This Is My Internet Marketing Strategy

I have been interested in learning how to internet market for a couple of years now.  My entire career has been in the technology arena.  Many of you have never heard of punch cards, Fortran, or COBOL.  Unfortunately, I have!  These were my first experiences with technology and computers.  Fortunately, I have kept current with technology.  I have started and maintained a successful consulting practice.  With one notable exception, I have never made money online.  So, I finally decided it was time to learn to how to internet market. 

The Question Is…How To Internet Market?

Why not learn how to internet market before now?  Obviously, there are a lot of people who know far less about technology than me making a lot of money online.  Frankly, I want to do it right,.  I have been concerned with what I call the dark side of online marketing.  Selling something for the sake of selling, that benefits the seller only.  You’ve seen the ads and the emails with the big promises…Make a fortune in 8 minutes.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’d like to make a fortune myself, but not be self-serving.  I also know that there are many internet marketing gurus that are credible and want to help others succeed.  I want to learn to internet market in a way that adds value and quality to others.

I have been reluctant to enter the internet marketing arena up until now because of my own preconceptions and assumptions.  And probably fear of failure as well.  Someone once told me that everyone is in marketing, whether you’re selling something or not.  So I’ve decided to enter the internet marketing arena and attempt to build a business.  Since I don’t want to be invisible on the internet, I needed a strategy to promote my site and attract visitors.  If you’re reading this page, my strategy is achieving some degree of success.

And yes, I do know that it is a crowded and competitive business.  But I’m starting today.  I’m not an expert or a guru.  Maybe you’re not either.  But come with me and we’ll see if there is a way to get online and create a web site with quality content.  And one that adds value…and maybe one that can help you learn to internet market.

Stay tuned, I’ll do some research and keep you posted on my successes (I hope) and failures as I learn how to internet market.

This Is The Internet Marketing Strategy…

I am using to build a quality, enduring business with a little money, a lot of effort, and a lot of help:

Starting With A Blueprint

  • If you don’t know where you’re going, any direction will do, but the destination is unknown.  Any building project starts with a blueprint – a framework or design document.  A web site or digital business is no different than anoy other type of construction project.  My blueprint is a plan to build a quality, lasting digital business that generates repeat trafffic and monetization.

Finding A Niche

  • A niche market is a manageable slice of a market sector.  For example, vintage Ford Mustangs is a niche within the automobile sector. 
  • Specific to internet marketing, find a niche that you are both passionate about and that generates search requests as shown by keyword tools. 
  • If your goal is to make money, find a niche market that can be monetized by seeing where others are making money.  Many affiliate programs are available to identify such opportunities.

The Domain Name

The domain is your  digital real estate, your intellectual property on the web.  It’s how people find you and hopefully return.  The domain name you select is either your brand or a keyword rich domain.  For search engine optimization, keyword domains are most typical.  Keyword tools, like Google’s keyword tool, are great for finding a keyword phrase that people enter into search engines.   Matching your domain name to a keyword phrase as closely as possible is a basic for SEO.  Deciding on a domain extension (.com, .net, or .org) is also important. 

Creating An Authority Site

An authority site is a popular site that people frequent, that gets linked to on the basis of its merit, or that others willingly refer to when the topic of that site comes into play.  Authority sites generally have more content and more pages than other sites. The search engines feed on content-rich websites.  Search engines generally give more weight to the incoming links from authority sites as long as their main keyword is the same as your own.

WordPress

WordPress is one of the most popular blogging and content management system.  Since its introduction, it has outpaced and replaced other web authoring tools.  It is an open source blogging tool, powered by PHP and MySQL.  Plug Ins are a big part of WordPress’s success.  They extend the functionality of WordPress, transforming it from a basic blogging tool into a full content management system.

Keywords

Keywords and keyword phrases are the magnets that attract visitors to your web site.  Think of it as a game of baseball pitch and catch.  You want to catch the requests search engine visitors pitch with matching search terms, or keywords.  Keywords should both match search terms and accurately represent your site’s content.

Blogging

Blogging is a proven path to making money on the internet in a niche market.  For a blog to be successful it needs to be relevant, engaging, and fresh.  Google particularly ranks not only for relevant content, but for a refresh rate also.  Blogging about a topic you are passionate about, coupled with search engine optimization, will gain an audience and prove to be a rewarding experience for you as well as your visitors.   

Content

Good content is what attracts visitors and encourages them extend their visit. People are searching online for solutions, products, services, …answers.  Keywords help attract visitors.  Content that meets their search encourages them to stay, return often, and build loyalty to your site.  Content is the core of a sustainable business.

Social Media 

Social media marketing programs usually center on efforts to create content that attracts attention and encourages readers to share it with their social networks. The content is seen as more credible because it is coming from a trusted, third-party source, as opposed to the brand or company itself. 

Social media has become a platform that is easily accessible to anyone with internet access. Increased communication for organizations fosters brand awareness and often, improved customer service. Additionally, social media serves as a relatively inexpensive platform for organizations to implement marketing campaigns. With emergence of channels like Twitter, FaceBook, and YouTube, the barrier to entry in social media is greatly reduced.

Credits

I’m not planning to learn to internet market alone, by the way. 

I’ve signed up for a five month course by Brian Johnson, 300 Internet Marketers. 

I have a fellow entrepreneur, Joe Lindley, who is a valuable, patient, and knowledgeable resource.  Joe’s web site is cravingsugar.net.  You can follow him on Twitter, @joe_lindley.

Check out this video about the importance of internet marketing at a local business level.

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