Download Junkie

There's a new kind of 21st century addiction taking over normal, intelligent people and I've realised that I suffer from an extreme form of it. It's been sneaking up on me for some time and I guess the best name for it is download addiction.

While I know I need to take responsibility for my addiction its hard to know where to begin, although I'm pretty sure that I was on the right track when I mentioned in a previous post about throwing all of my electronic devices in the bin.

I also think some of the blame should be leveled at all of those people out there who are perpetuating this addiction. If you're reading this post (being that you're online) then you too have probably seen the signs of download addiction.

It begins quite innocently, you might be looking at a website or scrolling through posts on social media and there's a reference to the 'must have' report, video or ebook which will change your life or teach you something so profound that you simply must read it or view it.

I think I have 'sucker' printed on my forehead because I'm always entering my name and email for that little bit of download wisdom. How do I know its an addiction - quite simply when I have an overloaded email inbox with all of the additional crap and sales plugs they send me after I get my freebie.

Don't get me wrong, that report or video or ebook is usually interesting reading or viewing and in most cases worth my effort to download it but 'free' then also translates to "I am going to bombard you with requests to join my paid course or program or regular emails filled with crap etc, and not once but several times a day."

Clues to the gravity of my addiction are when I receive emails telling me that I'm missing out on the chance of a lifetime and that indecision in not deciding to 'improve my life' is in fact making a decision to not improve my life. Really - do some of these people actually read the crap they churn out or even believe it.

I'm not a fan of hard sell advertising and I never have been, yet the internet enables it to be shoved in my face. Why can't I just download your free report, video or ebook and if your material is as good as it's meant to be then it will speak for itself and I'll visit your website to enrol in your program, if and when I want to.

This is an intriguing dilemma for me when I have plans to start my own online business but I abhor the normal marketing techniques that many of these individuals resort to and I have absolutely no desire to use them myself.

I need to find the inner strength to fight this download addiction of mine and recapture control of my inbox. Plus I'd love any thoughts or ideas of how to not use this form of marketing as a way of reaching people, or is it only me and people truly love this form of contact.

Okay so I'm now climbing down of my soapbox and simply vowing to not enter my name or email in one sign up 'freebie' box this week, it's my promise to myself. Fighting my download addiction one step at a time.

I found this quote below and I think it sums up perfectly what I was trying to say... and this is my goal for marketing my business. I think this is what many people have lost the art of.

Cheers, Fi