Andy’s Internet Marketing Thingy..

Please let me tell you about the Internet marketing systems I use and find helpful. This information may be of some benefit to you, especially if your goal is to monetize your site or earn an income from your online marketing.

I have an Art/Education background but in the last couple of years I have been studying online marketing systems and using them.

Yes, studying them, since I have an art background I like to examine structures and beneath the surface of things in order to gain a clearer picture. I like to see the whole picture – the big picture. But what’s beneath the surface excites me the most: the structure holding everything in place, how they are designed, the methods and tools used to make these marketing systems work. For more details visit to www.podcastings-teleprompter.com .Keep in mind that I still feel a bit funny referring to myself as an Internet marketer. Last week my marketing efforts made me around a thousand dollars. I don’t know if that qualifies me as an Internet marketer or not – probably not. Most of the people with whom I associate and have contact, make that in a day. The really smart ones make that in an hour.

A thousand dollars in one hour?

How is that possible? Well, the marketing experts who earn the big d’s – usually have complex automated marketing systems set up and operating on the Internet. These systems start with their own products but quickly expand and build with large opt-in lists or ezines, 1000’s of affiliates, large JV networks, multi-sites, viral marketing, membership forums, brandable e-books, online marketing tools/resources and the list goes on…

No doubt you may have stumbled across some of these marketing systems on the Internet… one of the first I encountered was Internet Marketing Center run by the late Corey Rudl who died tragically in a car crash at the young age of 34. I made my first affiliate check through Corey’s system and it changed the way I looked at the Internet forever. And the check was only $5!

What helped me earn that $5 were not only my own efforts but more importantly the whole marketing system behind IMC. It took an ordinary webmaster and showed him how to market on the web. It showed me the way. More importantly, it also taught me that Internet marketing is a skill anyone can learn.

These marketing systems can be good places for the beginning marketer to learn those skills. There are many marketing systems quietly working the Internet. Some of the best (in my opinion) are Ken Evoy’s whole Site Sell system, Marlon Sanders Higher Response Marketing, John Reese’s Traffic Secrets, Bryan Winter’s Pushbutton Publishing, Jeff Mulligan’s CBmalls, and Nitro Marketing.

These Internet marketing systems are all different, yet they all have common elements or features that make them very effective and powerful marketing systems. A close examination of the different components or parts might give you a better understanding of what makes these Internet marketing systems work.

Here’s a list of the different parts of an effective Internet Marketing system:

* Founder or Helm: All these marketing systems have a strong leader or founder at the helm. A very vocal and forceful communicator or spokesperson is needed as a focal point. And like any company, it’s only as good as the person leading it. Because the Internet is still a very ’scary’ place for the average user – a friendly outgoing spokesperson is needed to break down those barriers (real or imaginary).

* Unique Product or Products: Most of the effective marketing systems have their own products to market. These can be digital information products, web building/hosting packages, or even self-contained marketing systems – or all of the above. Some popular products that come to mind would include Ken Evoy’s whole Site Sell and SiteBuildIt line, or Jeff Mulligan’s CBmalls promoting Clickbank.

* Databases or Lists: All these systems collect and keep large databases or opt-in permission contact lists of customers and potential customers. The real net value of any marketing system is in the quantity and more importantly the quality of its lists. All deliver a weekly or daily ezine or ezines to these lists. Consider these databases as the engines that empower any Internet marketing system.

* JV Networks: Most have large Joint Venture Networks or contacts that will kick-start any new product. Momentum and sales are created with these JV partners. An ideal JV partner is a well-respected online marketer with very responsive and very large opt-in lists. If databases are like engines, JV networks will fill those engines with the fuel they need.

* Affiliates: The best marketing systems use 1000’s of affiliates to promote and market their products. This is usually done in-house with their own affiliate program or onsite software set up. Some use third party affiliate programs like Clickbank, 1ShoppingCart, Commission Junction, Link Share, or Shareasale. This is your ignition.

* Autoresponder: One of the most effective marketing tools these systems use, autoresponder, is essential for delivering the sales. A series of follow-up e-mails will increase sales dramatically. Studies have shown that it takes 6 or 7 follow-ups before someone purchases your product. Consider the autoresponder as a fuel injection system.

* Tracking and Marketing Resources: All have extensive tracking and marketing resources, usually located online within a membership site. So too are marketing resources such as banners, links, coupons, graphics, SEO tactics, landing pages, lead capture pages, brandable reports, articles and e-books. Obviously, these are your toolkit.

* Viral Marketing: All great Internet marketing systems use viral marketing techniques. This can be as simple brandable reports, articles, software or e-books. Affiliates can embed their own IDs and pass these viral products along to their friends and visitors. These useful viral products then get passed around all over the web – creating links and funneling prospects back to your marketing system. Consider viral marketing your Turbo Charger.

* Online Forums: Many of the better Internet Marketing systems will have an online forum where members can network and interact and could offer workshops and tutorials. This is a vital community building tool that must not be overlooked or underestimated. It will greatly enhance the effectiveness of any marketing system, building a foundation and launch pad for any new products. Online forums are your gas stations.

* Cross Promotion: These marketing systems can become very complex: promoting programs within programs, cross-networking whole systems within systems, joint ventures within joint ventures. Marketing seminars, conventions and workshops are other lucrative features these systems use to market their products and to network with other marketers. This is your Hybrid fuel.

* Corporate Blogs: Most have company blogs or a network of members’ blogs. It’s important to realize the power of these relatively new mediums for getting the word out. RSS feeds are also used to syndicate your sales message and content. That would be your satellite radio.

* Affiliate Incentives: The better marketing systems have affiliate incentives and contests to motivate their sales force – from cruises to Ferraris.

* They Pay Their Affiliates On Time: This might seem trivial, except to the affiliate. The best Internet marketing systems build trusting relationships by paying their affiliates regularly and on time. They develop and harvest those trusting relationships with thousands or even millions of affiliates. This is your accelerator.

* Automation: Automation is the one key element that makes all of the above possible. These Internet marketing systems are automated to the highest degree possible. Without automation these large marketing networks could not function. Therefore, almost all the day-to-day operation of a marketing system is automated and can run smoothly without much work or maintenance. This is the grease that makes everything run.

* Internet: These marketing systems have taken full advantage of the World Wide Web and used it to their benefit. It permits global marketing with affiliates in every country around the world. This large multinational marketing force is made possible only with the creation of the Internet. Consider it the glue that connects the whole system. For more information logon to www.paylock-generator.com .The computer and the Internet make these whole automated marketing systems possible. Closely studied and dissected, these systems are complex, intricate creatures solidly embedded into the Internet and the lives of millions around the globe. Together it’s enabling lifestyles that offer mobility, freedom and enrichment never before seen this side of a Powerball win!

When you picture these complex marketing systems, don’t think of computers, databases, autoresponder, and wires. Rather, picture a sun-drenched tropical beach with a light breeze and a clear blue sky. Picture a person sitting to one side, checking daily sales stats on a cool sleek shinny laptop. Don’t forget to zoom in close and you will notice a slight smug smile. But don’t stop there, if you stare really hard and think about what you have just read, you will have a clear view of an Internet marketing system.

Rasmussen College is believed to be the only higher education institution in the world to devote a degree program to teaching students how to reach consumers through Internet marketing-based tactics.

ORLANDO, FLA. — The advent of the Internet is changing the face of advertising and marketing by opening up a new world of opportunities to reach consumers of myriad products and services.

To address these new demands, Rasmussen College recently introduced a bachelor’s degree in Internet Marketing . “After conducting extensive research, we found that Rasmussen is the first college in the world to introduce a degree program dedicated solely to the field of Internet marketing,” said Brandon Steele, Online Marketing Manager for Rasmussen College.

Two other schools offer similar programs, but neither matches the depth of Rasmussen’s Internet Marketing degree, Steele said. The University of Virginia offers a certificate program in eMarketing. The University of British Columbia offers a Diploma in Web Analytics, a subset of Internet Marketing .

“Our degree program is much more encompassing,” Steele said. “It teaches all of the different aspects of Internet Marketing.”

Rasmussen’s Internet Marketing program combines traditional marketing skill sets with cutting-edge “e-strategies” and Web skills. It covers topics including Internet consumer behavior, search engine marketing and Web media marketing, among others.

The program was created in response to the growing need for education in this field, Steele said.

When the first banner ads appeared on www.hotwired.com in October 1994, the Internet Marketing craze began. Until now, those interested in learning Internet marketing relied on website chat rooms, books and trial and error tactics. A great deal of contradictory information exists on this topic, and the fact that this is a skill set which continues to evolve made learning the ropes more difficult, Steele said. “This is the program I wish had been around when I first started out.”

In the United States, 68.5 percent of the population uses the Internet, according to the Internet World Stats Web site.

“Internet Marketing is becoming so important because so many people are on the Internet today,” Steele said. “At this moment there are more web-pages than people in the world.”

The growing number of web-pages and websites means that companies must make concerted efforts to market themselves online and avoid being lost in the vast sea of information. “The Internet Marketer is the difference between a website ranked high in a search engine and one lost in cyberspace,” Steele said.

Students who earn bachelor’s degrees in Internet Marketing will be equipped to help companies set themselves apart on the Internet.

They will learn to assist companies in designing sites that are navigable and user friendly.

“On the Web, content is king,” Steele added “and if people can’t easily find that content, they will leave the site.”

Besides optimizing a website, graduates of this program also will learn the best ways to bring people to a site, the latest strategies in social marketing and the importance of relevant content.

Preparing for an Internet Marketing Degree

There are some steps students can take to prepare for a degree in Internet Marketing, Steele said.

High school students should take computer courses and learn basics, such as Microsoft Word and Excel. Basic web programming such as HTML or CSS is also good to know, Steele said. Good writing skills are a plus for writing Web copy and blogging, both of which are important Internet Marketing elements. Introductory business courses and marketing courses also are helpful.

One important item to remember is that Internet Marketing continues to evolve as technology improves and marketing professionals learn more about the Internet’s possibilities in reaching target audiences.

“This degree program will help you learn the fundamentals,” Steele said. “Graduates can branch out and specialize, but this will provide the solid foundation needed to succeed in Internet Marketing.”

The constant changes are one of the exciting aspects of this growing career field.

“You can never rest on your laurels,” Steele said. “In this field, you will be constantly learning. That is part of what makes this career so challenging and exciting.”

Learn More

If you would like more information on Rasmussen College’s Internet marketing program, visit their Web site: www.rasmussen.edu or call 888-572-6877 .

About Rasmussen College

Rasmussen College is a private institute of higher learning founded in St. Paul, Minn. on Sept. 1, 1900. The school serves students through its network of 12 campuses in the Midwest and Southeast and its virtual campus. It is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, to award associate’s and bachelor’s degrees and diplomas and certificates in a variety of program areas.