Auto vs. Manual surf: the debate rages on. Why should it?

I was recently at a small conference where the topic of Auto surf sites vs. Manual surf sites came up. Very ugly remarks were made by the guest speaker (a Manual traffic site owner) concerning Auto surf sites. Of course, I could not remain silent on the issue. Sigh. I am quite passionate about what I do and, obviously, I do Auto surf exchanges although mine are actually both. So, tempers flared, words were exchanged and we got of topic completely. Very unproductive in the end. But, it reminded me once again how very narrow-minded people can be when it comes to marketing choices.

My personal philosophy, both as a “user/member” of resources and an owner is: if it works, use it. If it don’t, then, don’t. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. Now, in my experience, I have had no luck with manual exchanges. I have clicked my poor fingers off and never, ever had any results with them. I have had good results with auto surf sites. I know of people who have great results from manual surf sites, I just am not one of them. Does that make me hate and loath manual surf sites? No, of course not! Do I go around calling those sites “garbage”. Absolutely not! Because, this is another one of my philosophies: “All these sites an INDUSTRY make.”

It takes ALL the different marketing sites to make a healthy, viable marketing industry. Each and every site and type of marketing medium has its good points, its bad points, and sometimes the ugly as well. Lol. But they are ALL part of an overall network. They ALL are viable marketing resources. You as an individual need to try as many different mediums as you can, then sort out what works and doesn’t work FOR YOU. This goes for traffic sites, safelists, submitters, ffa sites, adboards, downline and list builders, lead providers and any other mediums I have failed to name. ALL make up an industry.

You have to try them out and find out what works and what doesn’t work. In my experience, you need variety in your marketing portfolio. It has taken many, many resources to promote my sites: traffic (mostly auto but some manual), safelists, submitters, ffas, adboards, list builders and you name it. One resource is not particularly more valuable than another. They all have value. Some are better at certain things then others. Now, over the course of marketing I have left individual sites in which I found no merit. I have left a lot of manual traffic sites, but that is only because that site was not working for me. I have left a lot of auto surf sites for the same reason, and safelists and….well you get the gist here.

In retrospect of the meeting I attended, the speaker ended up null and voiding all his points he had been making. He had talked about “networking” and building alliances but when called to task about the remarks he was making about Auto surf sites (and small membership sites as well), he became quite defensive and said that this was “his opinion” and that he would be glad to debate me with all his “statistics” and then continued to bash auto surf sites even more. Lol. Like, “hello” you can’t just bash a part of the industry and expect to make alliances! He can throw all the stats he wants out there, I have my own and they favor auto surf sites! So what good would that do anyone? And, everyone has opinions. They have a God given right to have them. They need them to function in life. That does not necessarily mean that you need to air them, especially if they are rude and offensive. Kinda like the you know whats that everyone has but don’t necessarily need to show everyone. Lol.

He rather ended all discussion then by telling me he "did not need a relationship with me." Screaming roll on the floor laughing! Talk about double speak! Here he was going on about the importance of an alliance and how he was trying to get one going for an ad coop, but, when put to the task, he could not get his own ego out of the way long enough to build one with one humble person. Phew and wipe my eyes.

Bottom line: Lots of marketing sites out there. Try them. Keep the one’s that work for you. Leave the one’s which do not. If you are into network marketing or building an alliance: do NOT throw rocks. They might bounce back and hurt you.
By: Cherie Halliday
http://www.xtreamsurf.com/