My last post covered the “old school” method of marketing known as direct marketing. A method used to target a wide range of consumers in a particular demographic or “geographic.” Initially the direct marketing mindset was attempted on the Internet via banner ads, mass market e-mails (Ok, let’s just call it spam now)

In the beginning stages of when businesses started using the Internet they attempted to do things the way they were done in the older media of print, TV and radio among others. We were indurated with banner ads we soon learned to commit to a blind spot, pop-up ads we soon learned to remove through third party software or different web browsers.  thankfully things have changed and Google used their great search algorithm to not only return better search results but also to display ads in a textual form people would be more interested in seeing. This is an example of using the technology in the particular media to it’s greatest advantage.

Blogging and podcasting also take advantage of another aspect of marketing in the “real world” but aggregates the information in such a way they you can only do on the Internet.  People will look very suspect at companies who do blatant advertising but we get great assurance from talking to friends and third party authorities we can trust.  Even if I blog or podcast is on a businesses own web site people will place greater trust if they are being taught and informed as opposed to a forceful sale. Two great examples of how podcasting/blogging is used to market products are Photoshop User TV and The Adobe Creative Suite Podcast.  Both of these promote Adobe products and Photoshop User TV even has advertising but it’s advertising I don’t mind because I have already sought out the podcasts and blogs for their topics and more than likely I am a likely candidate to purchase either the Adobe products, software or camera equipment.

What aspects of Internet marketing have you grown to despise and which one do you find refreshing?

We have already covered the topic of branding in a previous series but without rehashing too much it’s important to consider how branding fits into your overall marketing plan. The more I read about branding the more I realize it’s an everyday strategy, not just part of a campaign.  Yes, It’s important to have a “brand awareness” campaign or to have those times when you need to refocus on your who you are, not only as a company but also a person and representative of that company.

Is your brand consistent across all your marketing efforts?  I’ve mentioned before the importance of business blogging and involvement in social media as Internet tools for spreading your message. Sometime blatant but more often subtle.  Are you aware of your branding efforts in virtual and live networking events? Is your logo just an obligatory mark or does it tell a story?

I don’t think this will be our “three word mantra” but I found it interesting the Idea Sandbox Blog referred to us as, “Just Good Stuff” in the categories of blogs they link to.  Hopefully we can improve and be know as, “Totally Great Stuff!”  Thanks Idea Sandbox, we think you’re good stuff too.

One thing I am very passionate about is the whole concept of semantics.  You have probably started hearing some buzz regarding the “semantic web” and what that entails.

SpinningSilk Multimedia is making the whole concept of semantics a core focus in our business. It’s our goal to make the information people access easier to find and to have meaning. One example of semantics you may be familiar with and appreciate is when you discovered someone in your family was kind enough to write notes on the back of a photograph to identify family members. Have you ever listened to a sermon in church and the pastor made a point to explain what a certain word meant in the original Hebrew or Greek? Those are example of semantics in the non-electronic world.

We’re making the study of semantics both in terms of technology and programming as well as our business and writing processes a top priority in what we do?  If you’ll excuse the pun, What does semantics mean to you? Do you know about the semantic web? How are you using the tools available to bring deeper meaning and understand of what you do to your readers,  listeners and customers?

I wanted to point all my readers to an interview of Gil Gerretson of Biztrek.  I mentioned Gil and his company briefly in another post I made this morning. Gil is a marketing mentor who has years of marketing experience and teaching.  The interview was done by a Greenville,SC business newspaper called GSA Business.  The interview can be found under March 17th on their podcast page  of the GSA Business web site or you can for a direct link to the file.

A good part of the interview is about Gil’s company and his vision to take it nationwide. Later in the interview he mentions quite a few things about the need for web site to be dynamic and provide ways to interact with the reader. Gil also mentioned the value of social networking tools like Twitter, Facebook and linkedin.