By James C. Tanner -- James C. Tanner is schedule to release an incredibly revealing new book this spring, which addresses many of the critical challenges individuals and businesses are currently facing as they attempt to maximize their presence and profits in the world of the social Web 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, and 4.0. This book helps people and businesses define a clearer online identity. Over 130 social networks are discussed, plus numerous other media sharing sites, social bookmarking sites, vlogging sites, and how to capitalize on them. Basic survival HTML code is introduced in an easy to understand format. Also covered is Buzz marketing, article marketing, copy writing, the fundamentals of hypnotic sales writing, plus many other critical helps required to creating a very critical online presence. This eBook is scheduled for release in late Spring 2008.
The Missing Marketing Link
Large and growing portions of some of the most valuable business demographics are spending more of their time and attention on internet marketing strategies and procedures, but in the process they’ve lost sight of a very important now often ignored missing marketing link.
In the 1980’s before the world of Web 2.0, the marketing world was caught up in a style of marketing known as “positional marketing”. The concept behind positional marketing was simplistic. Marketing plans would try to place brands securely into the mindset of the customer demographic base, so when a random sampling was asked to name the first three products to come to mind, your brand would be listed in the top three.
Positional marketing was not about directly pushing sales, as much as cementing the brand position in the mindset of the potential customer. When that customer went shopping, they already had a product brand name firmly planted in their mind. It was a simple process of going out a grabbing it off of the shelf.
Today, with the evolving world of the social web, marketing has changed. The style of marketing has become much more socially interactive. In the process of making this change, many business people are forgetting an important missing marketing link in their marketing plan. They are forgetting to maintain an element of positional marketing in their overall marketing plans.
How does one accomplish positional marketing in social web environment?
The determining factor in any online marketing plan for the social web remains in establishing a firm and dominant PRESENCE. By establishing a clearly definable and targeted presence, any person or business can establish an effective online marketing position. The stronger the presence, the more easily recognized a business entity will be.
All the traditional SEO tactics become a small part of the behind the scenes portion of developing a presence. More importantly, the success of an effective presence campaign becomes a plan of where you appear, and how you appear.
Many people, as well as small businesses will establish on MySpace, then transfer that same strategy over to Facebook, failing to realize, Facebook is a totally different style of market place, requiring a totally different strategy, and appearance.
Again, many small businesses focus their energies on MySpace when, for example, they might be in the travel industry, and totally avoid the six social web networks which are totally dedicated to people who love to travel. Presence is about where you appear, and how you appear.
Everything you do in your marketing plan must accomplish one end result… eventual increased profits. In order to accomplish this, a plan must be created which can be followed, monitored, adjusted, reviewed, revised, reviewed, revised, reviewed, revised, until profits are attained. If you are not realizing a profit, or see on paper a date whereby you can realize a ROI (Return On Investment) then you are stuck with a plan that’s going nowhere.
In fine tuning your plan, reach out to your customer base. Through questionnaires ask them what they noticed about your advertising and make note of what went unnoticed? Stick with what works, and scrap the rest. Pay attention to complaints about your site which are registered to your webmaster, and make prompt changes. Consider involving your customers in upcoming product releases. Encourage them to submit via online contests, or vote online on new product or label designs. Reward your customers when they participate.
The internet world changes rapidly. The technology of this year will be out dated next year. Your marketing plan should be re-visited annually, preferably every six months, to be sure it’s staying current with the marketplace and the technology fueling it. If you choose through inaction to not stay on top of the trends, rest assured, your competitors will.
Grab hold of the excellence life has to offer.
About the Author
Copyright © 2008 James C. Tanner. All Rights Reserved.
James C. Tanner of THE RECENTLY UPDATED Make Money Online With A Home Based Business Opportunity, and Internet Marketing Strategies is a retired entrepreneur, business trainer, investigator, and highly published writer.
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