Five Things the Spork Can Teach You About Internet Marketing

The spork is a utensil that combines both the fork and the spoon. It's not real clear who officially "invented" the spork, but suffice it to say that its been around since at least the 1800s...at least that's when people in the United States and Europe applied for patents and whatnot.

Most people use the spork when camping or picnicking because its easy to pack; and if you buy the plastic variety then they're easy to part with too. But not all sporks are disposable -- there is a growing trend of titanium and silver sporks too. And why not? Sporks work just as well at home as they do in the park.

It doesn't matter if your video is professionally made, uses only still photos, or is created on your own personal Mac - a video is a video is a video and Internet users love them.

Of course if you are branding your business or selling a high-end product or service, then you're better off letting a professional handle your video production. Yes, Internet users appreciate videos of all kinds, but it is your reputation on the line so Spork Marketing suggests you spend the dollars on a video if you plan to sell something large...like your company name.

Check out the video below to see a professionally made video using only still photos. This video is a great example of how you can make something simple and truly add value to your Web site.

Sort of like that spork. Impress your friends with a fancy utensil that is really quite simple.

There is a lot of clutter on the Internet. There are thousands of Web sites and advertisers that are standing in the way between your Web site and potential customers.

Search engine marketing (SEM) is an excellent way to break through this clutter. SEM also provides a great return on investment. Unlike a lot of other marketing strategies you are able to track your results with SEM, which is why so many businesses choose to go the search engine marketing route over traditional marketing.

Put simply, SEM allows you to place advertisements before a potential customer at the exact right time. You do this by placing advertisements online that only appear when you want them to.

In terms of tracking, you are able to monitor how many impressions, clicks, and conversions you receive with each advertisement. Can you really say the same about a brochure or magazine ad?

In a sense you are removing the knives, forks, and spoons, so all that remains is your trusty spork. The one thing your customers really need anyway, right?

Eating with a spork is a fun, new way to eat your food. Socializing with your friends online is a fun, new way to keep in touch too. Facebook is an online social networking tool that is used by both individuals and businesses alike.

In fact, Jason Lancaster has a page on Facebook and so does Spork Marketing. By networking with friends and colleagues online it is easier to not just keep in touch, but to update those people on news and interesting info. What better way to keep you target audience engaged?

Additionally, there are ways you can advertise through Facebook that is very targeted and successful. With a Facebook advertisement you can specify which demographic of people you want to see the ad, when they see it, and for how long.

There are thousands of bloggers out there who are right now at this very moment thirsting for free content. It's a tough job to come up with creative, interesting blog posts every day.

What would those bloggers give for just one blog post they didn't have to write?

The real question should be: Why aren't you writing these posts for them?

Guest blog posts are an excellent way for you to network with bloggers, share your expertise with the world, and create links leading back to you Web site. As an Internet marketing strategy, it doesn't get any better than guest blog post writing.

Do your research. Locate blogs with a lot of traffic that contain relevant content for your target market. Once you've got a few picked out, contact the bloggers and give them a couple of well thought out blog post ideas.

Web sites come in all sizes, colors, and lengths, and it can sometimes be hard to decide how you want your Web site to look or even what the best design tools to use in your Web site are.

Sometimes too many links is bad. Sometimes too few links is bad. Sometime red looks great. Other times red is difficult to read and could cause a visitor to miss your message.

Most Web designers do a great job of making pretty Web sites with the right colors and imagery, but many Web designers don't know SEO and don't understand online advertising. In these situations a business might have a beautiful Web site, but visitors never stay long because they don't know where to click or what to buy.

You need a Web site that both looks great and pushes your visitors to buy what you are selling. Maybe all you want is for them to send you an e-mail or maybe you want them to buy your latest book.

Whatever your goals are for your Web site, make sure it is multi-purpose - like the spork. Your Web site needs to look nice and motivate your visitors to act.