What is Internet Marketing and Examples?

Key Concepts

Internet marketing, or online marketing, is growing rapidly. In addition to traditional media such as print and television, companies are discovering innovative and above all cost-effective ways to reach potential customers. Users expect every business to have a site, so it’s important that it’s comprehensive, easy to use, and that it’s sponsored by both social media and targeted online advertising campaigns, using for example Google Ads. But what exactly is internet marketing?

1. What is Internet Marketing?

Internet marketing is a term that refers to any form of advertising or marketing on the web. It is an umbrella term for email promotions, social media posts, paid search engine advertising, etc. possible to reach a wider audience at a lower cost.

Contrary to popular belief, businesses don’t need an unlimited budget to market themselves online. With the right online marketing strategies, small and medium businesses are discovering new ways to compete with big businesses. Even on a tight budget, small and medium businesses can get creative and reach customers at every stage of the buying cycle. Whether a user is reviewing a purchase or completing an order, they will see your brand every step of the way.

2. Why is online marketing important?

More than 3.5 billion searches are performed on Google every day, and more customers are turning to the web every day for answers. This means an immense number of potential customers are ready to discover your brand. Using data analysis and result refinement tools, you can target the most interested and qualified customers. This translates to less wasted money and a higher rate of return on online marketing investments. With computers and tools doing most of the work for you, finding new qualified clients is just a click away.

Think you already know all the pros and cons of online marketing? Read this short quiz in the Google Help Center to test your knowledge of online marketing.

3. Types of online marketing strategies (Examples)

To maximize your online marketing budget, you must first have a strategy. Set realistic goals and start from scratch. Once you’ve tested the strategies and figured out what works and what doesn’t, you can start growing.

Here are the most common Internet marketing strategies examples:

Content marketing

Now, the importance of content marketing or content marketing is increasingly known: it is the creation of relevant content to increase the interest and interaction of potential customers with our site. The objective is therefore to seduce customers and get them to interact with the brand. This content can include videos, blog posts, infographics, etc. This online marketing strategy is usually less expensive and is mainly used to increase brand awareness and establish itself as a leader in its field by offering original, relevant, current, and useful content.

Show announcements

Every time you are on a website and you see an advertisement through an image or a video, you are faced with display advertisements. This form of online marketing is a great way to increase product awareness and introduce your brand to a large number of people. Display ads are usually quite eye-catching and simple to make using Google’s image gallery. Here’s more information on creating an image ad in a few simple steps and helpful tips for running successful display ads.

Advertising by e-mail

It’s all in the name. Email marketing is simply about reaching your customers via email. These emails can range from promoting an amazing sale to a limited-time offer to sending out a weekly newsletter with articles and industry updates. Email marketing is important because it allows your customers to spontaneously provide their information, rather than targeting users based on external mailing lists. Emails sent to people who have not voluntarily signed up are more likely to be considered spam. Here’s more information about Google’s anti-spam guidelines.

Paid search engine or PPC advertising

This online marketing strategy uses services such as Google Ads to promote businesses through advertisements displayed in search engine results. Businesses can pay to have their ads appear whenever customers search for a certain term on Google. Although it may seem complicated, paid search engine advertising is simple to use and allows your business to reach a large number of potential customers. Check out the guide to getting started and understanding the basics of Google Ads.

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is often referred to as “organic marketing” and uses natural processes to promote your website on the search results page. SEO ensures that your site complies with search engine parameters, to provide the most relevant content and the best browsing experience to the user. This can depend on several factors, from having certain keywords on the page to whether your website is well organized with a clean and easy-to-use structure. Here’s more information on the steps needed to create a website that meets Google’s guidelines.

Social Media Marketing

This online marketing strategy includes paid and free promotional activities, on social networks such as Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and others. Businesses can choose to post interesting and engaging articles from their own site or others, for free or for a fee, to highlight them to a specific audience. Social media networks are valuable resources because they allow users to easily share the content of common interest with like-minded people.

Online marketing strategies vary depending on the type of business and the ultimate goal, but one thing is certain: Internet marketing is becoming fundamental for businesses. No matter the type of business or the size of the business, online marketing offers a useful way to reach target customers, using fewer resources. Don’t be fooled by marketing giants. The first step to success is understanding what internet marketing is and how your business can benefit from it. 

You don’t need to be an expert to get started. With the right online marketing strategy, your business will grow in no time.