Internet Marketing is Rapidly Evolving

Internet Marketing is that specialized area of marketing that limits its marketing efforts to the online world of CyberSpace. At least that is technically correct and what is generally meant by Internet Marketing. But the Internet is just a medium, like radio, television, or print, and Internet Marketing is just Marketing of any type that is conducted online. It is more useful to think of most Internet Marketing under its broader classsification of Direct Response Marketing, which can be done online or offline. Wikipedia defines Direct Response Marketing as "a form of marketing designed to solicit a direct response which is specific and quantifiable. The delivery of the response is direct between the viewer and the advertiser, that is, the customer responds to the marketer directly. This is in contrast to Direct Marketing in which the marketer contacts the potential customer directly (e.g., telemarketing). Direct Response Advertising is characterized by four primary elements: 1. An Offer 2. Sufficient information for the consumer to make a decision whether to act 3. An explicit "call to action" 4. Means of response (typically multiple options such as a toll-free number, web page, and email)."

"Internet Marketing" evolved primarily from the offline world of Direct-mail advertising, one form of Direct Response Marketing. The world of Internet Marketing changes frequently as it responds to consumers' desires and whims more rapidly than is possible through any other media. In the past two years, since I have been actively following Internet Marketing, I have seen quite a few changes in approach and trends. One major trend that I have seen with increasing frequency and being expounded by an increasing number of Online Marketers is the tendency for Marketers who have made their fortunes (usually millions or multi-millions of dollars) entirely on the internet, to be recommending that all online marketers start taking their marketing efforts offline, returning to the direct mail efforts of traditional offline marketers. This is definitely a Hot Internet Marketing Trend, and I will be returning to cover it in more detail in a later post. I will be reviewing many hot topics and trends in Internet Marketing in this blog.

My next post will review some of the fascinating material presented at Ross Goldberg's Internet Marketing Masters Seminar which I attended at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas and which just ended today, January 27, 2008. This was the most phenomenal collection of Internet Marketing talent ever assembled on one stage. I speak from experience because I am a veteran of 14 Internet Marketing Seminars over the past two years. If you weren't there, you missed an incredible experience and a boatload of information. But, not to worry, I will deliver as much of the very fresh content as I can to you, much of which was revealed for the very first time to the public on Ross Goldberg's stage. Some of the material was protected by non-disclosure agreements, and will not be revealed.