This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

This license allows you to download and share this book with others as long as you give appropriate credit and a link to http://www.combridges.com or http://www.newmaru.com, but you cannot change this book in any way or use it commercially. Copyright 2012 by Jon Leland and Laxmis Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Jon Leland has masterfully distilled the core components of Internet marketing into eight illuminating concepts. Taking us beyond all the buzz and hype around this subject, Jon has successfully managed to identify and describe the key elements that truly are what every business needs to know. Read this e-book and change your business future. Hal Josephson, Founder, MediaSense International business development, trans-border marketing specialist This book is exhaustive and essential! Im very impressed with the breadth and depth of its information. Andrew Leland, Co-Editor The Believer magazine With this book, Jon Leland offers an antidote to shallow get-rich-quick web tactics. He shows marketers what it means to be authentic and redefines Internet marketing so that novices and pros learn how to build enduring relationships with their customers. Web traffic is not the answer; its the question. Leland shows where the real answers lie. Marty Perlmutter Interactive media veteran & entrepreneur

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
INTRODUCTION A True Sea Change PA R T O N E B U I L D A S O L I D F O U N D AT I O N : K N O W Y O U R F U N D A M E N TA L S Attraction Engine
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 ..........................................................1

PROLOGUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Key Concept # 1: Authenticity Ignites Your

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Key Concept # 2: The Gospel of Relevance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Key Concept # 3: Conversions & Customer Engagement: What Happens Next?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Key Concept # 4: Launch and Learn: Be In It to Win It . . 25 PA R T T W O THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTERNET MARKETING
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Key Concept # 5: Well-Targeted SEO Leverages Your Strategic Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Key Concept # 6: NextGen Advertising is PPC, an Outrageous Outreach Opportunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Key Concept # 7: Social Media Marketing and the Customer-Powered Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 PA R T T H R E E M A K E I T L A S T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Key Concept # 8: Lead with Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 TA K I N G I T T O T H E N E X T L E V E L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 T H A N K Y O U S , A P P R E C I AT I O N S & A C K N O W L E G E M E N T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

INTRODUCTION

he astounding growth of the Internet has decimated the effectiveness of formerly dependable marketing channels such as

the Yellow Pages, printed brochures and even traditional TV advertising. At the same time, the Web has enabled a whole new marketing communications style that I call New Marketing. This includes social media and new, accountable advertising vehicles that didnt even exist a few years ago. The result is a new kind of online marketing environment with new rules as well as ongoing, accelerating changes. There is simply no getting away from the

fact that the worlds of media and marketing have changed dramatically and continue to change at a dizzying pace. Today, the new opportunities for marketing your business are nothing short of amazing. However, as with all innovations, the world of New Marketing needs to be understood before it can be effectively put to use.
n

INTERNET MARKETING: 8 KEY CONCEPTS

This book is your guide to gaining an actionable understanding of the fundamentals of this New Marketing landscape. My aim is to help businesses and organizations of all sizes to enrich and reward themselves through greater creative expression, more authentic connections with their customers or constituencies, and to help enable anyone generate a more sustainable kind of prosperity. In just about 100 pages, I will introduce you to the basics of Internet marketing and, drawing on my forty years of experience as a media innovator, give you the general guidelines for applying these principles to your own Internet marketing campaigns. Any business or organization that wants to attract and retain customers, or to maintain engagement with any kind of constituencywhich is to say, every businessmust have a clear and impassioned Internet marketing strategy. But sometimes you have to know what not to do before you start firing up your proactive engines.

Dont Believe These Marketing Misconceptions

Lets begin by addressing two very common misconceptions. The first is that, thanks to all the hustlers out there, many people think that Internet marketing is a get-rich-quick scheme that can make millions for anyone with a business idea and a computer. Sadly, these self-centered egotists have given Internet marketing a bad name. While todays technologies make marketing more convenient, accountable and cost-effective, we still have to do the required
n

INTRODUCTION

work of planning, implementing, and following through. Theres real effort involved and we also need to be humble and open enough to learn from our mistakes. There are no quick fixes, instant gratification formulas, or silver bullets, but there ARE fundamentals upon which real, long-term successes can be built. This is the foundation of my approach. Second, some folks think that if their Internet marketing drives traffic to their website, their job is done. Also not true. The goal of our online marketing efforts isnt merely increasing traffic. Its what can happen if you proceed to engage with those website visitors effectively. Never forget that your websites visitors are real people. I know this is common sense, but its also a very common mistake of omission. The results we really want are what Internet marketers call conversionstransactions which, in my view, are best when they are based on an authentic connection between you (and your organization) and those who are interested in what you have to offer. Thus, creating real engagement and actual sales is far beyond just driving traffic to your site. Web traffic is a good start, but its only a start. We need to convert casual or curious visitors to our website into buyers or participants (or, at the end of the day, whatever it is we want them to be). Pulling in the right traffic is the first challenge; connecting with our visitors through an engaging, well-designed website that offers real value, typically through some kind of original content or valuable service, is the second. And, finally, developing an ongoing, sustainable relationship with these people is the third goal.
n

INTERNET MARKETING: 8 KEY CONCEPTS

Whatever ultimate goal we may have for our Internet marketing, we need to uncover the trail to the salethe sequence of events that will systematically lead us to the results we want. Often this takes some trial and error, but there is no getting around the fact that we must design every aspect of our web presence in order to pull people along the path to our goal. As its been said, a failure to plan is a plan to fail. So, without further ado Welcome to the most practical and concise introduction to Internet marketing available. While there are a variety of in-depth books on the various aspects of whats covered here, Ive never seen a volume with this books top-level conceptual overview combined with its practical perspective. In fact, just including the three different types of Internet marketingsearch engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising (PPC) and social media marketing (SMM)all in one book appears to be unique. (By the way, if you find this combination elsewhere, Id love to hear about it.) The bottom line: once youve got this books eight key concepts under your belt, a whole new world of online opportunities will open up before you; and hopefully it will be one that you can embrace with enthusiasm. Im confident that as you read this book and learn more about the power and potential of Internet marketing, youll be as excited about the subject as I am. After youve read this book, please share your experiences with me, including what works for your business and what
n

INTRODUCTION

parts might have missed the mark or where you think that future editions of this book can help others more effectively. Theres always room for improvement. Please send me your feedback at jon@combridges.com, our ComBridges blog, our YouTube channel, the NewMarU.com virtual community, our Facebook page, via Twitter or LinkedIn. I enthusiastically look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Jon L. Leland August 2012 Tiburon, CA, USA

P R O L O G U E A TRUE SEA CHANGE

New Marketing Is the Result of a Flood of Mind-Boggling Technological Innovations

s I often say, its hard to keep track of how fast things are changing when things are changing this fast.

In the world of online marketing communications, the more things change, the less they stay the same.

New Marketing vs Old Marketing

When I give keynote speeches at socialmedia and other business conferences, I feel compelled to underscore the profound nature of the online communications sea change by defining the fundamental differences between what I call Old Marketing and New Marketing.
n

INTERNET MARKETING: 8 KEY CONCEPTS

To simplify things, I break down Old and New break down into three key ingredients. These components are the core dynamics that define the nature of our marketing communications as they previously operated, and the new form they are rapidly taking. In fact, with the explosion of social-media marketing and with more than a decade of e-commerce behind us, New Marketing is in many ways already hereeven as it overlaps with the continuations of the Old Marketing world. Given that Old Marketing has been the standard practice for much of the twentieth century, its important to be aware of how the old marketing style may still be influencing your mindset when you think about how you want to approach your own marketing. I strongly encourage you to spend a few moments carefully reflecting on the key ingredients of New Marketing so that you can set your sails in the direction of the Webs strongest and most sustainable currents.

OUT WITH THE OLD

Intrusive Push: We live in a world of information overload. Old-style marketers think that the only solution to this problem is to interrupt and get in your face by being as loud and, in some cases, as obnoxious as possible. We all know that our world doesnt need more noise, yet there are still far too many marketers who think that the way to get their message across is to jam it down our throats. One-to-Many: The old-media world was build by broadcasters and big-business publishers who controlled
n

PROLOGUE

the airwaves and the printing presses. This was a top-down media environment where there were few options (only three or four TV networks, and one or two daily newspapers in each city). Individuals and small businesses had limited options for reaching their markets in a meaningful way. Manipulative Selling: Sales has in many ways earned itself a bad reputation. While not universal in business, in the worlds of advertising and push marketing, the dominant approach has been largely unscrupulous and oriented solely to the bottom line. On the web, the best examples of this strategy are email spammers and other get-rich-quick hucksters whose only purpose is to make more money.

IN WITH THE NEW

Attractive Pull: The new avenues of Internet marketing allow all of us to attract the perfect clients and customers for our businesses. We do this naturally, with our authenticitywhich is inherently attractive. At the same time, we pull in those with a real interest in what we offer through the power of search engines and well-targeted keyword phrases (both of which are explained in more detail below). Many-to-Many: The media playing field has not only been levelled, its been tilted toward the consumer. Study after study and a bevy of books has underscored this dramatic
n

INTERNET MARKETING: 8 KEY CONCEPTS

shift toward the Internet-empowered consumer (Brian Solis The End of Business as Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consumer Revolution to name just one). When making a buying decision, we listen to the recommendations of our peers more than any other factor. Consumers no longer trust the mass media. From feedback mediums like Amazon and Yelp user reviews through a myriad of communication channels like blogs, YouTube videos, and the whole array of social networks, we now listen to and trust each other far more than the big business broadcasters and publishers who used to dominate. In a very real sense, weve all become broadcasters and publishers. Authentic Relationship-Building: This is the heart of New Marketing and a recurring theme in this book. Relationships are the reason why social media isnt just a new craze or the latest hype-fuelled trend. The Web is us. Or as Kevin Kelly, the founding executive editor of Wired magazine, famously wrote in 2005, We Are the Web. The Web is real people making a difference in the lives of their friends. Yes, Facebook has stretched the meaning of the term friend, but that doesnt change what actually works if you want to reach out to your potential customers in a meaningful way. In the longterm, the only sustainable strategy is to make an authentic connection by delivering real value hopefully so much so that people will want to share the positive experiences you offer with their real friends.
n

1 0

PROLOGUE

These three New Marketing themes are the universal foundations upon which all successful Internet marketing campaigns are built.

To summarize:
n Be attractive in an authentic and relevant way. people-powered media environment. n Recognize the fact that we live and communicate in a n And build authentic, sustainable virtual relationships.

The Technological Tidal Wave

As if these changes werent dramatic enough, there are even more profound changes afoot: the technological platforms upon which all of the New Marketing communication channels are built. My focus in the eight key concepts that follow is on the communications aspects of these innovations, not the technologies; but I think the dynamics of the tech changes are so huge that they are worthy of reflection. They are the context within which everything else is happening. In the worlds of computing, the World Wide Web, and digital media in general, the changes have been continual, rapid, and enormous. The shifts are truly tectonic. The landscape has been altered, the playing field leveled, and the pace of this media reinvention is accelerating daily. Im exaggerating... not at all. But a clear perspective on just how huge these changes are seems to continually escape common knowledge. I repeat: Its hard to keep track of how fast things are changing when things are changing this fast.
n

1 1

INTERNET MARKETING: 8 KEY CONCEPTS

To begin with, lets look at seven high-level tech trends with which every Internet marketer should be familiar.

Computing Power
The growth in computing power, which predates the Internet, has utterly transformed the way we deal with information. As Intel pioneer Gordon Moore pointed out in 1965, in what is now known as Moores Law, computer processing power doubles every eighteen months, while its cost remains the same. This ongoing and continuous doubling over the course of decades represents an exponential growth that is almost incomprehensible. Look at smartphones, or the way weve seen digital desktop video on standard Macs and PCs grow over the last roughly fifteen years from grainy, postagestamp-sized video clips to Hollywood feature-film quality. If the power of our cars had increased at this rate, we would all be driving rocket ships that cost just a few hundred dollars.

The Socialization of Networks

Social networks are part of human nature and predate the Internet. But the power of social networks has been greatly expanded because of what is known as the network effect. Originally formulated by Robert Metcalfe, inventor of the Ethernet cable, with regard to compatible communicating devices, Metcalfes Law is now applied to people or users. It states that the value of a telecommunications network is proportional to the square of the number of users in the network. And this value goes far beyond its technological
n

1 2

PROLOGUE

implications. Whenever and however people communicate on networks of all kinds, the power of these networks increases, not linearly, but also exponentially. For example, if you and I were in a network, that would be a one-on-one relationship, but it wouldnt have the power that a group of even a few people has. Thanks to the Internet and social networks like Facebook, the power of influence and the opportunities to form groups, social networks or tribes has increased dramatically. Of course, this kind of social reach is a result of each individual group members other contacts, spheres of influence, and communities (virtual or otherwise). For example, when you friend someone on Facebook, you connect indirectly with all of that new friends friends. This is a kind of exponentially expanding leverage that opens previously incomprehensible opportunities.

The Link
A completely new kind of networking came about through the invention of the hyperlinkthe underlined pieces of text that take us from place to place on the Web. Before 1995, when the Mosaic browser first gave us the ability to click on links, the Internet was used only by scientists and academics. With links, the World Wide Web was born; and since then, the Web and its literally billions of links have been transforming the way we interact, do business, and get information. The power of links inspired Kevin Kelly to call the hyperlink the most powerful invention of the 1990s. Virtually every component of Internet marketing that follows in this book is
n

1 3

INTERNET MARKETING: 8 KEY CONCEPTS

powered by hyperlinks. Without links, none of this Web stuff exists.

Search
Search engines are another paradigm-shifting aspect of the Web. John Battelle, author of an excellent book about Google called The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture, calls search engines a database of intentions. Every time we perform an Internet search, were declaring our interests and intentions. If you want to go on an Alaskan cruise, you might go to a search engine and type in Alaskan cruise. In this way, you have declared your intention and identified yourself to cruise operators as a potential customer. As marketers, we can tap this remarkable body of knowledge that was never before available. The billions of search requests made each day tell us exactly what people all over the world are looking forand the specific language that they are using to describe it (these are the keyword phrases that are discussed in more detail below).

Bandwidth
The growth of bandwidth has reduced resistance to the Web which at one time was commonly referred to as the World Wide Wait. Remember the sound of a 2800 baud modem making a dial-up connection? Roughly two-thirds of Internet users in America now have the kind of high-speed broadband connections that make the Web faster and more enjoyable to use. Remember when you could elect not to
n

1 4

PROLOGUE

download images because it took so long? Now, a majority of active Web browsers (in developed countries, at least) are accessing images, MP3 audio files, and videos, all without a second thought. Thus, more sites are leveraging the attentiongetting qualities of video and other multi-sensory media. These include the various forms of online communications that increasingly offer new kinds of dynamic media interactions with consumers and communities. The once text-driven Web has turned into a multimedia cornucopia.

Mobile Internet
Wireless Internet connections are creating a mobile Web with a new kind of reach. Just as broadband brought us the always on connection, the wireless Web is bringing us the anywhere connection that serves new generations of devices, from iPads and smartphones to computer chips on cereal boxes, GPS tracking systems in cameras, and much more. Wi-Fi is only the beginning. Mobile is the second generation of the Internet and will continue to extend its ubiquitous power in unforeseen ways.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

The days when software was delivered on floppies or via CDs (or DVDs) are almost over. Many applications (apps) no longer require installation at all, because they run entirely inside a Web browser, or are Internet-enabled. These apps (both computer and mobile) deliver an experience equal to, or even better than conventional software because of how seamlessly
n

1 5

they leverage the power of the Web. Increasingly, companies buy software as a service, typically billed monthly, so that its no longer a product. With this SaaS model, a few basic services are often free, but more advanced and useful features must be purchased. The client benefits from not having the hassle of installing and updating and the software vendor doesnt have the costs and headaches of supporting installation across a mix of customer hardware environments, supporting a range of software versions, and distributing upgrades and patches, one customer at a time. Now, lets look at how your business or organization can take advantage of these changes in order to market itself more easily and effectively.

1 6

PA R T ONE
BUILD A SOLID F O U N D AT I O N : KNOW YOUR FUNDAMENTALS

1 7

PA R T O N E

S
actual

uccessful Internet marketing begins with fundamental concepts. First,

three

authenticity sets the stage by energizing

our marketing efforts with a focus on what is meaningful to us and valuable to others. Second, relevance is the gospel of Internet

marketing: language,

beyond we make

the our

most

attractive clearly

content

appropriate to our audiences needs; and thus it is more efficient and more effective. Finally, conversions (your self-defined goals such as transactions or interactions) reflect customer engagement (the authentic connections with customers, prospects or constituencies that you make online). These are the humanized bottom-line of Internet marketing. Unfortunately, all three of these fundamentals are far too frequently overlooked.
n

1 9

INTERNET MARKETING: 8 KEY CONCEPTS

For any Internet marketing campaign to be successful, these three building blocks must be used and integrated. Master these fundamentals and all your online marketing efforts are much more likely to achieve their goals.

KEY CONCEPT #1: Authenticity Ignites Your Attraction Engine

I dont believe in strategies and tactics for their own sake. For me, the Web isnt about technologyits about communication and human connection. Old-style push marketing will continue to lose its effectiveness because quick-hit, in your face sales techniques are no longer sustainable. Rather, like all relationships, marketing thats based on authenticity takes time. Real customer engagement is a long-term process which I recently heard social media evangelist and author Gary Vaynerchuck call a marathon. Think marriage rather than slam, bang, thank you, maam. New Marketing is about pull, or attracting and sustaining relationships with your customers. You can only do this with your natural passion. If you are a larger organization, this comes from the passion of your employees. Whether you are a solopreneur (a one-person business) or a large organization, marketing on the Web without a clear value proposition, or an authentic voice, isin my view at leasta waste of time. Although the world of New Marketing is still emerging, there is no longer any doubt in my mind that the tide has changed, and authentic engagement and relationship building is now a requirement.
n

2 0

PA R T O N E

Offering real value fueled by your natural enthusiasm (and/or that of your team) and bringing that home with sustainable, long-term, and authentic relationship building is what I call your Attraction Engine. (See illustration above.) Here are the key components of this marketing strategy: Contribute to Others by offering real value, starting on day one with no end in sight.

1 2

Connect with Energy by engaging with enthusiasm. If you dont care about what youre doing, why should anyone else?
n

2 1

INTERNET MARKETING: 8 KEY CONCEPTS

Make Meaningful Connections. To quote Gary Vaynerchuck again, Dont act like a 17-year-old dude whose only interest is a quick encounter. Commit to the long run. Be real. Real relationships require time and tender loving care in order to be nurtured so that they last. Really.

These more humanized attraction-engine dynamics are complimented by the leverage of well-researched keyword phrases and the targeting of relevant prospects, which is discussed in detail in Key Concept #5: Well-Targeted SEO Leverages Your Focus. (This entire subject of Authentic Voice and your Attraction Engine is much richer than I can fully address in this space, and will be the subject of a future publication. In the meantime, if youd like to learn more on this subject, please visit NewMarU.com to see my interviews with experts and online courses that address this crucial subject.)

KEY CONCEPT #2: The Gospel of Relevance

I call relevance the gospel of Internet marketing because it must be an integral part of all of the different connections and transactions (both monetary and otherwise) we make on the Web. For example, a search engines job is to find the most relevant results possible. Your job is to let the search engines know (through the SEO techniques
n

2 2

TA K I N G I T T O T H E N E X T L E V E L
Now that youve got a solid foundation and understand the key concepts and most important ingredients of successful Internet marketing, its time to move into action which frequently means more learning, skills development and finding the right resources. We are here to help and would love to hear from you. Here are the two main avenues that weve created to help you take your marketing to the next level:

Online courses including an 8-part interactive exploration of the key concepts presented in this book, Ask the CSO marketing strategy Q&A sessions with me your virtual Chief Strategy Officer, Special Guest Webinars, virtual community and much more. Subscribe to the free level to hear about our latest offerings: http://www.newmaru.com

Professional services including strategy consulting, WordPress website design and development, video production, SEO, PPC and SMM. How can we help? http://www.combridges.com/contact/
n

7 9

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jon Leland is a leading marketing communications expert who has been an innovator for over forty years.
In the 70s, Mr. Leland founded one of the first narrowcast radio networks. In the eighties, he was a cable and pay-TV pioneer who founded the on-air promotion department at cables USA Network. And in the 90s, Leland wrote and produced original video programs, leading-edge websites, and interactive TV prototypes. Corporate projects have included two interactive TV future vision videos for Pacific Bell, and an interactive TV prototype application for Oracle Corporation which was displayed at Disney Worlds Epcot Center. Corporate clients include AT&T, HBO, Hooked on Phonics, Lifetime Cable Television, Madison Square Garden Network, NEC America, New York Telephone, Paramount Home Video, Simon & Schuster Video, Viacom, and Xerox, among others. An evangelist for low-cost video production tools, in 1994 Leland wrote, produced, and directed The Digital Video-Video, a half-hour overview of new technologies for video professionals that received sponsorship support from eight companies, including Adobe, Avid, Media 100, and Videography magazine. Jon was also a regular contributor to Sybase Magazine and a contributing editor to Videography for more than

8 5

INTERNET MARKETING: 8 KEY CONCEPTS

12 years. He has also written for Computer Graphics World, Publish, and TV-Broadcast magazines, among others. As a speaker, Mr. Leland has led workshops at the Inc. 500, Inc. Growing the Company, Mediasense, MacWorld, Image Expos, Corporate Computing Expo, and other conferences. He has served as the conference director of the Rocky Mountain Film & Video Expo and as the West Coast, on-camera correspondent for the American Business Journal TV series. Articles about Mr. Leland and his work have been published in Business Week, Presentations, Electronic Media, MPC World, PC Today, San Francisco Business Times and Videomaker magazines, among others. Leland is currently president & creative director of the strategic online communications agency, ComBridges.com and Dean of NewMarU.com, New Marketing University.

8 6