Be Armed With Internet Marketing Knowledge

Let’s just cut to the chase. The great bailout debate has no definitive answers for anyone. Some say it rewards bad behavior while others say it has to happen for us to continue. If you so desire, you can find support for either side then you can engage in spirited and ultimately pointless debate about the merits of your choice. Sounds like a colossal waste of time and energy doesn’t it? It is, so don’t do it.

Instead learn something today. Since the talk around Frank Thinking is about Internet marketing I always encourage people to educate themselves as much as possible regarding this important business discipline. Why do I keep harping on this? Because it’s important for anyone who owns a business, has responsibility for marketing in a company or anyone who is claiming to be an expert in the field to know more than just buzzwords. Here are some thoughts on why.

• Knowledge protects. In the field of Internet marketing and all of its branches (organic and paid search, social media, blog marketing etc etc) there are about 500 suckers born every minute rather than the traditional one. There is SO much bad information, misinformation, outright lies and complete ignorance that if you jump into the fray without even a basic knowledge then you may get taken for a ride. I was asked one time what the difference was between a used car salesman and an SEO salesman. The answer: The used car salesman KNOWS when he is lying. When the going gets tough there will be a lot of snakes in the grass so arm yourself. They may not even be aware that they are not effective so how will you know?

• Knowledge enlightens. I have yet to talk to someone who even cares a little bit about the potential of Internet marketing that doesn’t start to look at their business with a fresh set of eyes. They see more opportunity even if they never knew what a title tag was before we talked. What they see is hope. Despite the rhetoric in the public forum hope is in very short supply these days so it’s refreshing to see people experience it for real.

• Knowledge empowers. This falls in line with protection to some degree. If it is decided that outsourcing is the right choice for a company regarding their Internet marketing then they can hire a partner that is not interested in controlling everything. This helps create a partnership that is focused on success metrics and not hollow victories like search engine rankings and traffic. If it is decided to do it in house then there can’t be enough knowledge to give people the confidence that they are doing the next right thing. Confidence creates action which leads to results.

• Knowledge validates. When things are not going well which is the case for many businesses these days it is important to know that what you are doing to grow your business is the best use of your time. There’s not enough room to do just anything. You better be sure you are doing the right thing as quickly as you can. Internet marketing is measurable and can be monitored to either prove its worth or not. You are in control and you have the evidence.

Study up and arm yourself. Every day is a battle. The war is one of attrition. Give yourself the best chance to get to the other side of this mess by knowing what is going to help you and your business.

FT Takeaway: The message of arming yourself with Internet marketing knowledge will never get old because no one can ever know everything about it. If you know your part though your chances of being ripped off from a rogue provider decrease and your chances of being successful increase exponentially.