Good Internet Marketing: What does it look like?

So, I mentioned before that internet marketing, in general, is more of a solid business decision than a fly by night fad. Building a website, creating a product listing for your store, or at least listing your location on Google will more likely help than hurt. However, I cannot help but feel more inclined to hit my head against a wall repeatedly when I see the video search results for internet marketing techniques.

There is a laundry list of promises for passive income that range from $100 dollars a day. Some of these promises range into 5 digits. And these promises are made by people who either only know a fraction of what they are talking about. Either that or they are so desperate to get rich quick that they are willing to lie. It is people like that, that give people who truly want to work in promoting other businesses a bad name. And the terrifying thing about it? Desperate and hopeful people continue to fall for it. The hype of false internet marketing claims that are not only unsustainable but can cost them what little they already have.

Since a lot of these “courses” stem from either a fundamental misunderstanding of how internet marketing works, I am going to go over the seven different types of online marketing and the ideal situation you want to be in when applying them.

Search Engine Optimization

As much as we talk about it, we don’t talk enough about the right timing for businesses to undertake SEO services. For those of you who have recently visited this site, or have never read another article about it, here is a brief definition.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.

This is done through a series of strategies that increase the odds of your website being accessed by people looking for your type of goods or service.

The ideal situation to start implementing SEO services would be :

If you have a strong business model already in place
If your website is easily accessible for everyone to see
And If you understand that this produces slow but long-term results

Search Engine Marketing

While the term has become somewhat generalized to mean all kinds of internet marketing regarding search engines, Its original definition still stands in marketing circles. Search engine marketing is a form of internet marketing that increases the visibility of websites, through paid advertising. Think Google Ads with a combination of SEO and a small amount of PPC. This form of advertising has seen a lot of backlash lately since people have become warier of clicking on ad results on search engines over the years.

Still, it is a viable method of advertising if your company:

Has an older, more established website
Wants more results from an older/ less internet savvy target demographic
Can afford to spend more money for results to save time

Pay Per Click

This often goes hand in hand with Search Engine Marketing and is often hosted by the same top-tier search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Facebook. In the PPC model, advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. Once the click happens advertisers do their best to gain business from the website visitor. If the cost of the incoming business is worth more than the price of the advertisement, then the business gets a profit.

While the idea of it sounds tempting, this only works for certain business objectives, ones that rely on the impulsivity of the potential customer. For this model to work you would need:

An online store on your site
You are creating a contact list from those clicks
Money to invest in those ads
A good or service that requires little risk on the part of the consumer

Content Marketing

This form of marketing is a little more subtle but can be powerful depending on who you get behind your product or service. This sort of marketing is the internet version of “word of mouth”. It involves the creation and sharing of online material that does not expressly exist for the sole purpose of branding but does at least garner some interest in a product or service. This sort of marketing is more organic compared to its other counterparts. However, because it is organic, you will get new business and genuine interest this way. This sort of marketing is good for:

Businesses that can give away free samples to influencers
A business with a brand/identity that coincides with the influencers
Businesses that let their product speak for itself.

Affiliate Marketing

This sort of internet marketing revolves around the idea of two different companies or affiliates to work symbiotically for mutual profit. Affiliate marketing is an online sales tactic that lets a product owner increase sales by allowing others targeting the same audience – “affiliates” – to earn a commission by recommending the product/ website to others. I see this all the time on Youtube channels for things like Audible and the Dollar Shave Club.

It works with a more niche environment, and it is certainly not for everyone. To pull it off successfully, businesses that want to use this tactic need:

A good business partnership
A strong tactic that can close sales and increase profit for both you and your partner
Enough time and creativity to update content regularly.

Email Marketing

This is a case where the marketing term is exactly what it says on the tin. Email marketing is the act of sending a commercial message, typically to a group of people, using email. It is probably the oldest form of internet marketing, yet is the hardest method used to get clientele. While it is cheaper and easier to send than traditional mail, it is the absolute worst way to get in new clientele. This is due to the existence of spam filters, and the occasional fear of malware or viruses that come from e-mail attachments.

Email marketing is best when:

Your company is contacting previous clients
You have a newsletter or a promotion for people who already opted in on receiving messages