Over the past few months I have been working on several projects that I have never attempted in my career. And in doing so I have started reading a lot more blogs and listening to a number of podcasts to expand my knowledge. This last week I came across a podcast that was discussing Internet Business and things that one must do in order to continue to be a successful online marketer. One thing that really stuck with me was the mention that things that worked 7 years ago, just won’t work anymore.

Now this sounds like a common sense thing for any online marketing person. The landscape of online marketing moves way to fast and things that worked even 6 months ago are now out of date. But how is the time frame of a new technology measure? If I just learn about a technology that has been out for 2 years, is it out of date for me? If I am going to use this technology in a way that it could have been 2 years ago, is it still not worth exploring. So I decided to dig into my memory banks of the last seven years being in online advertising and share some of my experiences.  Who knows maybe I can set in motion a retro marketing movement for everyone.

Thinking back, when I got my first job in affiliate marketing I worked for a company that had been in the primarily based in promoting adult content online. I was offered a job to help start what they were calling a “main stream” side of their business. This business was to promote software that could be down loaded and clear off a users browser and download history. Hide your tracks from your spouse was really all the software did, however I was fresh out of college, broke and had been unemployed for a few months, so I took the job. This really kicked off my career, because I was in the cutting edge beginnings of the major affiliate marketing networks that we see now.

The first technology that we put together was a exit pop up window that was next to impossible to close without actually shutting down your computer. I know you remember that one. Not something that was complex to program, or really end user friendly, but it was perfect for promoting software that could help cover your tracks. The average computer user, after surfing for material they probably shouldn’t have been, now would get the scare of their lives when a window couldn’t be closed. The window would bounce right back with every time it was closed. The goal with this scare tactic was to get the end user to click on the add as a last resort to try and get the window to close. Trust me even after the customer purchased the software, the window promoting it wasn’t going anywhere.

The question is, is this still a valid technology or approach for online marketing?

The technology is out of date and windows has made upgrades that prevent this practice from going on. I am sure they are some of you great developers out there that will take me up on the challenge to recreated this. However, it is not worth the time.

The approach on the other hand of scaring end users with things they don’t understand in order to make an affiliate commission, if you ask me it is a perfect time to take this approach to your marketing. Especially if you are promoting a service that you can present as must have or else. With the economic scare that we are all in right now, it might be a great time to look into promoting financial tips e books, people are looking for anything that will provide a feel good thought. Did someone just steal your identity?