Adventures in Business and CRM

For Internet Marketers, the last 12 years have been an unbelievable blur of ever-changing rules, strategies, concepts, web 2.0′s/3.0′s, with an unhealthy side of scams and hype. For the average business owner trying to keep up with these rules, it’s been an unrelenting race that has been nearly impossible to take the lead in.

With the internet’s landscape forever changing, and the average internet user becoming smarter and more keen to blatant advertising every minute, how does one foresee which of the vast array of internet marketing tactics will actually hit home with their audience?  You could follow the lead of the big guys implementing newer tactics, such as social media… but does it really work? What about Pay Per click advertising? Isn’t it expensive? I bet you’ve heard a friend of a friend talk about how they were able to get some notable amounts of traffic using YouTube or Video marketing.

If you’ve ever asked yourself  “How can I really leverage internet marketing, without doing something that just doesn’t work anymore”, then you’re going to highly benefit from this post. The rules have changed, and they keep changing, so I cannot say that these rules will be 100% relevant in a year, or even in 6 months. With the internet, you never know! However, right now, they are relevant, and they will help you educate yourself what your local Search Engine Marketing firm probably won’t tell you about utilizing the Internet in your marketing efforts.
The Rules Have Changed! The New Rules of Internet Marketing

• It’s all About Your Audience: Focus on your USER, not yourself, your product, or your service. Build genuine relationships with your users, and focus on them at all times. Your campaign should be focused around what your product or service can do for your user… not simply about how great your product is.
• Implementing most Blackhat SEO Methods will get you Banned: Most search engines are catching on very quickly, and a variety of blackhat SEO methods are now being recognized much faster than they used to be. Once you are black listed, it’s tough to come back from.
• Implement A system of Testing: The only constant on the internet is change. It is because of this that yourself, or your internet marketer needs to be split testing all campaigns in any given area at least once a month. This includes targeted keywords for relevance, SEO, PPC, and social media efforts.
• Researching your Market is a MUST: You may think you know all there is to know about your key demographic, or you may think that your key demographic is “everyone”, right? Wrong. Broad marketing efforts are far less effective unless your budget is close to unlimited. Each product or service should have it’s targeted niche. Aimless marketing efforts will lose you more money than they will earn. Find out who you’re really targeting or who’s really buying your product. You may be surprised to find that it’s not who you thought it was.
• You will Pay for More When Hiring an SEO, SEM, or Internet Marketing Consultant: Not too long ago, any guy with a laptop and internet connection could claim to be a “good” SEO expert, and charge a few hundred dollars per month to head an SEO campaign. In all honesty, I believe you get what you pay for, and in the Internet Marketing industry this couldn’t be more true. So many people come to me (everyday) having absolutely no idea what to budget for a consultant or an SEO. It is alright to pay a few thousand per month to someone who knows what they’re doing.  You wouldn’t believe how many clients I get who have been burned with very little or no results from past consultants and “gurus”. Why? Because they were looking for a deal.
• Connect using Social Media: If you’re not already utilizing social media, then you should. Why? Because you will gain priceless insight into your demographic. I could list 1000 other reasons, but your main objective is to listen, help, and build genuine relationships. Sales are secondary. Trust me, you’ll get it once you’re involved.
• Video Is In, so start Creating!: If you can make it a more interactive experience for your users, do it! Furniture companies can opt to create weekly video shows on decorating and interiors. Jewelry companies can create a series on fashion, or even creative marriage proposals happening live and in real-time. No matter what industry you are in, there is always a way to integrate video into your brand. In fact, it’s a wonderful way to effectively get your brand out, in a more visual and non-pushy way. Simply try to add value, as you would in any other social media situation, and you’ll do well.
• Really Listen : Dedicate time and resources to listening to your target audience. Who are they…really? What are their daily struggles? Complaints? Rants? Common web surfing habits? Find out everything you can about them and make sure to implement a way to organize all of your data from listening.
• Implement Metrics on Everything you Can Measure: Because of all of the new avenues of marketing the internet now provides, there must be a system of measurement in place to find out exactly which of these methods produces, and in what ways. Install an analytics program or service on your site, and keep close tabs on who is coming from where, and what those users from sites like Twitter are doing on your site.  This will enable you to focus more attention on what works, and less on what doesn’t produce as well.
• Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Blog: This is a big one. Effective and engaging content can lead to many potential and frequent users on a site. The best way to feature engaging content is to display in blog format somewhere on your own website. However, it’s not limited to just having a blog. Being featured on a well-known blog can render tons of highly targeted traffic to your own site in a very short amount of time.  Not only is this great marketing, it’s cost efficient. It’s also like having a friend tell 10,000 of their own friends that they recommend a service or product. Word of mouth marketing is still the most powerful and effective tool in the world of marketing…even on the internet.
• Spam Gets you Nowhere: In the older days of internet marketing, spamming forums, messages boards, (and other countless methods) could get you quick and effective first-page rankings within a week or two. Now, spamming simply annoys everyone, and takes away your credibility as a company or a professional. Spamming is no longer a way to get to the top. Don’t do it.
• They Know What You’re Up to! Time to Up Your Game: Many internet users are now much smarter than before. (Yes, I was shocked to learn this too!).    They’ve learned that the clever pop-up inviting them to play a free game of poker is really just an ad that will eventually ask for their credit card information. They know that the free offer on the side of the screen is simply just a ploy to get their home address.  It is because of this that many internet marketers are replying heavily on social tactics. In our age, marketing has got to be even more focused, targeted, and tested. As your demographic wisens up, you’ll have to polish up your marketing tactics…and it will be never-ending. Remember, testing is key. Don’t spend a ton of money on a campaign unless you’ve tested it and have proof that it works and converts for your business, not just your competitor’s.
• Impressive Branding Now Includes Having a Multi-Layered Presence: A notable brand should be featured well beyond the limits of it’s office walls or it’s company website. It should be talked about,  blogged about, Twittered about, IM’d about, and contain a viable and traceable trail of footprints that potential users can easily find when searching for information on your company. Your brand should be everywhere, and this mindset should be woven into every aspect of the internet marketing initiatives.
• Marketing Tools are Now a Must: Marketing tools that are frequently offered SAAS (or Software as a Service) are becoming essential tools in any Internet Marketer’s box of tricks.  It is nearly impossible to run a smooth internet marketing campaign without utilizing the tools of the trade.  These tools include analytics tools, CRM solutions, email management accounts, site performance tools, accounting tools, and much more. The good news is that many are offered at a variety of different price ranges to suite every budget. Some are even free and others offer free trials to help you gauge whether their service is a good match for your business.
• Utilize Social Search: If you ever wanted to know what a good amount of the internet was talking about at any given moment, most people know that you could easily head over to Twitter’s search feature to see immediate results on any keyword. You can even be updated on what people are talking about by signing up to Twitter trending clients offered via certain twitter accounts and utilities. Internet Marketers will realize how important these tools really are,  given the rapid nature in which life-streaming tools are growing.

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