People like us doing things like this

Offers that feel scammy

Just the other day I finished John Carlton’s The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Getting Your Shit Together (Vol. 1). It’d be an intergalactic sized understatement to only say I liked it.

The book reads so fun.

It’s swarming with good and useful lessons, mixed in with hilarious stories, anecdotes and cutting cultural commentary. It’s the style of book that makes learning entertaining and memorable. Which is one of the best ways I reckon.

However, the experience has lead me down a road I’ve not enjoyed.

Many times in the book, John mentions his Kick-ass Copywriting Secrets of a Marketing Rebel. And he specifically refers to it in book form and being worn out and dog eared on all the best internet marketers desks.

And I believe him.

I already knew of the book. I already adored John. So I decided to have a look to see where I could buy it.

Turns out you can get it direct from the Marketing Rebel site… with a caveat.

Now I believe that John sold the Marketing Rebel site. I think he is still involved in parts of it but essentially it’s owned and operated by someone else. I know the guys name but I’m not gonna print it as I’m about to slag him off.

See, you can buy Kick-Ass copywriting Secrets, but with a catch.

First, you have the buy the course.

And as far as I can tell, the course is just access to the contents of the book online. There is an audio version included too.

When you buy the course you get a free month membership to the Marketing Rebel Insiders Club. Except this free month will automatically renew at about 30 bucks a month.

And only then, can you add a physical copy of the book onto the order for an extra 59 bucks plus shipping.

But all I want is the fucking physical book.

I can’t even buy it by itself at the full 99 bucks plus shipping. Which I’d pay.

You can buy Breakthrough Advertising by Gene Schwartz through Titans Marketing for 125 bucks plus shipping. They have some add ons and offers and upsells available also. But they’re optional.

Marketing Rebels is doing the opposite. The product I want is an upsell to a load of products I don’t want

It leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

I was listening to a Seth Godin interview the other day and he defined marketing as: people like us doing things like this.

Banger quote.

The internet is full of people running scammy offers and products.

It’s so easy for brands to make sure they don’t seem even remotely like them. Sell good products, give good service, keep in contact with good messaging. And let your customers align with you and they’ll come back.

God I wish Marketing Rebels would just lest me buy the book without all the crap and baggage.