Internet marketing has been around for many years, but it is only recently that it is starting to get a fair amount of attention in the media as well as in popular culture. Even though it is more understood than it used to be, there are still some parts of it that could stand some clarification.
The biggest misunderstanding is that internet marketing is an easy way to make money. Some of this may come from people engaging in wishful thinking, and some of it may come from scammers trying to separate you from your money. Now, internet marketing can be easier than other methods of making money, but it does take knowledge and effort.
However, you shouldn’t let the idea of “knowledge and effort” scare you off. If you are willing to follow the right plan and can dedicate some time to it, you really can make money. But make no mistake, you will have to do something. There is no such thing as a “foolproof way to make money, doing nothing”. When you see such claims, you can be sure that they are more interested in getting your money than they are in showing you a legitimate way to make money online.
Internet marketing is similar to traditional marketing in several ways, but there are also enough differences for it to qualify as a separate form of marketing. Here are a few reasons why internet marketing is an ideal way of letting people know about your business.
1. Multimedia – The blending of various forms of media is not only easily done online, it is also expected. The ability to seamlessly use text, pictures, audio and video in any combination makes it easier to get your point across. The only catch is that you have to be careful to not overdo it. Only use a certain form of media if it helps you with your marketing objectives and only if it is relevant to your message.
2. Interactive – You can engage potential customers in a dialog with you, or you can get them to interact with your company in several ways. Polls, questionnaires, feedback forms, quizzes and e-mail opt-in are just a few methods you can use to get people involved with you and your site.
3. Reach – Internet marketing has the widest potential reach of any form of advertising. More and more people have access to the internet and you can use that fact to your advantage.
4. Cost – Yes, there are free methods of internet marketing and they do work, but even the methods that cost money are very low-cost when compared to traditional advertising. Also, when you add in all of the other benefits, it’s nearly impossible to find any type of marketing that can compare to it.
These are just a few of the things that make internet marketing so attractive to business owners large and small.