Marketing has changed over the year from traditionally spreading the word on a product, its benefits, and why you need it. With internet marketing there is a constant struggle to be heard amidst the noise. So having multiple brands talking about their products is no longer new and will be difficult to capture your target audience.

As Seth Godin once said, “Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but the stories you tell.” To make your brand and products stand out, you need to connect to your target audience not just capture their attention. You need to connect to them on a personal level to have a successful recall.

Consumers know they need stuff, but the question is why should they patronize a certain brand and make? Aside from the benefits and advantages, they look at the stories. The stories that make them smile and connect personally. These stories let them know that the brands are not just selling, but also sharing.

If you want to stand out, you need to find a way to connect. This is why videos, photos, and blogs are so popular. Social media lets us share the information through our stories and our experiences. This is the new way of marketing. Stop selling your products and start telling stories.

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People go online to find information. They may be looking for videos, articles, or even images, but they are all after to gain more knowledge on certain topics. This is why content marketing is an important aspect of online marketing.

With the help of content marketing, entrepreneurs can easily provide their target audiences information about their products or services. Hence, content marketing is an on-going process of providing relevant and valuable content and not just a gimmick.

As Jon Buscall put it, “Content marketing is a commitment, not a campaign.” Entrepreneurs must commit to provide information that will help improve the lives of their target customers. It is not a one-time campaign that entrepreneurs will abandon. They need to commit to it.

Products can be sold and bought, but when you start providing information, that’s when your customers start to remember you. Create an impact by offering added knowledge and information and you will build lasting relationships with your customers.

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Sometimes the most successful internet marketing campaigns are the simple ones. Those going viral are not always the complicated to understand or access. They are the simplest and most engaging ones. Those are what make them so memorable and effective.

When coming up with marketing campaigns or online advertisements, we need to take Leo Burnett’s advice, “Make it simple. Make it Memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.” The simple and memorable ones are what capture your audience’s attention.

It’s all about making them engaging and fun for the audience. It’s not about the complications. When people relate to you and your product, then they remember you. You need to make a connection with your audience, whether you are offering a product or providing them with valuable information.

Each time you produce content, be sure to make it fun for your readers. Also, make it memorable and inviting. Keep it simple too. A clear message is always better and it will avoid confusion. Don’t overthink the message, just make sure it is clear and valuable.

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Fast forward to 2014, the latest research suggested an improvement when it comes to planning. Only fewer than half doesn’t have a digital strategy. To those who have figured out their digital strategy, Congratulations!

However, not everyone seems to realize they need a digital channel strategy. In case you are one of those entrepreneurs, here are reasons why you need to start considering a strong digital marketing strategy for your online business:

1. You’re directionless – Without a digital strategy, your company lack clear strategic goals on what you want to achieve online. These goals can be to gain new customers or to build better relationships with existing ones. When you don’t have goals, you won’t be able to put your resources to reach new targets and you won’t evaluate results through analytics.
2. You won’t know your online market share – You need to understand your online marketplace. The dynamics is very different compared to traditional channels such as different types of customer profile and behaviour, competitors, propositions and options for marketing communications.
3. Existing and start-up competitors will gain market share – If you’re not devoting enough resources to your own digital marketing strategies or have not defined them yet, then your competitors will likely take advantage of that.
4. You don’t have a powerful online value proposition – A clear and defined online customer value proposition will separate your brand. Also, it will encourage loyalty among your existing and new customers.
5. You don’t know your online customers well enough – Sure Google Analytics can help you measure the volume of your visitors and followers. However, it can’t identify your weak points and how to address them.
6. You’re not integrated – It’s best to integrate digital media with other traditional media and response channels.
7. Digital doesn’t have enough people/budget given its importance – It may prove difficult to respond immediately and effectively to competitive threats because there are insufficient resources focused on planning and executing e-marketing. Also, it is likely that there is a lack of e-marketing specialists.
8. You’re wasting money and time through duplication – Be wise with your resources and don’t let them go to waste. This usually happens with large companies where they have different marketing organization purchasing different tools or using different agencies performing similar online marketing tasks.
9. You’re not agile enough to catch up or stay ahead – Keep innovating and try new approaches in order to gain and keep your online audiences.
10. You’re not optimizing – Once you have all the basics right, you need to make sure there is continuous improvement of the key aspects like search marketing, site user experience, email and social media marketing.

To learn more, you may visit this article from Smart Insights.

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Surely you’ve heard of YouTube and have at least shared a video. Whether these are funny cat videos or instructional ones, we’ve all had our share of enjoying them. The thing is, most people absorb more information through videos than any other medium. No wonder businesses are already taking time to do video marketing to create more opportunities.

Tap into this opportunity to grow your business. Join the FREE webinar on Video Marketing 101 this coming Monday, July 7^th from 5:00-6:00PM. Learn the basics of Video Marketing like what it truly is and why should you start doing in. Perfect for newbies, get to know the benefits and how to start your own Video Marketing. Of course, I will include tips that I have tested myself to ensure that all your Video Marketing efforts become a success.

Start and create more business opportunities today! Simply Sign up for this FREE video marketing 101 webinar here: http://bit.ly/diyvideomarketing101

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I have always been an open book when it comes to my experiences and journey in building an internet marketing business. Recently, I had an interview with Louie Sison, a blogger based in Pampanga, about how I started from being a web developer, spearheading my own consultancy company, and being a life coach.

Pursuing an online career can take a lot of work but the results are also fruitful. I am able to enjoy a flexible time that I dedicate to my family. At the same time, I work on what I am passionate about, which is Internet marketing and share my knowledge on how to be successful online.

Check out this video replay of the interview and find out if pursuing an online career is for you.

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