E-Marketing-Strategies

2011 Digital marketing trends - Dave Chaffey Smart Insights

2011-04-18T23:56:00.001-07:00

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2011 Digital marketing trends - Dave Chaffey Smart Insights

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Some nice insights

2011-04-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

www.smartinsights.com published some nice insights on their website which are worthy sharing.

Domain Name as an E-Marketing Strategy

2011-04-18T12:19:00.001-07:00

The website’s domain name sometimes known as URL(Uniform Resource Locator) is the unique web address that is purchased through a domain name registrer such as (www.madahotels.com). For marketing purposes, its important to register several domain names. Start with one that matches your company name such as (www.madahotelsjinja.com) to some other variations such as (www.jinjanileresort.com, etc). These other variations will direct the customer to the main website say (www.ugandasbesthotel.com).

The multiple domain names reflect the business-related keywords which a user is likely to search for online when in need of your business services or products.

The additional sites redirect traffic to the main site and that is a principle for e-marketing.
In addition to redirecting traffic, this strategy is another e-marketing strategy for the keyword a user uses to find your service if found in the domain name itself.

Permission E-Marketing-Buzz Strategies: E-Mail and SMS

2011-04-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

The idea behind this type of marketing is that a marketer asks for
and receives permission from the customer to send himlher information about the company's products and services (Honda & Martin, 2002, p.243).

How to ask for permission: Use opt-in checkboxes and opt-out checkboxes.
If a customer opts-in by checking the checkbox, then he qualifies himself to receive appropriate advertising materials from the company.
For a start, Jinja Nile Resort will use its current list of customers emails and telephone numbers to request for permission to send appropriate advertising materials, newsletters and services available including discounts and promotions on particular seasons to those customers who have opted to receive those particular mail.
By giving permission, a customer essentially displays trust towards the marketer.
To make permission marketing successful, a marketer must not abuse this trust by sending unwanted advertisements to the customer, or sell their contact information to other companies (Honda & Martin, 2002, p.244).

Viral Marketing: A Form of E-Marketing-Buzz Strategies

2011-04-18T12:15:00.001-07:00

Viral marketing can best be understood from its negative parent term virus because of the way the advertising works. Viral which seems to sound like virus can be understood from the concept the exponential spread of a virus.

By definition, Viral marketing is a form of online advertising that facilitates and encourages individuals to forward compelling marketing messages, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message’s exposure and influence (Wilson, 2000).

Viral marketing often involves products or services being given away by spurring common motivations and behaviors of users, and can be carried out from a small to very large scale. Viral marketing also makes use of communication networks so users can "transfer" the products or services to others with ease.

Incentive viral marketing occurs when one recruits another person to use the product, the former is paid or given some form of incentive. By being rewarded, the user is motivated to share the product with others. Say, giving a commission to broker, www.paypal.com gave $5 for each referral.

Value viral marketing occurs when people share quality experiences or products with others. The product or service should be attractive or interesting enough to instigate enthusiasm between the person who shares it and the person who hears about it. Merely telling someone about the product does not render it viral.

Guile viral marketing occurs when people try to push a product or service to others in exchange for incentives. The incentive must be strong enough for the user of the product or service to "promote" it, even if it means a possible case of displeasing others. An undesired reward attached to the product may result with the user having a bad image of the product.

Vital viral marketing occurs when certain products are required before one is able to share the experience or product with others. The user must feel that the product and experience is valuable enough to make an effort to change. Otherwise, it may cause a rejection in accepting the product or service instead.

 Product examples: ICQ, RealPlayer, Macromedia Flash, Adobe Acrobat

 Web site examples: eBay, AOL

Spiral/Experience viral marketing occurs when people share funny, dirty and/or interesting experiences with others. This kind of viral marketing is rarely meant to be "viral". Users wanting to share about the product is mostly due to its exceptionally humourous or interesting quality.

Vile viral marketing occurs when people warn others of their own negative experiences. These products are usually designed from poor taste, are of a poor quality or percieved by the user as an underhanded marketing scheme.

Product examples: Many failed dot-coms, Apple Newton, Olestra, "Plan B" book, Crystal Pepsi
Web site examples: Real.com (for the RealJukebox fiasco)

Here is an example of viral email marketing from a www.squidoo.com website:

It is called viral because if it works well, your message will spread like a virus. Here's an example. Say you have an Opt-in email list of subscribers to your emails and newsletters. You create a campaign that enables them to win a prize. As part of this prize campaign, you include an option in your emails for the original recipients to send their contest emails to their friends and family.

Now, you not only have your original recipients participating in the contest, but you have their friends and family involved as well. When friends and family receive this email, include a subscription link that they can click on to confirm that they'd also like to receive emails from you. In just a short time, you've more than doubled your list of permission-based participants.

The key element to any viral email marketing campaign is to get permission. You never want to email anyone who hasn't given you specific permission to email them. If you send to non Opt-in recipients, you'll get hammered by spam complaints and it will ruin your reputation. Hence, you should never assume that recipients want to hear from you unless they confirm that in your email.

Being viral therefore means that some or more posts from your blog become very popular in very short time. They spread like virus, hence the name viral. Your posts can become viral with help from social networks like and lately increasingly popular Stumble upon.

The Viral Article Publisher is an invaluable software solution, which is extremely easy to use and which saves you from having to submit articles manually to all of the top free article sites though it does contain that option in case you want to hand submit an article to one or a few select sites.

Read more: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Know-What-Is-Viral-Marketing-And-Its-History-/528219#ixzz1Ju4duZam
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

Viral marketing may take the form of video clips, interactive Flash games, advergames, ebooks, brandable software, images, or text messages.

The goal of marketers interested in creating successful viral marketing programs is to create viral messages that appeal to individuals with high social networking potential (SNP) and that have a high probability of being presented and spread by these individuals and their competitors in their communications with others in a short period of time.

Basics of Internet Marketing

2011-04-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Basics of Internet Marketing

The Basics of Internet Marketing

Many businesses are not only depending on their physical offices in marketing whatever product they have available for the general public. With the introduction of the internet, there are many changes that took place in the business world.

The internet allows a particular organization to reach many prospective clients wherever they are. Even if you have one office, you can practically advertise your goods/services anywhere in the world.

Putting your business in the internet world is not an easy task. Don’t regard the internet as a medium for advertising your business because it is more than that. You have to maximize the use of the unique qualities of the web, and in this manner, you will be able to provide prospects and clients with a better experience.

Internet marketing, this are two simple words but when put together, it covers a lot of subject matters that needs considerable amount of attention. The basics of internet marketing includes researching the market, search engines, advertising (email), marketing, promotion (local) and marketing offline.

Let's start with researching the market. You have to identify first your market, and think of ways on how to reach those markets. You should be able to convey a message with value, for your prospects and clients to get a better understanding of what you are trying to advertise.

The two most important words in market research are target and hit. An effective marketing research should be able to hit the identified target. Your target will depend largely on what your business can provide to clients. Examples are children aged 7-12; or it can be men and women.

Marketing research further involves primary and secondary research, combined research, quantitative and qualitative.

The next internet marketing basic is the search engine. This has two types, namely: directories search engine and the PPC (pay per click) engines. If you are to engage in internet marketing, the presence of a search engine is quite important. Although it can be quite expensive, most business can't possibly do without it because it is the most effective way to advertise the business.

Directories require a huge amount of patience for effective marketing. You have to wait for a couple of weeks before you actually appear on the site. Your site position can also change without further notice because this engines change their indexes and ranking rules every now and then.

PPC engines are more expensive but easier to utilize. You can obtain a much higher listing and fast and steady results.

Advertising is the next basic on the list. After you identify the desires and general wants of your target, you can also identify their interests. There are different publications which take up advertising; you can also make use of newsletter list advertising. It has three types: solo advertisement, classified ads, and top line ads.

Marketing through email usually leads to several problems, but despite this situation, it is quite effective because you can actually generate a response from three targets. You can make use of opt-in, newsletter, and UCE.

Email by opt-in is done by creating email addresses by which you send messages occasionally. Newsletter marketing on the other hand is similar to opt-in but it includes information like insights and articles. The UCE is also a form of advertising and is really effective, it also known as unsolicited commercial email.

The second to the last internet marketing basic is promotion. Make sure that you also promote in your local area, besides your first real clients will surely come from somewhere near your place. Since many businesses focus their attention to web audiences, they often forget to advertise locally. You can make use of press releases, magazines, newspapers, business guides, and many more.

Finally, marketing offline; classified ads are good if the publication itself focuses on your target market, otherwise you can do without it. Instead, you can correctly make use of print advertising, URLs, and movie slides.

Without advertisement, any business will fail. It is therefore imperative to have a good team that could handle all your business advertising, offline or online. Internet marketing requires a lot of thought, effort, and time. If you devote all these aspects towards proper advertising, all your efforts will be worthy once you see the business' success.

Website Promotion: Redefining Promotional Methods Practiced on Internet Marketing

2011-04-10T07:53:00.003-07:00

Business is an indefinite market. Despite of the existence of sophisticated marketing tools to determine the exact wealth of a certain business investment, business is still an indefinite market where you are facing an undefined number of business competitors with unfamiliar or great strengths in terms of marketing their products.
The existence of such number of competitors as well as the varying market conditions is just a few of the obstacles that you will meet as you hurdle your way to get a hold of even a meager share of profit on any existing markets.

On the other hand, the introduction of the Internet and E-commerce brought revolutionary changes in the business community. Although its arrival just paved the way for fiercer competition among online entrepreneurs and widen the indefinite number of competitors, it provided an opportunity for individuals who want to start their own business in a cost-efficient manner. It is relatively true; since you are not required to maintain a physical structure, hire more employees, and more paper works. The cost is not as expensive as starting a conventional business, yet the return of investment is higher—you can have your capital returned even just within a few months if you are capable of doing so.

Internet marketing does not only provide convenience in terms of commercial activities but also gave freedom to Internet marketers in terms of running their business at their own discretion. Starting your online business means you are the boss, do whatever you want to do, and work in your most convenient time and attire. Freedom is one of the reasons why there are thousands of individuals who prefer a career on the Internet marketing industry.

The success or failure of your Internet marketing career is dependent on what you learn about the basics of this lucrative industry. Just like getting a real estate broker license, you need to learn the basics of Internet marketing to ensure your success as an online entrepreneur. Although there are hundreds of basics that you need to learn, there are several things that you need to learn first prior to the start of your online business.

One of which is website promotion, a fast-emerging model that has been considered to redefine the traditional promotion methods on Internet marketing. Due to technological innovation, there are repeated shifts in terms of client from one brand or product to another. Thus, as an Internet marketer, you need to accomplish the maximum quantity of prospective clients in a short period of time so that you can get started with your business and acclimatize quickly to the fast-paced online marketplace.

What is website promotion? It means that you need to have your own website that will serve as your “propaganda” in providing portfolio information to your target market, details on the products and services you are offering, and contact details in case your site visitors are convinced that they really need your product and services. In addition, your website promotion may characterize supplementary information such as dealer and partnership networks, accreditation from some reputable Internet-based business organizations, documentations, free trial, online processing of Internet-placed orders, delivery services, and interactive customer care service.

Website promotion is also about defining a website that is well-developed and could be marketed on the Internet. Some of the characteristics/features of such website are as follows:

•    It must have an well-organized information processing. All information requested by site visitors (email newsletter, regularly-posted updates, product information and others) must be incorporated to your website.

•    It must be visible on the Internet. You can achieve this through high search engine result rankings that are commonly attributed to the site’s SEO (search engine optimization) and popular keywords included as part of the website’s content. Increased visibility will help you accumulate potential leads and eventually build a triumphant online business.

•    It must be reputable. Keep in mind that your website is your “alter-ego” on the Internet. The good reputation of your website can be established through registering it in its own domain name and giving it a professional look.

Website promotion is one thing that you must not neglect if you want to see your Internet marketing business grow and achieve success. This promotional tool is essential so that you will not lose your way on the indefinite world of Internet marketing

Internet Marketing: How to Start in your Work at Home Business Opportunity the Right Way

2011-04-10T07:51:00.001-07:00

There are thousands of individuals not just on the United States but also on different parts of the world who would love to quit their nine-to-five jobs in exchange for a home-based business opportunity. Working at home is absolutely appealing to more people on different ways and can be an excellent way to get rid of the typical day-to-day working routine. You have the freedom of working within your preferred schedule and away from the investigative eyes of your boss and other superiors. In other words, it is great to work without the pressure of a tight schedule and an angry boss.

However, there are still individuals who are hesitant to start a home-based business despite of its attractive features and advantages. One of the reasons attributed for such hesitation is that they are scared of losing their investment or being caught in a scam. Probably, they are afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone that they have created earlier. They are aware that once they decide to quite their present job and failed on their home-based business opportunity, they will be in a very bad financial situation.

Although this may be the case sometimes, generally there are successful work-at-home business opportunity ideas that you can take advantage of. You just need to have proper research on the home-based business opportunity that suits your needs, interests, and will help you get rid of your present financial situation. Your research will not just tackle your needs and preferences, but also the legitimacy of your chosen business. Scams are really everywhere, yet you can get easily avoid it if you will just do your homework and you will be able to find something that is just right for you and can make you “a success out of a thousand failures”.

The majority of successful work-at-home entrepreneurs are familiar with the industry where they belong. For instance, if you are a licensed engineer, why not start a home-based engineering consultation firm? This would be much easier than trying to handle a job outside your field of specialization. Possessing the knowledge and expertise on the field that you want to pursue will increase your chances of success. Moreover, having the interest in what you are doing will create a huge difference in your determination and energy.

If you are one of the individuals who do not like their present job and like to do something new, different, and without using their skills and expertise for the benefit of someone else, a work-at-home business opportunity is just right for you. And with proper research, you will be able to arrive on one of the popular and probably the best home-based business opportunity—Internet marketing.

Although the Internet is said to be one of the “congested market” nowadays, starting an Internet marketing business is one of the cost-efficient investments that you can prefer. You can get rid of the congestion by searching for a unique niche that has yet to be accessed. Proper research must be done to locate the ideal opportunity. There are many individuals who have disregarded the research phase and they have ended up being a loser in the end. You will meet hardships from the starting point and along your Internet marketing career if you do not know what you are getting into.

Another thing that must be consider on starting with your work-at-home Internet marketing business is the strategies that you will employ within your operation. Such strategies are very vital since they will help you run your home-based business on different situations. These must be regularly updated so that it can cope up with the fast-changing business environment of Internet marketing.

The secret of success on your Internet marketing relies on two important things: Decide what you want to do online and research all its possible aspects and you will be on your way to success. Do not let the congestion of the market, the scams surrounding the industry, and innocence defer your way towards success. Although there are some frustrating moments along your Internet marketing career, but simply do not give up. It will just be a matter of time before you will see your home-based business growing, and your past nine-to-five job will just be a memory.

Did You Know? World’s Best Internet Marketing Tools are Cleverly Disguised

2011-04-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

Most of the world’s best are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. The best motorcycle stunt ever performed, the best circus trick that will make your eye drop, and other best performances executed by extra-ordinary individuals.

But there is another “world’s best” that is not listed on Guinness Book of World Records.

And that is the world’s best Internet marketing tools.

Just like other existing industries, Internet marketing has its own set of the best marketing tools. If you are not new to the world of Internet marketing, many of these marketing tools are quite familiar to you—search engine optimization special software, content management services, affiliate marketing programs, auto responders, and others.

And the list continues to expand as the industry grows over the years.

However, Internet marketing possesses other non-traditional and effective marketing tools that you should know to maximize your potentials as Internet marketers. Some of these marketing tools are said to be “cleverly disguised”, yet these are the world’s best online marketing tools that you can integrate to your online business system.

Here is the quick rundown of the world’s best Internet marketing tools and some pointers in using it with your preferred system.

DOMAIN NAME- you will not easily notice it, but domain name is the first best Internet marketing tool that you must remember. Picking the right domain name will gear your way towards success yet getting it wrong will tell you that your game is over.

What are the things that you should consider when picking up your own domain name? First, you should pick a short, memorable, and keyword-relevant domain name. Picking a domain name that is relevant to your main keyword/s will help you in getting high search engine page ranking of your website. Moreover, it can be an ideal promotional tool, giving a hint to your potential clients what your website is exactly all about.

Internet marketing experts suggests that you set up a particular server for your domain. One server will only carry one domain. Web hosting companies typically have your domain name co-hosting hundreds of domains on a single server. Since all domains are under the same server, this may result to adverse consequences especially if one of the domains is allegedly spamming or behaving unscrupulously. Thus, it is wise that you have a separate IP address for each domain name.

KEYWORDS- it is what Internet researchers type into search engines to locate the information or things that they are looking for. These are one of the most important elements on any online-based marketing venture. Thus, you need to pick the right keywords and you are on your way towards success.

How you will find useful keywords for your Internet marketing business? You must have special keyword research tool or online keyword generator that will help you pick the right keywords. Such tools will supply useful information such as number of searches made monthly, the degree of competition, and the websites that targeting such keywords. Make this as your guide to get targeted traffic to your site that will patronize your products and/or services.

ARTICLES- marketing your website largely depends on organic SEO strategies. One simple strategy is to write and submit keyword-relevant articles to article directories and Internet publishers. As articles directories and Internet publishers displays your articles, you will be able to gain valuable links back to your website. Search engines follow these links and rank your website according to the keywords incorporated on these articles. Maximize the potential of your articles and bring the targeted traffic to your website.

LIST- any Internet marketing system is supported by list. This is a huge database of contacts or individuals who have given you permission to communicate with them through email or newsletter. Most Internet marketers are keeping various databases for each product that they are targeting. Aside from emails and newsletters, you must also set up a list of affiliates that can help you promote and sell your products to your clients. Once you have acquired a huge list of loyal subscribers and affiliates, the door of opportunities will now follow.

Utilize the world’s best Internet marketing tools and see a bright future ahead of your online business career.