Using the Term "Scam" Or "Rip Off" For Internet Marketing Offers

Have you seen articles and advertisements that claim "Wealthy Affiliate Is A Scam?" or other such ads that are worded "Do Not Buy Wealthy Affiliate... I Got Scammed?"

The growing trend of using the word "Scam" and "Rip off" has been increasing with the methods that have exhausted the strategies of using "Reviews" as the marketing tactic to getting readers for marketing purposes. First you have to analyze the reason the trends are leaving the review stage and heading down the scam and rip off method.

It's simply to understand why using scam in your marketing ads is becoming a popular trend. One is the fact that a large number of people have been scammed online by various offers and programs already, and this causes the market to be skeptical and leery. Consumers don't buy impulsively anymore from good marketing advertisements and now investigate programs and offers with a bit of research. Some of the common phrases used to research an offer is to type into the browser bar the words "Is such and such a scam?" Other variations are being used commonly as well such as "Rip off report, rip off review, scam review," and so on.

Whatever the product or offer seems to be, it's a general practice now for the consumer to research and do a little detective work on their own to find some information about whatever it is they are interested in. Searching for scam reviews and rip off reports is the trend now. No wonder this relevant keyword term is being used for marketing ads. It seems like everything you search about now has the word scam in it.

Why does this work for marketing?

This is an easy concept to grasp in a nut shell. First of all something has grabbed a prospective consumers attention or interest. They are skeptical and want some information. Now the way a marketing guru can connect and gain credibility is by posting something along the lines of "Do not join, it's a scam" ...or "I was scammed by..."

They have connected with your interest and curiosity. You are thinking the same thing even if it's subconsciously. The advertisement has just met you on your line of thinking and entered into the thought process that you are in as you search for this information. Naturally you are interested and click this ad, which sets you up to drop your guard as you are enticed to learn all about how the offer or product you were curious about seemed good but here is something claiming it's a rip off or scam. The consumer already had their guard raised when considering the offer, but now seek information and find something with "scam" written all over it... so their defenses drop as they think to themselves "Oh really?? I gotta hear this!"

The marketer can give some relevant information about various offers and programs that they themselves were conned by and the reader can relate to this naturally and very easily. Then they connect with the consumer after their defenses are lowered and provide information that delivers trust and builds and gives the consumer that feeling that he's the expert. He's done his research and knows what he's talking about.

Once the marketer has your attention using this method they can then provide the information that was advertised as a scam and turn it around and discuss how it is in fact not a scam or rip off. Then a consumer is feeling the bond with the marketer and is in the mode of confirmation. The trust was developed and then the affirmation was hardened and set. All the consumer was looking for was some peer recommendation and social proof that what he was doubting or even considering was actually a good offer or program. They just needed the extra confirmation and feel good about the choice they were considering to make on purchasing the product.

So what do you think?

Is Wealthy Affiliate A Scam? Have you ever met or read about anyone that has said "Do NOT buy Wealthy Affiliate, I got scammed?" ...and was serious?