How to Get Started in Internet Marketing

Internet marketing can seem overwhelming when you first get started. It helps to break it down into five types of internet marketing strategies. This article covers each of these and helps you identify which ones are a good fit for you.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Start by understanding what you are going to promote. Whether you are selling a product or a service or a business, the most important thing to promote is YOU. People do business with people.
   
   With that in mind, identify your strengths. Do you like writing, socializing, problem solving, or strategizing? Each area of marketing uses different skills.

2. Thought Leader
   
   One type of internet marketing is to position yourself as a thought leader. To do this you will want to create internet content that is of value for your target market. There are many places you can create content, including your own site or blog, as well as a wide range of article marketing sites such as ehow, ezinearticles, Hubpages, etc. You can also do video blogging on sites such as YouTube.
   
   To be a thought leader, you have to have strong writing skills or A/V skills. You can create your own content (which is free) or outsource the writing.

3. Social Networking
   
   If you enjoy meeting people, then social networking is a great option for you. Social networking sites are exploding. Some of the most popular ones include Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Understand that social networking is all about relationships. You are giving to give. One of the biggest advantages of social networking is that it is free and you can meet some really wonderful people

4. Headline Ads
   
   If you like to study human nature, do testing and analysis, then you should consider creating headline ads. There are several different ways of doing headline ads, the key one being Pay per click (PPC). 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.

5. Product Creation
   
   Rather than promote someone else's product, you can create your own products or programs. For instance, you can create your own affiliate program (e.g. through 1shopping cart) or create an e-book to sell. Companies like Clickbank will take care of the money-end for you and can even create an affiliate program for you.

6. Search Engine Optimization
   
   If you have technical skills, then Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a good marketing strategy for you. 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.

Tips & Warnings

• As you move forward with your internet marketing career, you will likely engage in marketing activities from all five areas. 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!

Resources

• Internet Network Marketing

[clydston]

on 2/25/2009 Great Article. Clear, Concise and very informative.

[cindyschulson]

on 2/3/2009 Many thanks for your kind feedback. I've learned that if you try to do too many new things at once, you get paralyzed and end up doing nothing. It's far better to learn one thing at a time. Like yourselves, I love writing so article marketing is a great fit. All the best,
Cindy

[SarahRobinson]

on 2/3/2009 Great information! Thank you 5*

[savemoneycenter]

on 1/30/2009 Excellent article and well spelled out.

[VirtualWorker]

on 1/25/2009 Interesting read!

VirtualWorker