A few months ago, I had a chance to sign up for the Immediate Edge program by Ed Dale and Dan Raine. It was probably the only real social media training service at the time, but it was designed for folks who were somewhat advanced in this field. When folks were talking about how fun myspace was, these guys were covering the gaming changing Social ads and Friendfeed. I have been meaning to write a review on the Immediate Edge but they closed their doors to new members a few months back with no announcement on when they would open their doors again. Fast forward a few month, and the Immediate Edge program is now open to the public again. So let’s see what the program has to offer:

The Immediate Edge: Social Media Training

The immediate Edge program is a set of cutting edge marketing techniques that you can use to start, build up, and eventually sell an online business for profit. I had a chance to get familiar with the immediate edge after finishing up the thirty day challenge. For those of you not familiar with 30 day challenge, the thirty day challenge is a free course that offers training on latest Web 2.0 services such as Twitter, Weebly, Squidoo, and Google technologies.

Once you sign up for the immediate edge program, you are going to be provided with an introduction video as well as a library of content and tools that you can use to get your social media game to a whole new level. Here are the topics that are covered in this program:

• Social Bookmarking and Web 2.0 for Google Ranking: The Immediate Edge covers exactly how you should go about building links with social bookmarking services. You may think that the best way to build links is article marketing or begging other webmasters. But you can build hundreds of links by taking advantage of social bookmarking services.
• GTrends: The Immediate Edge program shows you how you should go about taking advantage of services such as Google Trends to build your profitable online business fast.
• Advanced SEO: if you already own a website but have no idea how to drive traffic to it with SEO, you are covered with the Immediate Edge. You’ll learn how to use advanced SEO concepts (e.g. LSI) to get the best ranking possible on major search engines.
• Facebook Marketing: a lot of folks don’t really know how to get the best out of Facebook. Facebook is more than just playing games and updating your status message with what you have had for lunch. The Immediate Edge shows you the blue-print that you need to follow to succeed on Facebook.
• Twitter: Learn how to dominate Twitter and build a profitable following on this revolutionary micro-blogging platform.
• Upcoming Web 2.0 Trends: I would love to say that Twitter and Facebook will stay strong for years to come. But the Web 2.0 world is too volatile and things change quickly. The R&D team at the Immediate Edge is constantly on the watch for new developments in this field to help you stay ahead of the field.
• How Ed Does Video Video series: Ed has truly mastered the art of building videos and sharing them online. He teaches you through this 7 part series how you can build your own video-cast.
• Buying Web Sites for Traffic and PR: you are going to learn how to take short-cuts by buying websites for cheap and selling them for a fortune.
• Affiliate Marketing: learn the right way to do affiliate marketing and make real money online.
• Case Studies: learn how Ed and Dan launch their projects and how you can learn from their experiences.
• Edge Networker: not too excited about all the work you need to put forth to build links? Edge Networker is a link-builder that automatically build links for you without you having to do too much.
• Interviews: the Immediate Edge members gain access to interviews with Internet marketing legends such as John Reese and Yanik Silver.
• Tools: you’ll gain access to tools that you can use to build your own affiliate program, cloak links, and …

So here are a few things that I learned from the Immediate Edge’s program:

• There is such a thing as too much information: When Dan and Ed talked about how the immediate edge program is not for everyone, I literally thought they were using a marketing ploy to raise interest about their program. But once I logged on to the immediate edge for the first time, I realized how much content they have on the side. Whether it’s the whole array of projects or the maximum edge method, there are millions of things to look at, and it’s very easy to get lost unless you know your way around.
• There is such as a thing as being over your head: I personally signed up for the immediate edge to get access to latest tricks that I can use to advance my site. Unfortunately, you need to be familiar with a lot of advanced marketing techniques to be able to properly take advantage of the immediate edge teachings.
• Being pragmatic does matter: you read all these books that talk about how you can implement advanced marketing techniques. But unless you see them done in practice,the chances are you are not going to master them. The projects section of the immediate edge is where things become pragmatic.
• There are better things that outsourcing: The social media marketing process can be very time consuming, but most people outsource their projects to India and China to focus on more important things. With the networker, the script does it all.
• You’ve got to know where to cut your losses: the immediate edge was a great place for marketing training. There were courses about viral marketing, Facebook marketing, and …. In addition, Dan and Ed provide a bunch of tools that you will have to pay in thousands for without the program. But what can you do with the immediate edge if you have no time to follow it. The Immediate Edge Program (IEP) can be the best marketing subscription service out there, but if you don’t use it, it’s a waste a money. Realizing when to cut your losses is the key.

Verdict: A-. The Immediate Edge program is a one of a kind social media training package. It’s not cheap, but it’s saves you a lot of time. Ed and Dan literally do your research for you. The only problem with the Immediate Edge program is too much information. If you are dedicated enough to get through all the new materials day in and day out, you are going to get your money’s worth. But if you plan to buy the Immediate Edge program and not use these techniques, there are better ways to spend your money.