It was Travis Sago, I believe, who invented the term “Bum Marketing.” The method itself is based on tried and tested principles and techniques which were already known and used for years – Article Marketing. However, Travis formulated a certain way of using these principles and techniques and called it his own.
Article marketing is at the root of this method that you use as the Ultimate Guide to Med Spa Marketing. That is, you write content (articles) that give value (or you should if you want to succeed), with the aim to lead the reader into making a purchase with you getting the commission. However, with Bum Marketing, you do this without spending a cent. The whole process should cost absolutely nothing! If it does, in my opinion it is no longer Bum Marketing, after all a “Bum” couldn’t do this method if it involves spending money.
With so many free resources on the Internet, this is not actually difficult to do. It is genuinely possible for someone off the streets to make a little money, so long as they can gain access to a computer and the net of course. Joining affiliate programs to have a product to sell is free. Article directories are free to submit your work to. The search engines will provide the traffic (if you have done your work correctly). For those article directories that do not allow you directly to promote affiliate programs in your articles, you will need to set up a separate page where you then recommend whatever you are selling. This is where some people might be tempted to spend a little money. And there is nothing wrong with doing so! BUT it would no longer be correct to call what you are doing as “Bum Marketing.” Thankfully, for those who wish to remain truthful, you can set up as many free landing pages as you wish.
I would also offer another signature feature of Bum Marketing, which many have forgotten. Although I guess it is fair to say that this is still my opinion, I am 95% sure of it.
What is it? It is that in addition to not spending a cent, you are also NOT looking to develop any kind of business from this, at least not initially (after earning you money, it is always wise to invest, but then you’re no longer a “Bum Marketer.”) which means you are looking to grab sales here and there, by grabbing those low hanging fruits that you find. This involves seeking out the low competition, reasonably searched long-tail keywords, and quickly writing your article to provide the juice on the subject, along with a way to make a sale. Then you move on to the next, and so on.
In conclusion, I see many people using the term “Bum Marketing” instead of article marketing, and also thinking those 2 are one and the same. Strictly, they are not the same at all. Article marketing simply means marketing by writing articles. Bum Marketing means marketing through writing articles without spending a cent, and without any plan to dominate any niche areas.