Internet Marketing 101 For Baby Boomers
Have you ever heard such weird jargon like squeeze page, opt-in, online, affiliate, upsell, downsell, cross-sell, download, upload, blogging and a host of other terms? Welcome to the world of Internet Marketing! Such terminology is the everyday language of IM geeks. If you are interested in learning such stuff, console yourself with the knowledge that it is not all that confusing. I am going to give you a basic introduction.
Firstly, let me define Internet Marketing in easy-to-understand terms. Internet Marketing is marketing (or selling) a product through the Internet. This product may be a physical product or a digital one. The Internet is also known as the World Wide Web (from which we get the prefix ‘www’ in front of every domain name) and is a system that links every computer with each other through telephone lines. Such linked computers are ‘online’ with one another. I think most boomers already know these things. Here’s something deeper.
The many forms of communicating through the Internet are also the means to sell products. Products can be sold through email, blogs, webpages, websites, podcasts, online videos or audios, teleseminars etc. All that needs to be done is to provide a link (called a hyperlink) of a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) where the product can be downloaded from. This hyperlink can be put into any of the means of communication mentioned earlier. When the reader clicks the hyperlink, he will be redirected to the website where the product is found or directly to the product itself to be downloaded. If the product is a physical one, the website would contain directions for ordering it. If it is a digital one (such as an e-book or e-report) it would be downloadable directly from the website.
Internet Marketing is simply the process of putting these hyperlinks in front of those potential buyers. In order to do that, Internet Marketers would usually advertise their products. There are several ways to advertise; some requiring money and others that do not. Just like in a traditional business where one can advertise through the mass media (such as newspapers, television or magazines), Internet Marketers can advertise through e-zines (digital magazine), newsletters, press releases or advertising systems such as pay-per-click (PPC), pay-per-impression (PPM) or pay-per-lead (PPL). Nowadays there is also pay-per-read (PPR). It is not uncommon to find new systems or methods of marketing that crop up every so often. All these methods are paid methods of advertising.
The free methods are through writing articles, sending out emails to friends, putting up blogs (web logs or digital diaries) that contain your URL, advertising in free advertisement websites, putting up a video with your URL in a video sharing site, answering and asking questions in online forums, auctioning your product on auction sites, listing your URL in a social bookmarking site, exchanging URL links with other website owners etc.
But what if you do not have a product of your own to sell? No problem. There are many people who would gladly pay you a commission if you sell their products for them. In such a case, you become their affiliate (or agent). They (the vendors) provide the product and you recommend their product to others. Once someone follows your recommendation and buys their product, you are given a commission. This way, you can still do Internet Marketing without having your own product. This is a very viable business model and most people do affiliate marketing when they first start out in Internet Marketing.
The great thing about Internet Marketing is the low start up cost compared to doing business in a traditional offline way. An offline business would probably require at least $10,000 to lease or buy a business premise, renovate it, hire staff, equip and stock it etc. But an Internet Marketing business requires far less. The only start up cost is the cost of registering a domain name, hosting a website, advertising and the cost of products (for physical products). If you are doing affiliate marketing and using free advertisement, then your costs can be even lower. I can show you how to start your own Internet Marketing business for under $55!
In this respect, whatever your financial status is, you can start an online Internet Marketing business. Such a business is ideal for boomers as you can set one up without hiring anyone if you are prepared to learn the basic skills by yourself (which is not difficult). Another advantage of an online business is that it will run 24 hours a day once it is set up. A traditional brick and mortar business can only run within certain hours but an Internet Marketing business can make money for you 24/7. This gives boomers the flexibility to enjoy retirement and yet have a consistent source of income.
Therefore, if you are a boomer wondering what you can do to meaningfully fill your time, I encourage you to venture into Internet Marketing. I can show you how. Through such a business, you keep yourself mentally sharp, profitably occupied and financially provided for.
Clarence Chan is a minister, counselor, trainer and internet marketer. Get your FREE podcast series, “The Almost Magical Recipe for Making Money Online” from http://www.beyourownonlineboss.com - Listen to the podcast or read the transcript for a step-by-step method to start your own home-based internet business. Clarence has helped many people over the past 20 years in the areas of marriage, family, self-improvement, religion and internet marketing. He is married with five children.
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