Internet marketing, also referred to as online marketing or Emarketing, is the marketing of products or services over the Internet. The Internet has brought many unique benefits to marketing including low costs in distributing information and media to a global audience. The interactive nature of Internet marketing, both in terms of instant response and in eliciting response, are unique qualities of the medium.

Internet marketing ties together creative and technical aspects of the internet, including design, development, advertising and sales. Internet marketing methods include search engine marketing, display advertising, e-mail marketing, affiliate marketing, interactive advertising, online reputation management and also Social Media Marketing Methods such as blog marketing, and viral marketing.

Five Key Traits to Conversational Success in 2010
2010 seems to be one of those magical dates much like the year 2000. It’s a date where it seems that most large companies are building internal and external initiatives to drive change. The challenge is that in order to define the change you need to make, you really must have an idea on where you want go.

In this context the topic of Social Networks is, I hope, pervasive in the halls of most marketing departments. However; I find the talk tends to be more around the technology that enables Social Networking, versus the requirements that a company must make in order to establish a true dialogue within its ecosystem (employees, customers’ prospects, partners, investors etc).

It’s the easiest thing in the world to buy the technology that puts social networking capabilities in place, but it’s an entirely different matter to have the company culture required to really establish a dialogue with your ecosystem. I came up with a few traits that I think a company must have in order to be successful, and actually get a return on the Social Networking Commitment:

· Authentic: You really have to have an authentic nature about your brand that exudes honesty & openness. Really easy words to say, but how many of your companies ever ask the question, “Do you like our products?” on the corporate website. I wouldn’t start investing in social media software until you can ask this question, and your management is comfortable with the public answers. I would also look at your brand and see if new attributes like openness and honesty need to become part of your brand.

· Conversational: Social Networking in my view is about establishing the two way dialogue with your ecosystem both internally & externally. How many of you publish a name, an email, a phone number and a picture of your key mangers on your web site that people can contact should they have a question or comment about your company or its products? Having an internal culture that desires a two way conversation is paramount to success.

· Collaborative: We’ve all heard the term “user generated”, but in layman speak it’s a lot less expensive, and inherently more prosperous if you can tap into that ecosystem of yours for product & service innovation, product improvement, and even marketing messaging enhancements etc. Not only more prosperous but will be required if your going to be successful in this day and age.

· Efficient: Why make the commitment to have this dialogue with your ecosystem? Well, it’s incredibly profitable, as the cost to establish the highways that enable this dialogue come relatively cheap, compared with the potential return of leveraging your ecosystem for insight & innovation. However; it’s not just about the ROI of social networking, it’s also about making the two way conversation highly efficient in and of itself. Think of the old ways we used to accomplish this: Events, market research, focus groups, more events, customer paid product development (Market driven right?), analyst meetings etc. Think of all the logistics and operations needed to pull of these avenues of conversation, and in the end were we really able to put all the pieces together to get true market insight? Today’s social media tools make it very efficient to capture this insight overnight.

· Real time: Conversations in 2010 are in real time or near real time. Frankly you can’t take someone’s email and put into the reply bin, and send out a form reply in a few days. Now means now, and if you’re not real time your not authentic, conversational, or very efficient.

So you will need to be authentic, conversational, collaborative, real time and efficient if your going to have the moxy to establish a dialogue with, and within your ecosystem. I can guarantee you that you will face resistance, lack of understanding, and several barriers along the way.

So why not start internally first? Even within your own department , and deploy the social media tools to lead the change that will be required to make your company’s conversations successful in 2010. I would also put forth that the above mentioned traits are actual brand attributes that your brand must embody, if your conversations are to be successful.

Google Fight: How Are You Personally Fairing in the Land of Google?
Here's a great little item I came across today. It’s a website called Google Fight. Basically you enter in two competing search terms, and see which term had the most searches in Google.

Social Netwoking: What's Old Is New Again
Lisa Rowan of IDC hits the nail on the head with her recent email “Social networking: what's old is new again”

In it she points out that the whole concept of networking is not all of sudden new. We humans like to network, and it’s always been said that networking is the key to business success, but the buzz words have certainly changed. In addition she recalls back to the day of Vax Notes in the 80’s and eventually Lotus Notes. Remember Lotus Notes. This was social networking digitally enabled.

Lisa goes on to point out that what is really new is that in today’s environment is the ability to socially network is greatly expanded from inside your company or immediate peer group into parties both internal/cross divisional, but also externally as well.

I think this is correct. In addition I think the folks just coming into the game have grown up in a Facebook, My Space world and consider this broad networking ability as second nature. So why wouldn’t you want to use it in your marketing.

So if you’re a guy (or gal) like me I recommend you get a Facebook page, and start to social network with the latest tools of the day. Look at how companies like Coke and Starbucks are using Facebook to reach out to their customers and create a two way dialog with their brand.

The concept of networking is nothing new. What’s new is the DNA of the young consumer has changed so that digitally enhanced social networks are 2nd nature. This means you and I MUST start becoming familiar with the social networking platforms like Facebook to get an understanding of how to use these new capabilities to create a two way street for our customers & prospects. Don’t be afraid to start, you might actually like throwing a sheep at someone.

Nuff said

If your interested in Social Networking my friend Steve Mann (Our Guru on Social Networks in SAP), will be doing a webinar on how to use social networks to grow your business. He will be presenting along with Seth Godin and Jeremiah Owyang, both gentlemen very respected in the digital marketing realm. A great line up of experts so register to attend.

Try Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader for example. While its fun to see if your company has more search volume than your competitor, it’s also a good tool to check out your personal online brand, and how it stacks up against other people. People you work with, and even people you compete with. In today’s internet (networked) age its important to think of your self as a brand. What does your personal brand stand for? What are its attributes? How aware are others of your personal online brand?

One thing that really separates the 40 somethings from the 20 somethings are personal online brands. Go onto Google and type in the name of the young online marketing manager you just hired and you will see what I mean. In this day age we need to start managing ourselves as a brand in the online environment