The Very Tired Tropes of Online Business: 2025 Edition

You know that old saying: the more things change, the more they stay the same? If you’ve been around online business for a minute—or a decade (like us)—you know exactly what I mean. Every year, there’s some shiny new tactic, some revolutionary new approach, but the truth is, the tropes…they never really die. They just get a makeover.

Today, we’re revisiting one of our most popular episodes: The Very Tired Tropes of Online Business. We’re taking a walk down memory lane, comparing it to the landscape of 2025, and see what’s still hanging around—and what’s evolved in even more insidious ways.

Spoiler: not much has changed, except now it’s wrapped in different packaging. So, let’s jump in.

We did an episode on the very tired tropes of online business in 2021, and four years later, it’s time for an update.

Because while a lot of things are the same, these tired cliches have evolved. In 2021 we talked about:

Sales Tropes which are alive and well
Influencer Tropes, which gets an update for 2025
Money Tropes which aren’t ever going to die, but there’s some fresh hell to discuss
And brand new for 2025, we’re adding Pivot Tropes

Before we dig in, let’s get on the same page.

What is a trope, exactly?

In literature and film, a trope is a recurring theme or a commonly used narrative device. Think about a horror movie: Just when you think Jason or Freddy is dead, they spring back to life.

In online business? It’s that predictable pattern of marketing hype and manipulation that you see…everywhere. From income claims to hustle culture, these tropes are the bread and butter of online marketing. And while they may shift in appearance, the underlying message remains the same.

Sales Tropes

Sales tropes are the bread and butter of online marketing. They’re the familiar patterns that every launch, every funnel, and every high-ticket webinar seems to follow.

These tropes are designed to get you to open your wallet by any means necessary.

In 2025, these tactics haven’t gone anywhere. If anything, they’ve just been dressed up to feel more aligned and less pushy, but the mechanics? Exactly the same.

One bright spot is that posting prices on sales pages is now more common. Remember when you had to sit through an hour-long webinar just to hear the price or get on a sales call? Well, someone finally got the memo. Transparency sells.

These tropes are still the same:

12-month payment plans for programs that last weeks. Still a favorite. Why charge $5,000 upfront when you can stretch it out, make it look “affordable,” and get people locked into payments long after giving up?
The “I was scared to invest too, and here’s how amazing my business is now” story. Look, if I had a dollar for every time someone trotted out this transformation tale…I’d have a seven-figure business too.
Objection handling is still alive and well. We are still “overcoming your money blocks” or “pushing through the fear.” It’s still about making you feel like your reluctance is a character flaw that needs fixing.

New 2025 Versions:

Celebration Purchases: Instead of post-it notes on the wall, it’s all about posting what you’ll buy on social media to celebrate launch goals. Hitting 100K? That means a trip to Italy. Because nothing tells your clients that they are paying for your lifestyle like
“Aligned Selling.” It’s still high-pressure, but now it’s wrapped in an ethical bow.

Relatability Tropes (Instead of Influencer Tropes)

Influencer culture has declined online, replaced by something meant to feel a lot more “authentic” (and more dangerous)—the relatability trope.

In 2025, the private jets, trips to Bali, the Lambos and Tesla all feel laughable. Most people make fun of these tropes, which are giant red flags for online businesses.

But now, being relatable and likable is all the rage. These are the online business owners who market themselves not as untouchable influencers living in luxury but as everyday people grinding it out just like you. After all, we need to keep building the parasocial relationship.

What Changed:

“Authenticity” is the new currency. But make no mistake, it’s just as curated as those old photoshoots. Now it’s messy buns and ‘look at me, I’m real’ moments.
Peak BFF Next Door. She’s healing. She’s real. She’s intentional vulnerable all to build an emotional bond with you.
Builds the parasocial relationship. Cultivates what feels like a “real” relationship that is easy to exploit and make people buy.

Money Tropes

Money tropes are not going anywhere. If anything, they’ve gotten even more sophisticated. We still see passive income promises—just set it and forget it!—alongside seven-figure lifestyle claims splashed across Instagram and sales pages.

Passive income promises. The dream is alive and well. Set it and forget it! Except…we all know it’s not that simple. Now it comes in more innovative packaging – it’s not just courses – it’s Master Resell Right and PDF farming.
6-figures, seven-figures, and beyond. Why won’t this just die? Seriously, it’s the most boring, trite messaging, but still, people sell 7-figure dreams. What a race to the bottom.
“You have to spend money to make money.” The favorite line right before a $10K investment. Still true, still manipulative.
Stripe screenshots. Now, people are showing off how much money they make with Stripe screenshots that you can so easily fake. Seeing is not believing.

Pivot Tropes (New for 2025)

The newest addition to our tired tropes collection: Pivot Tropes. If you’ve been in this space for a while, you’ve probably noticed the disappearing acts—people who vanished from the spotlight only to reappear with a fresh coat of ‘soft life’ paint.

The Disappearing Act. So many faces vanished in 2024. Now they’re back, softer, more aligned—but never mentioning that their business burned to the ground. Convenient, right?
The Reappearance Act. It’s a story of how they needed to take a year off to do some healing, soul-searching and now they are back. Ready to sell you!
The Rise of the ‘Soft Life.’ People who were knee-deep in hustle culture have mysteriously rebranded. Now they’re sipping matcha, doing breathwork, and posting about “ease and flow.” But let’s not forget: two years ago, they were selling “Grind 24/7.”

How to Protect Yourself (Good News: These Haven’t Changed)

The good news? The ways to protect yourself haven’t changed. Critical thinking never goes out of style when it comes to making great purchasing decisions.

Look for expertise, not just testimonials. Testimonials are still easy to fake. Ask for real proof. Ask past clients. Read the about page.
Do your research. If someone went from “hustle boss” to “soft life” find out what happened in the middle. It’s easier to find out than you think.
Be wary of people who coach you on your sales objections. If they tell you to invest before you’re ready or that your mindset is hindering your goals, run away.
Trust your gut. It probably is if it smells like a trope, and that should be the red flag for you. Because if something is off, it usually is.