Spinfield: Web marketing trends today, tomorrow, and beyond…

They say marketing is war. Are you ready for battle?

Here are the top ten weapons to help you market your business online.

Photo by Chris Arpajian

1. Web Site: It helps to start with one of these. A Web site is your key online marketing tool and usually the place where your marketplace can find everything about you. Think of it as your headquarters on the Web. Web sites should be well-designed, easy-to-navigate, and appealing to the average person.

2. Blog: There are now millions of them. A blog is great for creating conversations about your products and services, or opening up a personal side to your business. Some organizations are dropping traditional Web sites for blogs or incorporating blogs directly into their Home pages. Blogs are used as the platform for many PodCasts and VidCasts too. What makes blogging so powerful? It’s called RSS (Real Simple Syndication) which helps distribute your blog posts to waiting recipients (subscribers) throughout the Web.

3. Podcast: Think radio show except you get to be the producer. You can record audio conversations about your business and distribute them through the Web using the magic of RSS. Your audio recordings can be linked from your blog, Web site, multitudinous podcasting directories and even Apple’s iTunes. Imagine being able to load your PodCast into someone’s iPod right through iTune for free!

4. VidCast: Now think t.v. show. Vidcasts are great for training, product introductions and c-level presentations. Keep them casual and don’t make them corporate starchy. Again, vidcasts can be distributed throughout the Web using RSS and can be submitted to places like YouTube and iTunes.

5. E-mail: Even with all the problems with spam, e-mail is still a very powerful marketing tool. Best when used with closed-loop groups like sales teams, reps, distributors, members, etc. Look for an Exact Target vendor like IdeaStar’s Pulsar for statistics and tracking results.

6. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Preparing your Web site to be properly indexed by Google and the other major search engines is a must. Otherwise finding your site will be harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

7. Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Wonder why Google is so big and powerful? Its AdWords system will help your advertising appear on Google search results pages. Your ads will appear according to the keywords you bid in AdWords. So why wait for your natural search listings to appear? Get in the game fast using SEM. Don’t forget sponsorships at targeted Web sites. These are great places to put your display ads. Despite what you hear display ads, if targeted right, actually work well on the Web.

8. Newswires: There are perhaps millions of blogs and Web sites that present news of interest to their readers. The news comes from online newswire services. By sending your important news, expert articles or press releases your Web site or blog will gain new visitors. Try PRWeb for starters.

9. Social Networks: Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and other sites can do more for your online marketing than all the above. Build your social network pages to show yourself as an expert in your field, answer the comments from visitors, and don’t be too commercial or pushy and you’ll do well.

10. Offline Publicity: Never hurts to work with the old media to promote your business. But work the story in order to get people to visit your Web site.

These are my favorites tools. There are more. What are your favorites?

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