Internet Marketing - What is it really?

Internet marketing seeks to accomplish basic goals, such as promoting a company's message, products or services.

In order to achieve these goals, a marketer must research the target audience, as well as, the needs and wants of potential customers. This allows a marketer to effective promote these goods and services. This just expands on these basic concepts. Facebook has become one of the best ways to promote your company online. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide use Facebook on a daily basis, granting you huge amounts of exposure to a large client base.

Since Facebook also has personal interests of every person, you can easily target a specific group. While it may not be your cup of tea, online video can be a great push in your traffic. If your product has something to say or even if you have something to say about it, a video online can give a personal edge to your clients.

When a customer can relate to a face, and hopefully trust, the seller, they will be more likely to buy and repeat. An important part of internet marketing is web presence and visibility. It's not enough anymore to have a well-designed, keyword-rich website.

You also need a social media presence, a good blog, and active forum memberships. People should think of your name and your business when they think of the products that you sell. The more actively you promote your business, the better you'll be remembered. Create mobile versions of your websites. More and more people are surfing the web from their mobile devices and tablet computers.

Often, the website you spent so much time crafting for a big computer screen will be impossible to enjoy on a handheld device. Taking the time to create a specialized mobile version of your site can guarantee those mobile visitors will spend more time with your site instead of surfing away. Build a signature for your emails that promotes both your website and your social media. If you are like many business owners, you send out many emails each day. It is the perfect vehicle to remind your email recipients of the many ways they can enjoy your brand across the web. Offer your customers free products or special bonuses for referring others to your website. People are more likely to trust a business which their friends or co-workers recommend, and the increased sales will more than compensate for the cost of the free products. Word of mouth referrals are still important even in the age of search engines, and they can be the deciding factor when choosing between two competing products. Brand yourself up. Make a logo, a saying, or even a simple title that will carry into everything you do. When people start to recognize your brand, success is on the way. Market your website just like you would a product: acknowledge the shortfalls, but be sure to praise the uniqueness. Sharing your knowledge of Internet marketing with people does not hurt you in the slightest. In fact, it will only boost your profile if you're willing to provide other newbies some tips and advice to help them succeed in their campaigns.

You won't want to draw up the entire blueprint, but you can provide some basics..

How did you first start? What advice would you give new Entrepreneurs starting out today? What questions would you ask if you had an audience with Richard Branson? :)