I mean ETHICAL standards.
Here’s what I’ve seen, over and over again. Someone gets involved with affiliate/internet marketing. They start noticing a lot of people doing unethical things, some are borderline, some are flat stealing from and cheating people.
At first they’re disgusted by it, and they vow they’re gonna do it the right way, honestly.
Then they start going to internet marketing conference, start hanging out with people in the industry.
Slowly, they’re standards start falling. What they thought was unethical a year ago, is suddenly OK to do. (Deep down they feel guilty, but they just bury the guilt in all the money they’re making.)
A year later they’re running acai berry flogs, openly spamming, and snorting cocaine with a room full of hookers.
And there you go, from upstanding citizen to bonified white colar criminal in 2 years.
(Now, I should say, NOT everyone in IM turns into crook or crackhead! But almost everyone has their standards LOWERED.)
So what happened?
If you don’t work hard to maintain high ethical standards, associate with most people in the IM/affiliate crowd will drag you DOWN.
And if you let your standards drop a little bit, and then a little bit more, and then a little bit more again, then before you know it, you’ll be pushing fake new articles and fake blogs promoting bogus diet offers too.
I’m not just talking about standards and ethics because it the right thing to do, but also if you want a long term business you need a build your foundation on integrity.