| If you have looked at online businesses before, | | | | heavily searched terms online. |
| you have seen them... the ads saying how you | | | | Learning how to find keywords that cost very |
| can make $10,000, $50,000 or even $100,000 per | | | | little and/or that drive targeted traffic to your |
| month with some new business, product or | | | | website is a skill that will help most other online |
| opportunity if you just join some "guru's" | | | | marketing efforts succeed. Keywords are very |
| program. These expert marketers ensnare people | | | | important in videos, articles, press releases, blogs |
| with visions of mansions, sports cars and exotic | | | | and on social media web 2.0 properties like |
| vacations. Many people pay them the entry fee | | | | Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. |
| to this "new and lucrative" business with their last | | | | If, for instance, keyword research tells you that |
| dollar. Then they try to market this new business | | | | the keyword phrase, "how to make an insane |
| and, in most cases, they fail. | | | | income working from home on your PC" is a |
| Often times, these same people jump into | | | | phrase that is searched for 20 times per day, and |
| another business and they will say that the last | | | | there is nobody using that phrase, you can get a |
| business was a scam. | | | | lot of traffic from it. If you wrote an article with |
| The problem with this all-to-common scenario is | | | | that phrase as the title, your article would likely be |
| that, in most cases, that first business was not a | | | | #1 in the search engines when people search for |
| scam at all. The marketer that sold the business | | | | that phrase. You would get many of those 20 |
| was just a top notch marketer that possessed | | | | searchers looking at your article and they may |
| skills that the "newbie" did not have and, most | | | | even click the link that you wisely put in your |
| importantly, he or she probably had a list that | | | | "author's resource" box and visit your site. |
| they built over a long period of time. The "newbie" | | | | That same concept applies to nearly every other |
| had no chance at that elusive prosperity because | | | | area of online marketing. |
| it takes some basic, but specific skills to be able | | | | Another essential skill that successful online |
| to market online. | | | | marketers have is that they know how to build |
| Like every business start up, most people that | | | | landing pages that are customized to themselves. |
| start an online business fail. They fail because they | | | | A landing page (also called a capture page or |
| do not take the time to learn how to drive traffic | | | | squeeze page) is designed to connect with people, |
| to their new site and they fail to learn how to | | | | expose a need, and promises to provide a |
| make their business stand out from the millions of | | | | solution. The solution, of course, is not available to |
| people trying to market online. | | | | the prospect until after they have entered in their |
| Marketing online is a science and an art, and it | | | | information on the landing page. Then they are |
| takes real effort. The science is in learning how to | | | | sent to another web page where they can learn |
| use various systems and tools to simplify the | | | | more and, best of all, the marketer has their |
| marketing process and to magnify and multiply | | | | information and can begin to send them emails. |
| marketing efforts. The "art" happens after you | | | | They are on the marketer's "list" and that is the |
| have learned how to use the tools and can begin | | | | essential ingredient for every truly successful |
| to creatively attract people to your business. | | | | online marketer. |
| The great thing about online marketing is that | | | | The "list" is where all of the business' prospects |
| anyone can learn how to do it, if they just take | | | | are and the marketer can then dribble emails |
| the time to learn. A little effort in learning some | | | | (hopefully creative ones) over a period of time. |
| basic internet marketing skills is, in most cases, | | | | Most buyers do not buy online right away. In |
| the difference between failure and success. | | | | many cases, it takes weeks and even months of |
| One essential skill that every successful online | | | | regular emails before people will buy the product |
| marketer has is at least a rudimentary | | | | or join the business opportunity. |
| understanding of the importance of "key" words. | | | | Learning how to use keywords to drive people to |
| These are the fuel that make the search engines | | | | landing pages, and then market to them through a |
| work. If a new online marketer decides to market | | | | list, is a basic skill that nearly anyone can learn. |
| their new "opportunity" or product on the search | | | | Most people that fail in online marketing do not |
| engines using pay-per-click, they will often chose | | | | have these skills or perform the poorly. While |
| words like "make money online", "make money | | | | there are many other skills that can help |
| from home", "internet marketing" or "super | | | | marketers spread the word about their product |
| widget". They will quickly deplete their advertising | | | | or business, keywords, landing pages and emails |
| budget with these efforts. These "tier one" | | | | are still the most basic and essential skills for |
| keywords are some of the most expensive and | | | | most businesses. |