Internet marketing is a lot like fishing. To catch the biggest fish you have to find the right place to go, use the right bait, and be patient. Change your ways until you find the right ones.

 

First, in internet marketing you have to decide what fish you want to catch. To get the “biggest fish” you have to start with what kinds of fish you want. Who is your target audience? What demographics can you target? Age? Gender? Income? Education? Greener consumers? Are you targeting businesses or customers? Different segments of the market want different things. You have to base your target market on the product you are providing. Do some market research and find out exactly who your target market is.

 

Once you establish your target market you have to decide on how you will get them to your website. What is your bait? Google Adwords? Facebook? Twitter? Blogs? Instagram? Deciding on what platform to use is the hardest part of marketing. Look at what other companies similar to yours are doing, do some competitor analysis! See what works and what doesn’t for them and learn from their mistakes.

 

Let’s say you start an online clothing company. Your target audience is fashionable women aged 18-30. How do you get your message (“go to my website and buy my clothes!!”) to your target market? Think about these women, what apps and websites do they go on regularly? Pinterest, Instagram, Etsy, Facebook, Twitter, etc. If your target market is young women you wouldn’t put your ads on ESPN’s app or website.

 

Online marketing doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time, it takes adjusting and readjusting. Be responsive. Improve based on what works and what doesn’t.

 

Start with your product or service. Think about what fish you want to catch. Figure out how to catch those fish.