5 Keys To Marketing On-Line
The goal of working online is the same as traditional networking: you’re trying to form a relationship with somebody you trust and that trusts you. People have formed relationships online for years, through message boards, instant messaging and e-mail. This relationship however only begins online.
Sales 101: People buy from people they like. Online marketing does not replace the human element of developing, maintaining, and nurturing any relationship. Real trust in any relationship only comes from personal contact, either in person, or over the phone.
Finding your way into the online networking realm, and using your visits there effectively can be helped by applying traditional referral networking thinking. With online networking, there are several ways to develop your word-of-mouth marketing, but it's important to understand that the foundation of making online networking work for you is the same as with any kind of networking--you've got to develop relationships with trusted business associates.
I’ve been able to start many a friendship online and quite honestly, two of the best team members I have on my team came from online marketing. The question is how was I able to start these relationships, and get them to join MY team? How in all the millions of e-mails and posts that generate online every day, did these two people single me out of cyber space?
The answer is simple: Apply good networking fundamentals online. I believe there are five keys for networking success online:
1. Join one or more online networking communities – Actively participate. No matter which community you choose, however, after joining, you need to participate. Take a genuine interest the people on the board and talk about what they have posted in a positive, informative matter. After they get to know you, and if you are able to contribute something meaningful to the board, they will be the ones who contact you. Those two team members I told you about earlier, came from the same message board I contribute to regularly.
2. Start a Blog or write a regular column for a website or e-newsletter. You can start a Blog (basically an online diary just like this one) on one of the larger blogger sites or online communities; you'll create more buzz for yourself. Talk about your industry, either in general or be more specific to you particular market. It doesn’t matter as long as you make the reading informative.
3. Develop an e-mail newsletter for your own company. Create an e-mail database of clients, customers and friends, and send them regular content that drives them to your own website. A good rule of thumb for something like this would be once a month. A monthly newsletter gives you plenty of time to come up with a number of stories and articles to share. Keep a folder of ideas you would like to talk about and work on the project over the entire month. It’s also important to set a specific date and time, and then stick to that date. I’ve been getting a monthly newsletter from a company call “Home Toys” for years. I know to expect that newsletter on the first of every month without fail. Others are sent twice each month, and some even every week.
4. Never forget that online networking is still about developing trust. In order to drive business to your company by word of mouth, you must focus on developing real, personal relationships with people. Do not use these boards, blogs or newsletters as a platform to actively pitch and promote your business. A subtle signature with a link to your web site is all that is needed. Making you signature BIGGER or LOUDER will not drive people to your site. What you have to say and contribute is far more important and makes a much better impression than any banner ad or signature could ever do.
5. Understand that online networking has its own cultural norms. Many cultural pretenses don’t exist online, however, and people tend to be much blunter when responding online than in a face-to-face meeting. With online networking, people feel it's easier to be more direct.
I want you to pay particular attention to what is NOT on this list: Sending out thousands of unsolicited e-mails from a mailing list. This is not an effective marketing tool when it comes to developing relationships. When was the last time you opened an e-mail from someone you didn’t know and read all the way through? (And why are most of these e-mails mile and miles long and still never really tell you anything about the product or opportunity?) More importantly, when was the last time you wanted to develop a relationship with the sender of that e-mail? Once a relationship is formed and they trust the sender of that e-mail, then it’s from a trusted friend.
Sales 101: People buy from people they like. Online marketing does not replace the human element of developing, maintaining, and nurturing any relationship. Real trust in any relationship only comes from personal contact, either in person, or over the phone.
Finding your way into the online networking realm, and using your visits there effectively can be helped by applying traditional referral networking thinking. With online networking, there are several ways to develop your word-of-mouth marketing, but it's important to understand that the foundation of making online networking work for you is the same as with any kind of networking--you've got to develop relationships with trusted business associates.I’ve been able to start many a friendship online and quite honestly, two of the best team members I have on my team came from online marketing. The question is how was I able to start these relationships, and get them to join MY team? How in all the millions of e-mails and posts that generate online every day, did these two people single me out of cyber space?
The answer is simple: Apply good networking fundamentals online. I believe there are five keys for networking success online:
1. Join one or more online networking communities – Actively participate. No matter which community you choose, however, after joining, you need to participate. Take a genuine interest the people on the board and talk about what they have posted in a positive, informative matter. After they get to know you, and if you are able to contribute something meaningful to the board, they will be the ones who contact you. Those two team members I told you about earlier, came from the same message board I contribute to regularly.
2. Start a Blog or write a regular column for a website or e-newsletter. You can start a Blog (basically an online diary just like this one) on one of the larger blogger sites or online communities; you'll create more buzz for yourself. Talk about your industry, either in general or be more specific to you particular market. It doesn’t matter as long as you make the reading informative.
3. Develop an e-mail newsletter for your own company. Create an e-mail database of clients, customers and friends, and send them regular content that drives them to your own website. A good rule of thumb for something like this would be once a month. A monthly newsletter gives you plenty of time to come up with a number of stories and articles to share. Keep a folder of ideas you would like to talk about and work on the project over the entire month. It’s also important to set a specific date and time, and then stick to that date. I’ve been getting a monthly newsletter from a company call “Home Toys” for years. I know to expect that newsletter on the first of every month without fail. Others are sent twice each month, and some even every week.
4. Never forget that online networking is still about developing trust. In order to drive business to your company by word of mouth, you must focus on developing real, personal relationships with people. Do not use these boards, blogs or newsletters as a platform to actively pitch and promote your business. A subtle signature with a link to your web site is all that is needed. Making you signature BIGGER or LOUDER will not drive people to your site. What you have to say and contribute is far more important and makes a much better impression than any banner ad or signature could ever do.
5. Understand that online networking has its own cultural norms. Many cultural pretenses don’t exist online, however, and people tend to be much blunter when responding online than in a face-to-face meeting. With online networking, people feel it's easier to be more direct.
I want you to pay particular attention to what is NOT on this list: Sending out thousands of unsolicited e-mails from a mailing list. This is not an effective marketing tool when it comes to developing relationships. When was the last time you opened an e-mail from someone you didn’t know and read all the way through? (And why are most of these e-mails mile and miles long and still never really tell you anything about the product or opportunity?) More importantly, when was the last time you wanted to develop a relationship with the sender of that e-mail? Once a relationship is formed and they trust the sender of that e-mail, then it’s from a trusted friend.
Doug & Ronda Bauknight
AKA: TravelPro
Travel Agent / Networker
Phone: 678.458.5812
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