Without a doubt, social marketing is a powerful tool to use. Professional marketers fight hard to get a voice in a very crowded internet marketplace. The site can bring about thousands of targeted users on a regular basis. However, few people master this process to get ultra-targeted users. Most get a small trickle, if that, and the rest just don’t see a major spike that continues. Funneling a load of traffic from social media is one of the many goals that people have today, consider that there are 10 million users on these pages on a regular basis.

It’s with that need that many gurus hit the internet with products and ideas that prey on marketers needs to try to make a quick buck. One such option has been touted as being a game changer has come into light, and honest reviews seem to be missing. It’s for that reason that we’ve taken the option to task and started to unravel the promotional copy to find what is going on.

What is Game Changing About Alex Mandossian’s Latest?

The latest ploy is called “Google+ Hangout Marketing Challenge”, by Alex Mandossian has definitely gotten a lot of speculation right now. Many that are seeing it, will want to jump on board because it seems to be fascinating at first glance. However, it is not breaking any ground.

The reality of spending thousands of dollars for this option is actually nothing worth spending money on.

When you sign up for “Google+ Hangout Marketing Challenge”, you will get coaching and guidance from supposed marketing gurus. What they will explain in these training modules, and “hangouts” through Google+ is their brand of internet branding. The point is to challenge others to be successful. This is the same type of product marketing that many MLM companies like “Amway” try to call “training”.

The big different here is the cost is in the thousands, and there’s no major product that you’re buying. Instead, users are asked to become participants in a social experiment of moneymaking options that are not at all competent. Alex Mandossian and his team, assuming there’s a team, will talk to users and try to “challenge” them to make money, through assistance and constant hassling.

Training Modules Already Live

There are some prerecorded options, and training modules that are being touted once you become a member. When inside the program, you’ll find that there is nothing there that is going to be of use to the experienced marketer. The majority of the content is a rehash of previously released YouTube videos, with a lot of information that has already been released through a variety of outlets. It takes little to no time to cycle through everything and realize that you’ve already heard it all before.

Training materials found in the backend are nothing new, and approach social media marketing in the same manner that has already been published 10,000 times beforehand. The upsells begin there too, because if you feel that they are too common, or that you need an additional boost, the cost is going to be a cool $2,500 for even more information. The promise here is that you will be guaranteed success, and that you can’t lose because you will get access to private hangouts that others will not get. This gives the marketer the hope of a competitive edge, but that doesn’t happen, since the tools and information are just rehashed and repeated articles.

After purchasing several marketing tools in the past, I can truly denote that the upsell for free information is one of the ploys that Mendossian is working with to get even more money from unsuspecting, well-meaning people.

There Is No Physical Product

When you are paying thousands of dollars for something, you expect to have a semblance of professionalism, and perhaps even a product. With “Google+ Hangout Marketing Challenge” you receive no real product. Instead, you are given a promissory note that you will be guided through a course that should make you money by the end of the year. That means that you will need to make a commitment of time allotted to the goal of making money, but only by doing so the Mandossian way. If you don’t, and fail, you’ve signed over your money to a marketing ploy without recourse.

After reviewing the backend of this site, you will find that there is nothing for users worth e mentioning. There are some nice organized modules, and interesting points that have been rewritten, but if you plan on making money online, it’s light. Not only that, when you start to realize that you’re reading a lot of spun things, you will get hit with the upsell. If you don’t purchase the upsell, you will not gain access to the guarantees of making money with social media hangouts.

Google+ is a powerful tool, but the goal here is to teach marketers how to run their own “for profit” hangouts and market them with traditional “tools” that are already being used for other processes. The guarantee of making money sounds great, but just like other marketing ploys that have come and gone, this is light on content and heavy on marketing. Don’t be fooled, it is a trap.

We’ve all heard about the amazing bounty that social media can bring to the doorstep of our business, but it can be difficult to assess whether, when, and how to begin integrating social media into our traditional client relation processes. How do you prepare, and what should you focus on? As a starting point, ask yourself the following questions:

Why am I considering social media marketing? What am I trying to accomplish?

Are you aiming to establish or grow your reputation? Increase sales? Are you interested in listening, giving, and sharing in a conversation? Clearly defined objectives reveal corresponding tactics, and metrics.

Is my target audience using social media?

Ask your best clients if they’re online and what they do there. How active are they on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, TripAdvisor, YouTube. Do they check-in on Foursquare? Do they read / create blogs? Do they shop online or research treatments before approaching a clinic and do they contribute a review afterward? Do they send and receive email every day?

Do I have the infrastructure in place that will support my social marketing efforts?

Participating in social media is not an end in itself, it is a means to an end, an integral part of an overall plan. If I love reading your tweets or the summary of your LinkedIn profile, I’m going to poke around your website. Does your website clearly and immediately show me that you have a solution to my problem? Do you have an opt-in form and offer a free information product in exchange for my email address? Your mailing list is one of your most important assets.

Have I considered the risks of social media and are they manageable?

Do you have buy-in from other clinic practitioners? Are your staff members on board, and do you have policies in place to guide their social media use? Do you have a well-prepared social media strategy? Are you able to hear and respond with skill to negative feedback? Are you prepared for long-term, somewhat nebulous return on investment? Do you have adequate resources behind you?

Can I sustain a social presence online or can I hire a community manager from among my staff?

Above all this is a social sphere. You have to be a good communicator, and you have to like people in order for this to work, so this is no place for shrinking violets. You also need to be authentic and consistent, so once you start, be sure you can sustain your efforts.

After you green light your endeavor start small (i.e., one channel, with a very manageable posting frequency) and above all, start with listening: take part as an observer before you take part as a contributor. Once you do start contributing, be sure to add value to the conversation. Don’t be the salesy creep who shouts out ME ME ME every single time.

Social media is a phenomenon that’s here to stay, and as more and more customers and clients come online the greater the demand that our businesses be there too.