Online marketing is where it’s at!
So how do you take advantage of the power of the Internet to make your mark? The facts are unavoidable. I’ve compile a bunch of stats that drive it all home. If you are involved in a home-based, direct-selling or network marketing business, you simply can’t ignore the fact that online is where it’s happening!
The beauty of it all is that it’s available to you at little or no cost. Take a look:
While not the newest channel, email can still be a provocative, effective way to reach out to prospects, customers and colleagues. It’s an excellent way to engage your audience, nurture leads and promote interaction. Email allows you to target more efficiently.
According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 92% of adult U.S. Internet users send or read email. Two-thirds of them do so as a part of their typical day.
Email continues to be just another “arrow in your quiver” when it comes to a powerful online strategy.
Social Media — The new kid on the block
Experian states in their 2011 Social Media Consumer Trend and Benchmark Report that there are 91% of online adults that access social media in a typical month. That’s 129 million individuals!
And a Pew Research Center study on the Internet & American Life Project reports that 65% of adults on the Internet use a social networking site. Anybody who markets themselves should take heed. Social media connects people like nothing before in the history of commerce. The big daddy in this arena is Facebook. Add to that Twitter and Google+ and you have a robust community that awaits you!
According to the Nielsen Social Media Report Q32011, nearly four out of five active Internet users are visiting social network sites and blogs. Americans are spending more time on Facebook than they do any other U.S. website.
And according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 28% of all American adults use mobile or social location-based services of some kind. This continued growth and popularity of social media in 2011 has a direct impact on how businesses and individuals communicate and expand their influence.
An interesting note: The Performics 2011 Social Shopping Study reports that men more frequently check out product info, reviews, discover product availability and get store information using social networks and shopping sites. Women, on the other hand, are on top when it comes to deals, coupons and specials.
Online Video
Video has arrived and growing! According to the comScore Video Matrix, more than 184 million U.S. Internet users have viewed online video content in October of 2011. They logged in an average of 21.1 hours per viewer. That’s amazing!
No surprise, according to the report, in October of 2011, YouTube ranked as the top online video content source with nearly 21 billion (with a capital B) videos viewed. Included in that stat is 161 million unique viewers. Facebook came in second with nearly 60 million viewer. All told, that’s more than 42 billion videos viewed, with an average viewer watching more that 21 hours of video! Also amazing.
The other trend in online video is personalization. It’s not just creating a single video and broadcasting it to thousands. Using a single template, create videos targeting individuals… include a unique, personal message that will resonate deeply.
So where to from here?
The facts are clear. Explore, dig in and incorporate the many online tools and services available to you to help build and expand your business! I welcome your comments and suggestions.
