Internet Marketer? Take Advantage of These Smart Marketing Principles
Any fool can tell you that the internet has changed everything
. From how we shop, communicate, and do business to how we find a spouse, a new job or a used car. And while the internet in all it's capabilities and facets makes life easier, it can also make our lives more demanding and scatter our attention in many directions at once.
After all, we're not talking about a simple garden hose of information coming into our homes anymore. These days it's more like the dam breaks and floods us with a torrent of junk and debris. Every day! For many of us, it's a daily struggle to keep above the water line with our time and attention.
What can an internet marketer do to stand out, to be noticed and to be seen and heard above the flood? First let's start with the fact that the internet is a TOOL for communication. Like a wrench or pair of pliers, the internet is no more than a mechanism you apply to get the result you want.
My background is in traditional marketing. I have worked in creative development, media planning, sales and marketing from television to magazines to billboard and cinema. And I have found that there are universal principles of marketing which are common to all endeavors.. no matter what tool you use to convey your message.
Here is a brief list of marketing principles that can be applied to your message, brand and identity to separate you from the flotsam and jetsam that sweeps through your prospect's life. It only takes being ABOVE AVERAGE to be above the noise. With these few points, you will be well on your way to being a better, more successful marketer.
A Marketing Plan - Make a plan.. work the plan. If you want to write up a detailed Marketing Plan.. I think it's a great idea. This list will hit on some concepts of a Marketing Plan.. however my advise is to search for a Marketing Plan template and find one that works for you. One that is thorough and not overwhelming.
What's the purpose? - You have a product or service to market? Why? Why this product? This service? What aspect of your customer's life will be changed? Made better? Improved? What is it about this project or idea that will get you up early in the morning and keep you working late at night? Most marketing plans don't work because the PURPOSE is not clearly defined.
Who is your market? - What is the DEMOGRAPHIC profile of your ideal market? Are they 18 or 80? Men, woman, children? Country folks? Urban dwellers? What interests do they share? What are their likely professions? Income levels? Another important method for profiling your target market is to look at their PSYCHOGRAPHIC characteristics. This gets into a deeper level of understanding who they are, what they do and why they do it. To understand what I am talking about, learn more about Personality Profiles and determine the personality TYPE that is right for your product or service.
When identifying your target market it is critical to define the demographics (characteristics) and psychographics (behavior) of the people who are likely to purchase your product. Also.. Every market has one (or one hundred) mavens or influencers who give advice on everything from plumbers to law firms, to the best Chinese food and latest internet buying trend. Find this subset within your target market and reach out to them. The right message at the right time to this valuable influencer will put you on Easy Street.
What result are you expecting? - You have a Plan, a Purpose and a Market.. what do you need now? A spreadsheet! It is critical to make projections and schedule deadlines RIGHT NOW. Not only will it help you measure progress on a regular basis, it will also help you adjust your course as needed. Ask yourself some critical questions regarding all measurable and quantifiable aspects of your business. How many items do you have to sell to turn a profit? How many leads? Conversions? Clicks?
For example, if you spend $500 on PPC marketing, how many leads, conversions and SALES would you need to generate to make that worth repeating? If you put in 6 hours a week on your blog, how many new contacts or opt-ins would you expect to generate in the next 30 days 60 days 90 days? This is not the accounting department. You are creating the VISION of how your plans will work out. Have fun. Cast a big vision. Play with the numbers and look at all of the facets and angles of your new marketing plan that is crystallizing before you. Give yourself projections and put in deadlines, track your results and don't forget to reward yourself when you reach a goal or milestone!
What's in a message? - Just how important is your message and what should it contain? While slogans, celebrities, trademarks and multi-million dollar budgets are identified with traditional marketing, in the online world it's typically the exact opposite. Online, you don't need celebrities, big budgets and an over paid advertising agency to create intriguing ad copy, define your brand and generate customers. You now have the ability to create, test, track and modify any message in your marketing plan. At any time! How can you lose? Just like in traditional marketing however, you only have a second or two to capture someone's attention.
Be brief. Be creative. Try multiple headlines multiple angles.. change up the wording.. the word order. Track the results and when something is working.. do more of it. As a reminder.. every marketing message has three parts; 1) HEADLINE, 2) FEATURE/BENEFIT and 3) CALL TO ACTION. With most internet marketing and advertising limited to 160 letters or less, it is your HEADLINE and CALL TO ACTION which draws people in. Once your prospect opts in to your Sales Page, Capture Page, Blog, etc, then you can tell them the rest of the story.
Tell a Story - As human beings, we think in PICTURES not words. When I say 'Fire Truck' don't you get a picture in your head of a big, red, Fire Truck and not the word 'Fire Truck'? A Story is how we use words to create pictures and elicit emotion about our products or services which then prompts our audience to take action. Stories draw people in and position them for the next logical step in the buying process. And stories, by the way, are not only about the features and benefits of your product or service. More importantly, you can use stories to convey integrity, character, trust and other qualities which build a bridge to your customer and their emotions.
When it comes to internet marketing, more than any other medium, it's critical to be transparent. Meaning that you want to be honest and truthful. No one likes a person who hypes themselves and struts around as if they are a perfect person who lives a charmed life. When you are 'real' and share your ups and downs, the bad along with the good, people will relate to you, identify with you and be much more likely to TRUST you and the message you are delivering with your story. So.. along with the dream and the promise.. you have to deliver a dose of reality in order to gain an ally.. and a customer.
Apply these proven principles in traditional marketing and you will be ahead of the crowd and above the flood of information coming into your customers door everyday. Target your audience, get their attention, gain their trust and then reach their emotions through story telling and being transparent and you'll beat the masses who are 'winging' their internet marketing campaigns and getting no where.
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By: Robert Hebert
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