Even Internet Marketing Veterans Need Partners!

Although social network sites are a great venue for acquainting yourself with new people and finding potential business partners and recruits, each site has its own nuances.  If you are a blogger, some are much easier to feed through RSS than others.  MySpace makes it a little more difficult than most.

While researching the best method to feed my blog posts to my MySpace profile tonight, I happened upon the most useful site.  These wonderfully helpful people made it easy for me create a nice looking widget that stealthily produced an RSS feed to MySpace.  I would like to express Kudos to the folks at http://www.springwidgets.com! 

Although my interest in internet technology has led me to great proficiency with website design and delivery, my real skill lies in being curious enough to want to know how things work … and not giving up when it isn’t straight forward.  Technology may seem tedious to many but it is my belief that, even though some tasks can be outsourced, knowing how it is done helps a lot when negotiating services fees. 

Website delivery is a hobby that is also profitable for me but there are many more skills in my tool chest that my inherent curiosity has led me to develop.  As an internet marketing professional, I have spent a lot of time researching how other internet marketers conduct their businesses.  I wouldn’t recommend some methods but having awareness about them helped me determine what sort of internet marketer I wanted to be and how to go about attracting the sorts of people I’d like to be in business with me. 

If you keep in mind that you are the product, every communication you put on the internet is part of your brand image.  If you are consistent in your message and careful to not muddy your branding strategy, people who are researching you will see that.  If your goal is to be a leader, you must demonstrate that you have a vision others can follow and something that will help them accomplish their goals.

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How To Be a Conscious Internet Marketing Professional

When databases appeared on the technology scene, corporate marketing departments grasped the power at their disposal.  The possibilities seemed endless to develop and maintain high quality relationships with their customer base by understanding their purchasing habits.  Before the World Wide Web was in place, direct marketing was born.

As technology progressed, so did its marketing uses.  Eventually, direct marketers began to apply their knowledge and skills to internet marketing.  Even though databases and email made it easier to contact consumers, receiving unsolicited offers in email seemed more offensive to most people than throwing away mounds of envelopes. 

Internet marketers caught on to these techniques but, even after anti-spam laws began enforcing opt-in procedures, this hands-off approach to marketing is often found lacking.  Blasting out an offer to someone whom you have not taken time to know may produce sales but people don’t like to be sold and, eventually, they tune out or opt-out.

The goal of direct marketing campaigns, both in the early days and as technology evolved, was to emphasize customer retention by producing individualized satisfaction.  I may be mistaken but I believe that Amazon was the first company to use technology to recommend books or music based on purchasing trends.  As their stock prices soared, a point was proven.  Relationship marketing works!

Using social networks to develop business contacts is very powerful, if done correctly.  Before you begin interacting on social sites, determine what sort of person you would like to have in your business with you.  You must also know what you have to offer and, believe me, it is not a product, service, upline, compensation plan or business opportunity.  The only product that you have to offer is YOU and your unique skill set.

Perusing groups or forums is a good way to find individuals with similar interests.  While choosing a person with a smiling face who has taken some care to present themselves is important, you should also review their profiles before requesting to be friends.  Make a decision, based on your criteria, whether or not you want to know them.

Obviously, people may also request your friendship.  This isn’t a popularity contest and you should carefully consider whether or not you want to know them better by examining their profile before accepting.  Whether or not you initiated the process, always observe how they communicate with you and be mindful of how you communicate.  Relationship marketing relies on communication, as do most human relationships. 

A very important thing to remember is to NOT focus on immediate sales but to find some common ground with your new friend.  Determine their interests and motivations.  Once you’ve found some commonality, you can exchange ideas with your new friend about topics of mutual interest. 

If something leads you to believe your new friend might benefit from being in business with you, employ a consistent application of up-to-date knowledge by using stories about your experiences in your business.  Remember to be polite.  Ensure that they are interested in hearing these stories and remember to not always make the communication about what you are doing.  People also like to feel heard. 

If you have adhered to the guidelines of relationship building, there will be no need to use hard sales techniques to “close” your friends into your business opportunity.  You will have inspired them to want to learn more about you and what you are doing and will also have earned their trust by not trying to sell them anything.

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How To Market Effectively

As a former Realtor, I completely understand the importance of having a friendly image AND a good marketing message. A tagline I added to my business card, after hearing myself repeat it over and over again, became an amazing marketing tool.

That tagline was:

MY BUSINESS IS ABOUT YOU!

It was cleverly worded to fit that business but I also meant it.

Despite the fact that I no longer sell houses, nothing about my business ethics has changed. There are tons of things that I brought forward from my real estate business that assist me in present time with my internet marketing business in present time.

Internet marketing is much different than marketing beautiful homes. With the help of many generous mentors and a lot of personal dedication to expanding my own knowledge, I am learning to translate what I know about marketing to Web 2.0.

Effective marketing is much more than SPIN! You must KNOW and BELIEVE in your product. Blasting email to promote your “next best thing” is about as effective as cold calling a fish to sell them a bicycle.

Through the power of you intention, you will attract people to you and, once they respond, you MUST build a relationship with them. If you stop to think about it, this is to everyone’s advantage. It is nearly impossible to conduct business with someone you do not know, trust and respect.

How do you do this? By listening, asking questions and learning more about each other! Successful marketers listen MUCH more than they talk!

Still Smiling!
Marj Wyatt

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