Net Marketing Tools

Social Network Marketing

Companies now use a variety of social networking tools, such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, to market their products and services to consumers on the Internet. One of the biggest benefits of using social networking as an online marketing strategy is it's free. Sign up for each of the aforementioned sites for no charge. On Facebook, you can create a fan page, which allows your network of contacts to "like" your page, and become a "fan" of your company. Post regular updates about your company each day on Twitter. For example, "Men's Health Magazine" regularly posts updates and articles about healthy eating and exercise. Use LinkedIn as a marketing tool by answering questions related to your business in the "Questions" section. This can help you position your company as an expert in your field.

Vertical Response is an Internet marketing tool that provides self-service email marketing, online surveys and direct mail service for small online businesses. Use Vertical Response to send an email marketing campaign to your customers. You can try this tool for free for 30 days to see if you like it too. According to "Entrepreneur" magazine, Vertical Response is a cost-effective tool for building long-term relationships with your customers online.

Search Engine Marketing, also known as SEM, is a process for marketing your business online by purchasing targeted ads that appear on search engine pages. It is a pretty simple marketing tool to implement. First, sign up for an account with a search engine website like Google, AOL or Yahoo!. Then, talk to your customers about how they find your business online. Develop a list of search terms your clients use to find you. For example, if you sell golf clubs, customers may search for, "best golf club deals" to find companies like yours. Once you have your list of key words, write an ad for your product or service. Finally, bid on one or more sets of key words, and if your bid beats your competitors' bids, people will see your ad when they use your key words.

Blogging is an Internet marketing tool that lets you maintain contact with your network of clients. Start a free blog by using a tool like Blogger, Blog.com or WordPress. Ask your network of customers to sign up for your blog on your website. The key to a successful blog is to provide valuable content rather than trying to sell your product or service. For example, if you sell dietary supplements online, use your blog to write about topics that your customer base is interested in, such as healthy recipes, research about certain supplements and healthy lifestyle tips.