What is internet marketing
any marketing activity that is conducted online through the use of internet
technologies. It comprises not only advertising that is shown on websites, but
also other kinds of online activities like email and social networking. Every aspect
of internet marketing is digital, meaning that it is electronic information that is
transmitted on a computer or similar device, though naturally it can tie in with
traditional offline advertising and sales too.
Internet marketing has three cornerstone principles:
1. Immediacy. The web changes at a blistering pace and online audiences, whose
attention spans are short, expect on-the-minute updates and information.
To keep the favour and attention of this group, you must respond to online
messages and interact with communities as quickly as possible.
2. Personalisation. Customers online are no longer faceless members of a broad
target audience – they are individuals who want to be addressed personally.
Use the wealth of personal information available online to your benefit by
targeting the relevant people precisely and personally.
3. Relevance. Communication online must be interesting and relevant to the
reader, otherwise it will simply be ignored. With all the information that is
competing for your audience’s attention, you must find a way to stand out
and engage readers. The best way to do this is by giving them exactly what
they want, when they want it.
Throughout this course, you will learn tips and techniques for making all your
online communication more immediate, personal and relevant.
Hotmail links its users
One of the earliest internet marketing success stories is Hotmail. Hotmail
launched in July 1996 as one of the first free webmail services available to the
public. It garnered a respectable but hardly ground breaking 500,000 users by
December 1996. Then, a small and brilliant idea made the service’s users increase
exponentially: Hotmail added a short description and link to the signature of every
email sent over its network, encouraging readers to sign up for their own free
account.
The signature was attached to emails that went out, sent by users at no extra cost
to themselves or the company, and the message benefitted from the perception
of peer recommendation – if a colleague or friend was using and promoting the
service, it must be worthwhile. A year later, in December 1997, Hotmail had
8.5 million subscribers, and it continued to grow, surpassing 12 million in 1998.
Considering that there were an estimated 70 million web users in December 1997,
Hotmail held well over 10% of the market. The company was sold to Microsoft
eighteen months after launch for $400 million. This remains one of the simplest,
smartest and most effective marketing strategies of the early web.
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