"What is Internet Marketing? ...Do I really need to know?"

According to Lennart Svanberg, President of World Association of Internet Marketers, there are over 544.2 million people online. Yes, you need to know about Internet Marketing! Few companies have a large enough budget to reach this market with traditional marketing methods.

Consider the common marketing concept, MARKET SEGMENTATION. Market Segmentation is "...the method of identifying a group of consumers, within a broader market, that has similar characteristics and needs." With the explosive growth of the Internet, our "broader market" is the world, the "group of consumers" are the 544.2 million people online.

Identifying this new target audience necessitates identifying and implementing a NEW RANGE OF STRATEGIES and techniques in addition to the traditional marketing services.

WHAT IS INTERNET MARKETING (IM)? How does it differ from traditional marketing? According to Ralph F. Wilson, Web Marketing and Ecommerce, some of the elements are strategic planning, situation analysis, customer analysis, market and product focus, positioning, the market mix (4P's), pricing, product distribution and Internet promotion.

Add implementation, control, review and evaluation and you have a standard, traditional marketing approach.

However, many of the techniques and tactics of IM expand on TRADITIONAL MARKETING STRATEGIES. According to Internet Marketing Challenge some of the new areas that have charged into the business landscape are Internet classified ad marketing, testimonial promotions on Web sites, search engine marketing, pay per click purchases, Internet viral marketing, affiliate programs, advertising on URL's, email marketing, online press releases.

So, IM can be considered as a subset of traditional marketing. But, the lines are not that clear. High Latitude defines Internet Marketing as "...the combination of traditional marketing principles and interactive marketing methods applied to meeting the needs of online customers."

While there are some significant overlaps, it is probably too much to expect the traditional marketing professionals to take on this new huge area of expertise. It takes additional training to become qualified internet marketers. How the company organizational chart will look depends on the company. However, in 3 years as Director of Marketing for the Academy of Web specialists I have discovered that if the Internet Marketers are not empowered with the same authority as the traditional marketing staff and are not provided with reasonable budgets, IM IS SEVERELY HANDICAPPED.

I've also discovered that IM must be the task of marketing specialists and not of the IT departments or the Web development teams. Marketers must be in charge because technology and graphics specialists can't be expected to know what's necessary to put their expertise in service of the ultimate objective of the company Web presence, generating income and meeting the needs of the online customers. They have a tendency to have a different agenda and certainly have a needed expertise that requires their own ongoing education and learning.

What about resources for IM managers and training for IM practitioners?

Many Universities have Extension Programs with specialized training. The University of British Columbia has an online program. At Search Engine Marketing Consultation Resources I have a link to UBC, to other recommended Marketing Associations and to some online training programs.

Individual training programs such as those found at Academy Marketing Resources plus newsletters, online resources and professional organizations are all important sources of education and ongoing learning.

Here are a few additional resources to consider:

* American Marketing Association Web site
(http://www.MarketingPower.com, see Topics:Internet Marketing)

* Wilson Web (http://www.wilsonweb.com)

* Search Engine Watch (http://www.searchenginewatch.com)

Happy Internet Marketing!

Terry Plank
(Reprinted with permission)

Terry Plank is Director of Training for the Academy of Web Specialists. The Academy has educated 2,000+ companies online and onsite in search engine marketing since 2000. Visit the Academy's training site to learn more about their online search engine marketing courses and search engine optimization software. He has also offered search engine marketing consultation services since 1996.

"What is Conventional Marketing?"

Conventional Marketing can be defined as "how" you reach your customers to promote the sales of your product or service. Utilizing conventional or traditional methods, a marketing team develops marketing strategies, manages marketing campaigns and executes specific projects such as direct mail, product promotions, trade show promotions, developing promotional materials, and building strategic marketing relationships. Elements of these services include writing product positioning and primary marketing messages, developing graphical design concepts, creating graphics and writing copy, managing the production of marketing materials, and implementing projects associated with the marketing relationships.

Many hours of research are involved which includes interviews with prospective customers, resellers, and industry leaders and journalists associated with your target markets. In depth interviews with key members of your organization reveal not only "how" you do business, but what your goals are and how you plan to attain them. Based upon that information, the marketing plan begins. The marketing team then analyzes the competitors and competitive forces, determines what will influence prospects to buy and the best marketing messages, uncovers effective communication channels, and identifies resources that can help you market your products and/or services effectively.

After the research, a marketing strategy plan is written which includes clearly articulated marketing objectives, positioning statements and marketing campaign themes. A good given your available budget and deals with the reality of your financial situation.