Social Media’s Impact On Internet Marketing

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Social media’s impact on Internet marketing has caused many, if not all, online marketers to rethink the way they do business online. Gone are the days of simply throwing-up (literally) a slick website, cramming it full of scraped article content and ‘shady’ affiliate programs, then sitting back and watch your PayPal account fill up.

To which I loudly proclaim…Amen!

Listen, Internet marketing, or marketing online, work from home, online marketing, etc; etc, was originally intended to be a simple process; wherein the inexperienced online marketer could simply plug into a turnkey system and then follow the yellow-brick road to fame and fortune, right?

For most Internet marketing newbies, however, the ‘wizard’ at the of the road turns out to be some self-proclaimed guru waiting to take the uninformed marketers money. “Just plug in to our turn-key system and we’ll show you how to become a gazillionaire in the next 90 days!” they are told, all the while being led unknowingly along the bread-crumb trail to nowhere.

Furthermore, the Internet marketing newbie is also unaware that the guru shouting this nonsense, most often times, doesn’t have a clue as to what they’re doing and are simply parroting what someone else told them. Many times without knowing themselves as to whether or not what they’re being told really works!

Is this a ‘dysfunctional family’ or what?

The sad part is however, due to especially tough economic times at the moment, more and more people than ever before are making their way online seeking their financial freedom. Unfortunately, many of these Internet marketing newbies will find themselves trapped in the snares of the guru lying in wait at the end of the road. Wasting countless hours and money, listening to someone who may not necessarily know what they are doing.

However, no matter how bleak a picture I may seem to paint for you here, I do want you to know this…

Internet marketing is here to stay for a long time to come!

Internet marketing is not some fad that’s going to go away, ever.  However, due to the explosion of Social Media’s impact online, Internet marketing is rapidly evolving and changing the way marketers do business online.

With this in mind, I see one change in particular that is currently paving the way for a much brighter future ahead for all of us!

Because the world is becoming more connected through the myriad of social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Digg, Linkedin, etc) word is getting around of whom to do business with on the Internet, and whom not to!  We all have become a rather “cliquish” bunch, readily identifying with those whom we wish to “friend” and those with whom we do not.

There is no judgment here in the above statement, nor is the ‘right or wrong’ of it a factor, it simply is what it is.  Sociologically, we as human beings have a natural tendency to form groups and to associate with others of like minds. This tendency to form groups, according to Napoleon Hill in his book: “Think and Grow Rich” is the foundation upon which the power of the mastermind, or the “Third Mind” as he calls it, can be harnessed.

And exactly what the heck does all this have to do with social media and the future of Internet marketing, you ask?

Well I’m glad you asked

Listen, because of the Internet’s natural progression towards connectivity, the social media outlets in particular, we are actually ‘seeing’ each other for what we are; or at the very least, role-playing what we would like to become. The very nature of social media is to connect with one another, to create mutually beneficial relationships.

With this in mind, those individual marketers who have ulterior motives or unethical business practices, can not sustain such relationships due to their shallowness and short-term nature.  They will be ‘found out’ so to speak and seen for who and what they really are. Individuals of this sort will, over time, fade away into online obscurity.

Think about it, how many of us online have been ripped-off with less than desirable results from products or services that did not live up to their hype? Then afterwards, how many of us told everyone we knew about it? This is the power of word-of-mouth advertising, and with social media, this is like word of mouth advertising on steroids! And It can work for you, or it can work against you…

Social media, as well as Internet marketing, is going to be around for long, long time to come. In fact, if you are not already a member of at least one social media outlet, than you will be soon (provided you wish to be a part of the Internet of the future, that is).

From Twitter to Facebook, MySpace to Digg, as well as a host of others too numerous to list here, there is a social media outlet online waiting for you to find them. And when you do, simply plug in and be a part of the Internet that is to come.

And if you truly want to succeed at Internet marketing, now and in the future, than simply find your group (niche) be true to yourself, to your newfound friends, and offer something that adds value to their life. And your friends will gladly do business with you, and you with they.

This is the world of social media, and this is the world of Internet marketing to come…

Don’t miss out on it!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to check back often for more updates. As always, we appreciate your feedback, comments and questions.

Until next time,

Godspeed

James
~+~

Tagged as: Internet Marketing, Social Marketing, Social Media