There is a plague within the Internet marketing industry. This plague has existed since the inception of marketing online, and will probably continue to exist as long as there is money to be made on the Internet. It’s likely that if you have done anything online you have seen it in action. What plague am I talking about? I’m talking about the plague of the amateur. What’s that? You’ve never of the plague of amateur? Well let me explain.

Some call it spam. Some call it black hat. Some even call it crap hat. Whatever, you want to call it’s all the same. And, I’m tired of it. It seems like every day I open my e-mail and find a new advertisement in my inbox for Viagra or imitation designer watches. Everyday I get irrelevant link request. And everyday I see social media sites saturated with low quality content. Most folks that are annoyed by these types of amateur tactics, call them annoying and irrelevant. Which is the case for me as well. However, my frustration stems more from examples of spotty marketing tactics then the content itself. For once I’d like to see an Internet marketer use sophisticated dialogue and a well thought out strategy to market Viagra online. I wouldn’t purchase any of it, but at least it be refreshing to see someone competent pushing popper pills.

The definition of an amateur is one who doesn’t get paid. Which is exactly fitting for most of the markers that engaging in spam like tactics. In short spam doesn’t work.

So why are there so many amateur marketers out there? I think one reason is because of the prevailing myth that making money on the Internet is easy. Because of this, many people begin a career in Internet marketing with no experience or education. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about formal education. Even I didn’t study marketing in college. Like other half-way successful Internet marketers I spent years trying different things and studying what works before I started making money. This is the type of education that the vast majority of amateur marketers on the Internet ignore.

How to go from amateur to professional and start making money.

Study successful marketers. The Internet marketing industry is full of successful entrepreneurs and marketing professionals that are more than willing to act as a mentor and provide free information on their blogs and websites. These individuals can be a vital source of valuable information to anyone starting out in marketing. It’s important to not only study the strategies they use but also their style and choice a dialogue. Tactics like blogging and social media are important but without understanding the proper method of communication all can be lost.

Learn how to write. In almost every aspect of marketing the ability to write successfully can create a truly competitive edge. Becoming a better writer means that you are sharpening communication skills. Understanding how to communicate is at the core of marketing–both online and off. Even if you are just writing code, understanding how to write clear and concise statements will drastically help you communicate with clients and customers on a daily basis.

Join the community. Being part of a community can help the amateur understand all of the various methods and strategies available. One can join the community by participating in different online forums and discussion groups. But the best way to make a real connection with members of your community is to meet them in person at industry conferences and trade shows. Being a part of a community can help the amateur find value in doing good solid work by witnessing firsthand others that have found success.

So now its time to take a hard look at what your efforts entail and ask yourself, am I an amateur? If so, don’t worry there’s still hope for you on the web. Just remember that if you want to stay in this business of making money online, it isn’t going to be easy and you are going to have to hustle. But I am confident that if you work hard and follow the advice above you will make the transition from amateur to professional in no time!