It seems to be an increasingly common trend for inexperienced online marketers to look for “a few quick bucks”, or as a friend of mine put it: “a quick fix”.

Whether this trend derives from an urgent need for small amounts of money to buy virtual items in online games, or the almost arousing feeling of instant gratification the moment another “money mail” from PayPal arrives in their In-box, I can’t tell. Another and slightly more serious question, though: Is this need for a quick fix making marketers even greedier, is it something we should be worried about?

Today, with little more effort than a mouse click, most any Internet surfers can earn a couple of dollars on the Internet. With task oriented websites like MyLot, Bukisa and other GPT (Get Paid To) sites, what comes next, I wonder.

Although MyLot and Bukisa are nice places for earning a couple of dollars, your main weapon is you, and your knowledge; without at least some knowledge on Internet Marketing including sub-categories, such as SEO, article writing, back-link building, PPC advertising and so on, it is difficult to earn more than pennies!

I help inexperienced marketers almost every day, explaining how to set up a Squidoo lens, write articles, earn their first dollars online e.t.c., and I’ve come to realize that, all they sometimes want is a quick fix; a small amount of money in their PayPal account. Enough to feel they are getting somewhere, and that their efforts still counts.

What if I say that the solution is always within reach for each and everyone, who wants to earn a residual income on the Internet? It is 100% free and not even a product, just advice from yours truly:

1. Educate yourself: read free e-books, watch YouTube tutorials, read EzineArticles content.
2. Stop thinking small; re-program yourself to think success (it takes time, be patient).
3. Stop wasting time with PTC programs. Pick up a simple marketing skill and earn more.
4. Don’t let your friends or relatives put you down by saying “it will never work”. They are clueless.
5. Create an action plan and stick with it (i.e. “Write 1 new article every day, build 5 back-links e.t.c.).

My biggest mistake in the beginning, when I started learning about marketing and it’s numerous sub cultures, was falling for PTC scams. Ouch! Luckily, I used PayPal. Thanks to them most of my money was returned, which is one of the reasons I always recommend PayPal. Sure, they are not perfect, but close enough.

I am working on putting together an e-book that I will give away here on Easy Money Central, hopefully before Christmas. I’ll do it because I keep bumping into frustrated marketing beginners, who are about to give up, because they can’t see any progress at all and wonder if it’s worth it. But hey, sometimes I am one of them!

Some days they feel empty and drained of power, then suddenly and most unexpected, they get a sale! And someone signed up in their GDI downline, they receive a message from a grateful referral, with many thanks for helping them out, e.t.c. These little things helps you keep going, even when you feel like running in one spot.

Good things happen when you are PERSISTENT and DO SOMETHING, even if that something feels like wasting time, such as posting in a forum, adding a new affiliate link in your forum signatures, surfing Traffic Exchange sites for an hour or two, mailing a Safelist. All of these actions can earn money for you when you least expect it!

The secret is to NEVER GIVE UP.

Happy Earnings!

Håvard L. Lund / Splinterbiz