Online Marketing Is More Like Marketing Than Most People Think

The problem is many people don’t understand marketing.

Because online and social media marketing is so much the thing today, a lot of small business owners are wanting in. They see the Internet and online/social media marketing as the magic pill or the silver bullet that's going to bring in customers.

It can be, but thinking about it that way is a BIG MISTAKE.

The opportunities online marketing has opened up for small businesses are astounding. It's evened out the playing field. Before, a large player could lock smaller ones out by just outspending them. Smaller players didn't have a chance.

Now the possibilities are endless. The business that does their online marketing right, even with a modest spend, can make a big dent in some very established markets.

But what these smaller players need to do is not really about the Internet. What's most important is to understand sound marketing principles and use them well using these new tools. It's the old fashion "study your market and know it well" that gets you success.

An example I like to mention is Dollar Shave Club. They recorded some really funny online commercials on social media. Their videos positioned them as the little guys making men's razors at an affordable price. They took off. They ended their lives as a small business by selling to Unilever for over a billion dollars.

They used the Internet perfectly to fuel their marketing. However, what got them success was understanding their market. They had an initial video with the title “Our Blades Are F***ing Great.” It connected with men who were annoyed by the rising cost of disposable razors. The videos mocked the established brands while claiming to offer better value. It was brilliantly executed, but the reason it worked is because they knew their market. They knew their buyers and the complaints men had about the rising cost of razors. Then they reached them with a message that resonated with them.

In order to succeed online, you need to figure out what your ideal customer wants. What are their fears, challenges and biggest frustrations? If you can understand what it is that keeps them up at night, you connect with that and deliver on it, you have a formula for success.

That is more important than all the Internet savvy on earth.