As so often happens to people who are in online marketing or internet marketing, people are always looking for the next big sell to happen, something that will give a promise to get rich and will make them ...something?
when you have people who are experts at manipulating people they use the herd instinct to drive people to do certain actions. For those of you who are not familiar to the phrase "herd instinct" here is a great definition from I
nvestiopedia
"Definition of 'Herd Instinct'
A mentality characterized by a lack of individual decision-making or thoughtfulness, causing people to think and act in the same way as the majority of those around them. In finance, a herd instinct would relate to instances in which individuals gravitate to the same or similar investments, based almost solely on the fact that many others are investing in those stocks. The fear of regret of missing out on a good investment is often a driving force behind herd instinct."
There has been a lot of talk and aggressive marketing going on in the last while about a program called "MyRipple", which has been thrown at me from all sides and on many social networks.
Many people who are more experienced with marketing have ( or rather I should say had) been extolling the features of this program, but I have this habit of being one of the most mistrusting people when it comes to programs or the next big thing.
I also have a habit of checking with those people who are knowledgeable about such things and I tend to view a lot of sources before I make any decisions
I am unsure if you know Chris Voss. He calls himself a serial entrepreneur lol, to me he is just a guy who tends to look at different topics and has become one of my credible sources on topics of business and marketing.
I would like to share with you the video he made
Here is the part two of the investigation:
Chris did manage to get some answers from RippLn and like Chris I am not in anyway saying this is a scam..but I do have similar questions
Here are just a few of the questions and answers that were found out and you can read more in
Chris's update
Me: Why can one not delete their account once they are signed up?
Rippln: They can delete their account at anytime by sending a quick email to support@rippln.com
Me: Why isnt that stated some where or more obvious?
Me: Why is your address a police station?
Rippln: Can you please tell me where you are seeing this address?
Me: Its the address on the NDA contract – google it.
Me: Why is the presentation deceptive and misleading?
Rippln: I am not sure how you can feel that our videos are deceptive and misleading.
Me: In the videos you portray that you will go viral, be on the news – be the next facebook or twitter, that I can be like a stockholder in Facebook and get rich like they did. This is an app, I dont own stock in – thats deceptive. Also again you portray it as an app while clearly only after someone invites 5 friends do you start telling them you are really an MLM. Thats deceptive.
Moving on.....
Stephen Kier did a post about this program that I think is worthy of note...
In one part of this blog post Stephen says about the NDA...
It is Actually a Marketing Stunt!
Create scarcity so that people feel pressured into being a part of it.
It is a tried and true marketing method. Not evil, but not scarce.
One last point
I am sure that all of you have heard of Techcrunch..they are good at what they do and they make no bones about what they write about.
Here is their take courtesy of Ryan Lawler
Be warned if you get offended by certain language...filter your mind a little, I think that Ryan was a little upset by the video but he starts out well :-)
So here’s a step-by-step for what not to do in your startup video:
Don’t tell us that your app is going to be viral before it’s even friggin’ released. [0:11]
Don’t expect the press to cover your stupid app before it’s even friggin’ been released. Except for maybe in posts parodying it. [0:15]
Don’t assume your friends and family members will be talking about it. Likewise, don’t assume strangers will be coming up to you on the friggin’ street to talk about it. [0:20]
Don’t say your stupid app is going to change the way we communicate, or call it “The biggest breakthrough since email.” [0:26]
Don’t promise that your app will change how commerce, either online or offline, is happening. Definitely not both. [0:30]
My point to this post is not to point fingers or to say what is or what is not good in terms of getting into any program. My point is to say...always do your due diligence.. walk away from the herd mentality and learn to be your own person and investigate any "opportunity" with the nose of a bloodhound.
As for me...I wouldn't go near this type of program even if you paid me! ( personal opinion)