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While Internet marketing, also known as online or Web marketing,
has some similarities to its offline cousin, it's the differences that
make it stand out. The biggest of these is: Inexpensive access to incredibly wide distribution.
The key to Internet marketing:
Establish a consistent, persistent presence on the Web.There are several ways to go about this, and each has its merits.
What follows is an overview of five methods. Each of these can be done as a stand-alone, although many Internet marketers will use two or more, carefully weaving them together. When someone goes looking for a solution that you provide,
you want it to be easy for them to find you. If you have never had your own website, written an article, or attended
a webinar (let alone create one), don't worry. Many of the Internet entrepreneurs who are active today started from the very same place. Excellent training and support is available! As you read through this material, refer to my
Internet Terminology
page for any terms that may be new to you. There you will find helpful additional resources.
Contact me
if you are interested in training. First Step? Become familiar with the landscape of Internet marketing.
Website
You might think that your website is like your storefront, and it's really
a whole lot more than that. Rather than just a place where folks can look in and see what you have to offer. . . A good website provides real value to its visitors. Remember that the Internet is the information highway. People use it to search for answers, solutions to their problem. Good value can be offered in a variety of ways: • Free download of a relevant ebook • Posted audio or video file • Links to additional resources • Just plain good content Another way to put it is your website provides an opportunity to present quality information, in your unique voice. Let your visitors get to know you, as well as what you have to offer. People want to do business with someone they know and trust. Check out my
website marketing
page for more information on this important aspect of your Internet marketing plan.
Blog
This Internet term is short for weblog, and is a particular type of website.
A Blog is less static than a website, and more topic oriented. The purpose is to post new and relevant information on anything related to your product or service. Blogging or to blog, refers to the act of adding content to a blog. Your Blog is your online newsletter.
While your main website can be a virtual library
of information, your blog will continue the latest information on specific topics related to your field. One can feed into the other, with links back
and forth between the two sites. Blogs have become popular with the emergence of Web 2.0, and afford an excellent way to regularly present new information to a wide audience. Check out
Social Marketing
for additional information on blogs.
Article Marketing
Another form of Internet marketing which has become very popular, article marketing can serve both you and your potential clients or customers well. Article marketing consists of writing short articles that relate to your business, and then publishing them on the Internet, usually through ezines or ezine directories. You do not need to be a trained writer to write a good article. Write about what you know, in conversational tone, in your own words. Templates for article marketing are available to help you get started.
A typical article for an ezine is 400-500 words, and addresses a specific topic. The title should be clear
and concise, and a good representation of the body of the text. This helps the search engines know what it's about.Article marketing can position you as an authority in your field. There are numerous ezines to which you can submit your articles. These ezines in turn, may have a large distribution or following on the Web, which increases your presence. Your article will be listed in a table of contents, and can also show up via search engine results. Article writing can take time, as it works best when you are continually posting new articles. Internet entrepreneurs who rely on this marketing strategy will often outsource their article writing.
Webinars
A web-based seminar, or webinar, gives you the opportunity to reach
a number of interested parties at various locations at the same time. This unique Internet tool leverages the video and audio aspects of the Web, as well as the ability to simultaneously reach a wide audience. You create a topic for the webinar, post a notice on your website or blog, or send it out to your email list, with an option to "opt-in." Webinars are an excellent teaching tool. Becoming a leader in your field will by nature involve an aspect of teaching. Another form of information-sharing, webinars are unique in that there is an interactive element involved. Participants can post questions via the Internet platform (or sometimes via phone), and have them answered by the webinar host in real time.
Video Marketing
Making a video these days is easy and inexpensive. Combine that with simple uploading and the ability to place a video on your website and you have a powerful marketing tool. Don't have a digital video camera? Check out your digital still camera for a video option. Video provides another way to tell your story on the Web. YouTube has become popular in video marketing. No longer just a place for showcasing the latest raw talent from wherever, this clever media site is now a smart choice for the Internet marketer. The ease and universal use of YouTube has caused this people-friendly video site to emerge as a leader in
social marketing.
Just tell your story into a camera and post it.
Email Marketing is such an essential part of any internet marketing strategy, that it deserves a page of its own.Be sure to check out my
Email Marketing Tips.
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