When looking at Internet Marketing for a small business, there is a lot to consider.  Do you do Search Engine Optimization, pay-per-click marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, pay-for-inclusion marketing or one of many other options available online?  It’s a lot to consider!  Most Entrepreneurs get stuck in the first 2 steps of the process:

  1. Determining which options are right for them
  2. Analyzing the response…the Return on Investment (ROI).

So how does one decide what’s best for their particular business?  One option is to hire someone you can trust to do it for you.  The trust piece is extremely important because there are so many “hidden” pieces to Internet Marketing, a “professional marketer” could make out with a lot of your money while not producing a single result for you.  However, even if you’re going to use a professional marketer or marketing firm, you should give yourself a base-level knowledge of what they’re doing.  Here’s what you need to know to begin:

  1. Who’s your target market? I’ve spoken with a lot of entrepreneurs who don’t want to limit their ability to make money, so they don’t focus.  Inevitably these people will go out of business because they don’t know who they’re trying to do business with.  If you’re ready to start your marketing engine, you need to know who your market is, otherwise you’re going to spend a lot of money.
  2. Where is your target market? This is more of a question for the person who’ll actually be managing your marketing efforts.  Does your market engage mostly search engines?  Or do they use LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, Blogger, FriendFeed, BlogLog, or any of the other social networks available?  Perhaps your target market is better found on Amazon than it is on Facebook.  Knowing this allows you to focus in with sniper-like precision where and how you spend money attracting your target market.
  3. What are your goals? In your marketing efforts, are you trying to build brand awareness or convert into an actual sale?  Knowing what your goals are gives you an opportunity to track and see if your marketing efforts are attaining those goals.  This is where the business statistics class from college comes in handy.  It’s not just a matter of “Did I make a sale”, but rather it’s the conversion rate.  For “x” number of people who visited your site, “y” actually purchased your product.  Set a realistic goal for yourself.  If you expect 100% conversion, you’re going to be heavily disappointed.
  4. What is the cost-benefit ratio? If you’re spending more to reach your goals than you’re earning through achieving those goals, something’s amiss.  Make sure you know enough about the marketing you’re going after to know whether it’s going to really benefit your company and your bottom line.

Marketing can be a tricky thing, but it’s not something to be feared.  If you don’t like working with spreadsheets, thinking creatively, and trying to adapt to an ever-changing audience…hire someone who is skilled in these areas to manage your marketing for you.