Learn Internet Marketing
Internet marketing is a necessary part of most business models. If you don't sell directly online, you want to encourage consumers to come to your website and see examples of what you can do, or sign up for a consultation. Whether you own your own business and need to learn Internet marketing strategies or you are looking to pursue a career in marketing, there are a number of ways you can collect the skills needed to be an Internet marketing professional. You can choose to sign up for classes, or learn and research the basics of Internet marketing for free. This article shows you how to learn Internet marketing.
Contents
Steps
Getting Started in Internet Marketing
- Surf the web. If you are older and do not have much experience with the Internet, the first thing you should do is acquaint yourself with online promotion, such as banner ads on the sides of web pages, online shopping and online marketplaces, such as Craigslist, Amazon and eBay.
- If you do not have the basic computer and Internet skills required to accomplish buying, selling and navigating the Internet, then you should sign up for classes. Low-cost or free classes are often given by local libraries and Lifelong Learning classes.
- Sign up for social media accounts. The best way to understand social media is to dive into it. Sign up for a free account on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Pinterest, Google Plus and more.
- Seek a degree in marketing with a focus on online or Internet marketing. If you are just leaving high school and you are interested in business and marketing, then this is most likely the best path for you. Research marketing programs that focus on Internet marketing and learn the basics 1 course at a time.
- After graduation, you will be ready for an entry-level job at a marketing firm. You can also use your knowledge to market your own products or ideas.
- Take an Internet marketing class, if you are not familiar with the basic steps of business marketing and online promotion. If you do not know how to set up accounts, set up a website, use Google services or work with a graphic/web designer, this may be the best way to learn.
- Many companies provide this Internet marketing tutorial service. You can sign up for it online for a cost anywhere from $50 to $1,000. If you have the option, take it from a local teacher or audit a college course, so that you can get an interactive education.
Understanding Internet Marketing Basics
- Learn the steps of Internet analysis, if you want to learn Internet marketing for free. For anyone who knows the basics of social media, search engine optimization (SEO), Google news and website building blocks, then you can likely learn Internet marketing on your own. A big part of marketing is understanding your competitors, data and market analysis.
- Determine your market. This is something that should be obvious from the moment you choose a service or item to market. However, you may need to research what portion of that market is online and what portion is done through phone or in-person sales.
- Determine who your main online competitors are. Research how they work, how they market and how big of a market share you believe they have. Sign up for e-newsletters, research their press releases and determine the strengths and weaknesses of each online competitor. You may even need to purchase something from them in order to understand how they complete their sales process.
- Determine who your ideal customer is. For any product, you should be able to see who is buying the product. After you determine your demographic, you can determine where they spend their time on the Internet.
- Interpret the data that you have gathered. Make reports using Google Analytics, software or spreadsheets that show the market, competition and customer data. You can find software or online programs that can help you make reports or charts to show where your ideal customer is shopping and who your main competitors are.
- This is especially important if you have superiors to which you must report about Internet marketing. Although you may be able to turn data into a strategy easily, reports and graphs are essential in order to communicate that data to people who control the budget. Spend time making comprehensive reports and perhaps making a PowerPoint presentation based on your research.
- Develop a strategy. Use the research and conclusions from your reports to develop a successful strategy to reach your target demographic. Start by using the methods that were successful for your competitors, then look for more innovative approaches.
- Your strategy will most likely require a budget to hire writers to do SEO articles, graphic designers to do ads, and web designers to update or create a website. You may also need to hire people to update your business's social media accounts daily.
- Create online marketing campaigns and track them well. Make sure your site uses analytics or use Google Analytics so that you know which methods are successful and which are not. This is an often forgotten rule of Internet marketing, but it is the only way to see your return on investment (ROI).
- Internet marketing almost always includes launching many campaigns at once, which is why they are so important to track. A website may be marketing through e-mail blasts, You Tube videos, social media accounts, web banners, affiliate marketers, SEO, blogs and more.
- Understand that search engines are the key to most online marketing. Businesses are looking for ways to make sure their site and product are listed on the first page of a Google, Yahoo or Bing search. The main ways of doing this are SEO, meta tags, press releases, social media content, videos and paying for an ad to be placed at the top or side of the search page.
- Understand that Internet marketing is constantly changing. Sign up for newsletters or blogs that keep you tuned into the newest social media channels, marketing articles and innovative companies. Invest in marketing or programming classes, if you think they would boost your Internet marketing knowledge considerably.
Things You'll Need
- Internet marketing tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yEpVrakOqk
- Degree in marketing
- Market analysis
- Data reporting
- Developing strategies
- Launching and tracking campaigns
- Marketing blogs or e-newsletters
- Posting Quality of content
- Join relevant communities
- Track your competitors
- Set Google Alerts
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- Research Yourself on the Internet
