How to Choose What Kind of Internet Marketing is Right For You Without Getting Overwhelmed
Internet marketing is a very broad term that can seem intimidating when you’re first getting started. It helps to break it down into five key areas. This article covers each of these and helps you identify which areas you should focus on. Start by understanding what you are going to promote. Above all, you should be promoting yourself. You can also promote a product or program, but front and center should be YOU. Before you decide what type of marketing you should do, ask yourself what it is you like you to do. Do you like writing, socializing, problem solving, or strategizing? Each area of marketing uses different skills.
Let’s review the 5 different types of internet marketing and the skills required for each.
1. Thought Leader
To position yourself as a thought leader, you’re going to engage in creating valuable internet content. You can write content for your blog or site, as well as other people’s sites. You can also contribute to content sharing sites, such as Hubpages, Squidoo and social media sites such as Facebook. You can also do video blogging on sites such as YouTube. To be a thought leader, you have to have strong writing and/or A/V skills, and be committed to studying so you can develop worthy content. From a cost standpoint, this is a free option, although investing in valuable training material can greatly speed up the process. You can also outsource the writing, but this can get expensive.
2. Headline Ads
If you like to study human nature, do testing and analysis, then you should consider the option of headline ads. There are several different ways of doing headline ads, the key one being Pay per click.Pay per click works well in almost any type of marketing, including network marketing. Although many PPC providers exist, the main ones are Google AdWords, Yahoo! Search Marketing, and Microsoft adCenter. Other types of headline ads include banner ads, ezine ads and offline ads (e.g. newspapers). One of the biggest drawbacks of doing headline ads is that it requires money to invest and it takes practice to get it right. Engaging in some training is a good idea, but be prepared to improve with practice and perhaps not make a big return on your initial investment.
3. Product Creation
Rather than promote someone else’s product/service/program, creating your own products to market can be very profitable. It allows you to have full control and be fully customizable. You can create your own affiliate program (e.g. through 1shopping cart). You can start small (e.g. produce a 10-page ebook that you sell for $5-$10). Companies like Clickbank will take care of the money-end for you and can even create an affiliate program for you. If you like inventing, problem solving and creating systems, then product creation can be a good option. Going the slow route is inexpensive, but if you want to speed thing up through outsourcing it can get quite costly.
4. Search Engine Optimization
If your strengths are more in the technical and strategic arenas, then SEO is a good marketing angle for you. SEO refers to the behind the scenes of how search engines find web sites. While it can be complex, there are a few simple strategies that can go a long way. Training is essential and because things change all the time in SEO you have to continuously have your pulse on new developments.
5. Social Networking
If you enjoy connecting with old friends and meeting new people, then social networking [http://www.marketingmerge.com/internet-and-network-marketing/social-marketing/#5] is a great option for you. There are many social networking sites to choose from, such as Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, and Twitter. You can also do social networking by visiting forums or groups (such as Google or Yahoo Groups). Above all, keep in mind that social networking is all about relationships. You are giving to give. There is some good training you can tap into that will show you how to bring up your business the right way. One of the biggest advantages of social networking is that it is free and you can meet some really wonderful people.
Conclusion
As you move forward with your internet marketing career, you will likely engage in marketing activities from all five areas. There are a lot of synergies among the different areas, and to be really effective you will have to learn elements of each one. But to get started, take a look at your skills, interests and budget, and focus on just one or two areas. Before you know, you’ll be an internet marketing pro!
Cindy Schulson is a coach for those who work from home or want to have a home business. Her focus is on working smart by helping you leverage the power of the Internet and attract qualified people to you. Visit her at Home Business Wins to book a free consultation and to receive a FREE copy of her ebook. You can contact her directly at cindy@homebusinesswins.com or call her at (619) 318-8688.
Author: Cindy Schulson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Make PCB