut down by a 13 year old a few paragraphs ago). Soon not even taxpayer funded jobs will be as secure as once assumed. I’ve got the best job I can imagine ever having.

8. Thousands of new ways to profit from all of the changes will continue to FALL INTO THE LAPS of those paying attention. Change = opportunity. This is going to be a decade of massive rapid changes on and offline. Pay attention and enjoy the ride! All of this “change” is stirring up a lot of business possibilities – no formal education and no tech skills needed.

9. Amazon and eBay will continue to DOMINATE online commerce. If you sell any physical product at all they ARE your competition.  Ignoring them is a foolish plan if you have any type of physical product to sell. There are also big opportunities to participate because of all the traffic these two sites get.

10. Google+ will struggle to take hold, Twitter won’t be taken as seriously as a business tool, and Facebook won’t be “cool” much longer for several reasons. The “social media” wars are just getting started and there’s room for big new players.  Don’t get too vested in any of them though – it’s still the wild west. (And for goodness sakes…stop wasting time on Facebook. It won’t matter in 5 years!)

11. Affiliate marketing is a fools game and more “experts” will agree with me than disagree with me very soon.  Unless you really know what you are doing it’s a time waster (hint: Building websites and putting content on them does not qualify as “knowing what you are doing”).  This will become even clearer over the coming months and years. Read more about my thoughts on this topic in this article showing why “Affiliate marketing is not a business”, or this article explaining why “I DO still love (and hate) affiliate marketing”,  or for more info visit the “affiliate marketing” tab on my blog.

12. The most successful businesses will be run by small teams of creative thinkers leveraging the web in creative ways. That’s where I’ll be playing.

What is your favorite prediction? Any questions? Did I forget something? Leave a comment – click the comment button at the top of this article to read comments left or to leave your own.

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  • Luis Benet

    1. Being an author…Not everyone will really want to write, but yes many more people than today will write as it becomes easier to do it. Good ideas will always give rise to new and better ideas and books.

    2. Many business will dissapear by the fast changes paced by internet itself, only by keeping up todate with a good source of reliable information will insure that business will continue to be succesful.

    3. “Influence” in internet will most certaily be very valuable, as it has been shown in “Politics” and “Business”, and therefore it will certainly also be so for
    “thinkers who write” or “authors”.

    4. Social networks are certainly a great part of internet community, making “wise” use of it will make anyone grow in every aspect.

    5. Being able to contact anyone even important people like G.M.’s CEO, Bono (U2),
    or the president of the U.S. will still be difficult, but if you have “influence” it will be posible without any problem.
    “Scammers” on the other hand will continue because of “human nature” and also because of how the internet works, things are not “good”, nor “bad”, just the way we use them.

    6. “Bad Content” may just be a different point of view, and “all” points of view come across the internet, we should be greatful for the freedom that the internet gives us to express our ideas, we should remember that we humans learn by “trial & error”.

    7. Those who are working through the internet will certainly be the “New Money Masters” as Anthony Robbins has put it, as it makes it posible for amyone to work from his or her own home and finding ever new ways to earn more money and without the worry of getting laid off.

    8. Change is the name of the game in internet, ever changing, hardware, software and ideas that flow through it, and the people who harness it will be the winners.

  • Diane

    Every single prediction was so awesome, I printed it to share with my family and post on our fridge.

    However, #7 did hit home with me the most. I have tinkered with websites just for fun for the last several years, but only about 3 years ago I was enlightened when I learned the meaning of SEO, traffic, visibility, etc. Then my “fun” with websites became more “serious” and more of a challenge – like can I get my sites on the first page of Google?

    This not only became interesting to me, but I think I became obsessed with it (especially when my first website hit the first page of Google for keywords I picked). I actually came around to believe there truly is hope for real work, work I love to do, from home, from CA where my family is, etc.

    My immediate family as well as my family in CA would make jokes about my “SEO”, my dreams of internet “work” and so on. One nurse at a hospital where I work said “Diane, you will die trying”. I said, “you will die anyway, so why not try”?

    The tide is turned. Since the economy nose-dived, you would not believe family and friends who are now coming to me, begging me to show them this “new work” on the internet. They are being laid off left and right and have come to see that though I have not “made it” yet, they know only too well that I am acquiring skills that will be life-saving for me and my family in the future. I firmly believe this is the answer, for me, and that I will never have to worry or depend on a JOB out there. There is soooo much opportunity on the internet. I feel I found the right place to get me there. My unemployed husband has joined me in my efforts and is now totally saturated with all the great information on this site.

  • Diane

    P.S. I realize the voting is already taking place, but just had to add my two cents!

  • http://buckcreekbooks.com Henry Neff

    I vote for number one. Being an author doesn’t mean writing a book. You can write a blog, eBay guides, create a YouTube video. There are dozens of ways to be an author – I am even developing a software application for eBay sellers – todate there is no competition for this app. Yes, Jim, I’ll make it available to your members at a discount. I have written my first book, which should be available by the endo f the month and as I promised you – I will make the eBook version available to your members FREE! I get excited about this as I write this vote. For now #1 is my vote.

  • http://esbstories.blogspot.com Edward Scott Bumgarner

    Number 3 is my choice for favorite prediction. It is about time that the “playing field becomes level” for the little guy. Everyone should have the opportunity to participate in a Free Enterprise system.

  • http://www.jimcockrumcoaching.com Nathan Bailey

    I like #8 Jim. Change is the only thing that stays the same. I believe those that can roll with the changes in these exponential times and can adapt quickly to stay on the cutting edge will see the greatest return. Most people are scared of change, I say bring it on. Diversify your business and have an exit strategy. Always remember there is never a smooth mountain so discipline yourself to be a constant learner. Thank you Jim for being a great Innovator and Creative Genius and sharer of powerful and profitable information.

  • http://steve-wilkins.com/ Steve Wilkins

    Hi Jim,

    I like number 3 and the thought of the little guy beating the big guys at the world of business, it both amuses me and encourages me

    The greedy bankers will one day be at our mercy… I pray!

    Keep up the great work!

    Steve Wilkins,
    http://www.steve-wilkins.com
    http://www.buildyourebizwithresalerightsandplr.com/

  • http://internet-marketing-guide.org Luigi Mccloude

    hi, thanks for the useful blog buddy, there’s so many options with web marketing nowadays it’s hard to know where to look for relevant info, thanks.

  • http://www.gvamarketing.com Gary & Val

    As people quit traditional employment and work from home online that will achieve a growing reduction in traffic pollution alone. Might not be so good for the auto industry but will be great for the planet !

    G&V

  • Sam Car

    I think the big moneyed corporation will fight tooth and nail for total control of the internet; they have the money to buy our incredibly corrupt Congress. SOPA is the harbinger of things to come. Smart people should focus on this problem and band together to ensure total freedom of the web.

  • MsLaughOutLoud

    Love your bold predictions.  You keep me in the know and make me feel smart :0)  As an old-fashioned kind of gal, I’m so happy to see that people/businesses are coming to their senses – to be honest and truthful and treat others as you would like to be treated - are above all else, the most important things, even in this high-tech world.  This is the wisdom of our mothers and fathers, and it amazes me how so many businesses have lost touch with this.  Karma is a powerful thing!

  • Roger

    great article.  does anyone has a link about the 13-year-old & Pepsi story?

    • http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum

      It’s a hypothetical story that we will likely be seeing more of.

  • http://twitter.com/mrjasonmiles jasonmiles

    Totally agree about Facebook. It is now our least meaningful social media traffic source, (and we have over 12,000 fans for goodness sake). First place for referrals for us has (amazingly) become Pinterest – surprassing both YT and FB in terms of traffic. It is absolutely on fire for us.  Second is Youtube, but even it has recently been changed to limit effective marketing actions. Then there is FB, which is being ‘improved’ into uselessness. 

    I say 2012 will be largely about the rise of Pinterest in the social media space. And yeah, you can do a lot of marketing on it. We are super excited about it.

  • http://www.jameshughesblog.com James Hughes

    A very interesting post. Food for thought. I always thought Facebook was the place for marketing going forward.

    Your comments on klout are interesting. I am a member but have not used it to its full potential.

    Thanks

    James

  • Ian loughlin

    Jim, you say Amazon is the future but you have a ‘downer’ on affiliate marketing. What about those of us who are seriously looking at becoming Amazon associates? Are we wasting our time? There are many ‘good’ courses on that subject.

    • http://www.JimCockrum.com/ Jim Cockrum

      There is no contradiction in those two statements.

      Amazon presents multiple opportunities to online entrepreneurs. Two (of the dozens) of opportunites are: 1)Affiliate marketing (which I’m not a huge fan of for “newbies” and have written extensively about in the “affiliate marketing” section of my blog), and 2) Selling physical goods on Amazon without having to ship products to customers (which I’m a huge fan of).

      Amazon will DOMINATE online commerce for years to come unless they really screw up. There are many ways to get in the game. And “yes”, if you are going to promote something as an affiliate you might as well promote something popular “i.e. amazon.com”, but my stance remains unchanged…”Affiliate Marketing” is NOT a business model. Check out the “affiliate marketing” section of my blog for more detail and explanation….because I DO make a LOT of money from affiliate marketing, but I’m not doing it the way the “crowd” is trying to do it. My best advice: IGNORE the “build it/drive traffic to it” gurus of affiliate marketing!

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