Marketing in 2010 - the New Age of Internet Markting

I recently launched a new informational website in the life insurance niche. Specifically, it's intended to provide information about the differences of Term Life Insurance vs Whole Life Insurance for those looking for coverage. It's monetized through contextual advertising, but differently than I might have done so years back.

Back in the early days of Internet marketing, there were much fewer ways to make money online, however the general sophistication of marketers was considerably lower. Many of the online business models we take for granted today, such as video marketing, CPA or Cost Per Action, and many more didn't even exist yet.

Today there are literally dozens of different business models. Many of the "tried & true" methods and platforms still exist, but have gotten much more sophisticated - both in the skills necessary, and the level of the consumer.

Email marketing continues to be very big, largely because email communications has continued to grow exponentially. And in that case, the effectiveness relies on a very sturdy and stable concept - communications with an audience. The main changes have been that people become immune to many of the more common marketing messages, and spam filters increasingly filter out these types of emails. However in general, building up trust by communicating directly with an audience continues to be one of the most effective forms of marketing.

To be effective in 2010, the Internet marketer must evolve with the market. It's imperative to keep up with the changes in technology. For example, Social Bookmarking and Social Media, which didn't exist at all a few years ago, has grown into an essential part of many people's online experiences. Beyond Myspace, there is Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and many more social "Web 2.0" platforms. Learning how use these newer mediums is essential.

Along with the newer technologies, it's equally important to follow and keep up with the trends in online marketing. For instance, Pay Per Click (PPC) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM) has gone from a relatively inexpensive means of purchasing traffic, to a mega-competitive field where the inexperienced user can very quickly lose their shirts - and wallets!

So how do we get on top of, and stay on top of the newer trends and methods? One sure-fire way is to simply be observant. Look around you - your own email inbox, the places you go when you're surfing online, etc. See what stands out, what other marketers are doing, and take note. Dissect what they're doing, and how they are going about it. Read Ads, particularly the ones that catch your attention. This is one of the best and most effective means of strategic marketing research.

Make sure you avail yourself to the tools available as well. Applications such as Google's Webmaster Tools becomes an invaluable lifeline to what is going on with your own websites.

Spend some time on the marketing forums. Not only should you be asking questions, you should pay particular attention to the threads of other marketers. Reading these threads can not only keep you abreast of new affiliate products, marketing opportunities, and methods, but can give you the necessary insight into how others are using them effectively.

They say "Nothing is new under the sun", however in this business, that's a dangerous perspective. The technology changes, and as it does some methods become obsolete, while others take their place.

Remember, your survival as a successful Internet marketer depends on taking advantage of the "right" tools and opportunities!