e-Riches 2.0

1. Embrace the New Marketing Paradigm: Interactive & Relationship-Focused

Selling to people who actually want to hear from you is more effective than interrupting strangers who don’t.

Shift from broadcast. The era of one-way, mass-market broadcasting is over. Modern marketing demands a shift from indiscriminately reaching millions to engaging with targeted, self-selected audiences. The Internet has fragmented audiences into countless niche communities, making personalized, two-way communication paramount. This means focusing on building genuine relationships rather than just pushing sales messages.

Interactive imperative. Unlike traditional print, online marketing offers unparalleled interactivity. Your website and digital touchpoints should invite dialogue, provide detailed information on demand, and offer real-time updates. This responsiveness meets evolving customer expectations for transparency and control, turning passive consumers into active participants. Ignoring this interactive potential means missing huge opportunities your competitors are already seizing.

Audience over customers. The goal is to transform transactional customers into loyal fans and a dedicated audience. By consistently providing value and engaging in dialogue, you foster deeper, more profitable relationships. This audience will not only make repeat purchases but also become evangelists for your brand, spreading positive word-of-mouth virally across the web.

2. E-mail Remains Your #1 Sales Opportunity

The easiest customer to sell to is one who has purchased from you before.

Underappreciated powerhouse. Despite the buzz around newer platforms, email is still the most cost-effective and widely used online marketing tool, with 60% of Internet users checking it daily. It offers direct, immediate, and targeted distribution of your marketing messages, making it indispensable for nurturing customer relationships and driving repeat sales. Regular "noozle" (email newsletter) publishing is key to monetizing your customer base.

Unmatched advantages. Email marketing boasts numerous benefits that surpass traditional methods. It's inexpensive, offers immediate worldwide distribution, and reaches self-selected customers who have explicitly opted in to hear from you. Furthermore, email campaigns are highly trackable, allowing you to monitor open rates and click-throughs, and can be automated for consistent follow-up, freeing up valuable time.

Future-proofing your business. As search engine optimization (SEO) becomes increasingly competitive and expensive, relying solely on organic search traffic is risky. Building a robust email list now provides a direct communication channel to your audience, independent of search engine algorithms or social media platform changes. This ensures you can maintain contact with your most valuable asset—your interested customers—for the long term.

3. Leverage Social Networks for Targeted Engagement

Your customers are there. Your competitors are there. Your customers are looking for you there.

Essential presence. Social networks like Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn are the modern-day Yellow Pages. With hundreds of millions of users worldwide, these platforms offer unprecedented opportunities to connect with existing customers, attract new ones, and monitor your brand's online perception. Establishing a presence is no longer optional; it's a necessity to remain visible and credible in today's digital landscape.

Networking for business. Social networks automate much of the legwork of traditional networking, allowing you to find and connect with individuals based on shared interests or professional affiliations. This efficiency is invaluable for:

• Identifying potential customers and partners
• Building credibility and demonstrating expertise
• Gathering market intelligence
• Recruiting talent

Strategic engagement. Success on social networks hinges on authentic engagement, not just self-promotion. Create compelling profile pages, join relevant groups, and actively participate in discussions. For companies, consider "fan pages" on platforms like Facebook to highlight your brand or products, separate from personal profiles, and leverage features like status updates to share valuable content and special offers.

4. Blogs: Your Foundation for Content Distribution & SEO

If you have something to say that will grow your business, then start a blog. Otherwise shut up.

Strategic publishing. A blog, when used correctly, is a powerful promotional tool for developing relationships with your audience and generating sales. It serves as a central hub for your content, allowing you to position yourself or your company as an expert in your field. Don't blog just because it's trendy; blog with a clear business objective in mind.

Multifaceted benefits. Blogs offer several key advantages for online marketing:

• SEO Magnet: Search engines favor regularly updated content, giving blogs high credibility and improving your search rankings. Each new post creates a new indexed page, attracting more traffic.
• Ease of Use: Modern blogging platforms are user-friendly, making daily updates simple and reducing reliance on IT departments.
• Cost-Effective: Many platforms are free or very affordable, making blogging accessible to businesses of all sizes.
• Automatic Feeds: Blogs automatically generate RSS feeds, enabling easy syndication of your content across social networks, email newsletters, and other platforms, maximizing your reach with minimal extra effort.

Content is king. The key to a successful blog is consistently publishing high-quality, valuable content. Focus on solving problems, encouraging interaction, and being provocative without wasting your readers' time. Leverage diverse content sources, including industry trends, guest posts, and visual elements like photos, to keep your blog fresh and engaging.

5. Transform PR: Be a Resource, Not a Pitcher

If you focus on helping reporters do their jobs, you can use cost-effective new online techniques to turn PR from an intimidating chore into a win-win strategy.

Rethink traditional PR. The old model of mass-distributing press releases and hoping for media coverage is largely ineffective. Journalists are deluged with pitches and often work on pre-assigned stories. Instead of trying to force your story, position yourself as a valuable resource that helps reporters fulfill their existing needs.

The PROM System. My Public Relations Opportunity Matrix (PROM) outlines a more effective approach:

• Tactic 1: Set up a Press Room on Your Website. Provide easy access to company history, product images, management bios, and contact information. This evergreen resource helps journalists quickly find what they need.
• Tactic 2: Sign up for News Leads Services. Services like ProfNet, PR Leads, and HARO (Help A Reporter Out) deliver targeted queries from journalists directly to your inbox. This reactive approach connects you with reporters actively seeking experts in your field.
• Tactic 3: Strategic Press Releases. Use press releases not primarily for immediate media hits, but for SEO benefits. When distributed online, they create valuable backlinks to your site, boosting search engine rankings.
• Tactic 4: Targeted Story Pitches. If you must pitch, tie your story to current events, offer unique angles, and provide compelling story packages that make a reporter's job easier.

Build relationships. Success in modern PR is about building genuine relationships with journalists. Respond quickly, concisely, and helpfully to inquiries. Even if you're not featured in a particular story, providing valuable assistance can lead to future opportunities and establish your credibility as a go-to expert.

6. "Freemiums" & Article Syndication Drive Leads & Authority

The more people who try your product, the more people are likely to buy it.

The power of "free." In the digital economy, where distribution costs are near zero, giving away products or valuable content (freemiums) is a powerful marketing strategy. This isn't a loss leader; it's a way to attract a massive audience, capture their contact information, and then upsell them to paid offerings. Even a conversion rate of less than 1% can be highly profitable online.

Freemium strategies:

• E-books/Guides: Offer free downloadable e-books or guides in exchange for email sign-ups.
• Chapter Giveaways: Distribute chapters of your books or courses in installments, building anticipation and engagement.
• Joint Ventures: Partner with other marketers to offer free bonuses (e.g., exclusive content, discounts) when customers purchase a partner's product, expanding your reach.

Article syndication for reach. Writing informative articles about your expertise and syndicating them across the web is a dual-benefit strategy. Publish them on your blog, then submit them to article banks like EzineArticles.com. This achieves two goals:

• Audience Attraction: Your articles appear on other relevant websites and blogs, exposing your brand to new, targeted readers who click through to your site.
• SEO Boost: Each syndicated article with a backlink to your site improves your search engine ranking, driving long-term organic traffic.

7. Harness Online Broadcasting for Credibility & Reach

Per capita time spent with PC, web and mobile video will increase from just under 1 hour per day currently to nearly 2.9 hours by early 2013.

Video's explosive growth. Online video has exploded, challenging traditional television's dominance. With easy production and distribution via platforms like YouTube, anyone can become a global broadcaster. This presents a massive opportunity for marketers to create engaging content that captures attention and builds brand affinity.

Strategic video content. Don't just post videos; create content that resonates with your audience. Whether it's product demonstrations, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or educational tutorials, video adds motion, emotion, and immediacy that static content cannot.

• Web Site Integration: Embed videos on your own site to enhance visitor experience and encourage sales.
• Viral Potential: Produce shareable videos that others will embed on their sites, spreading your message virally.
• SEO Benefits: Videos on popular platforms like YouTube can achieve high search engine rankings, even without a dedicated website.

Teleseminars & Webinars. These online audio and visual presentations are powerful tools for positioning yourself as an expert and generating high-quality leads. Free services allow you to host calls for hundreds of participants, sharing insights or hosting guest speakers. Webinars add a visual component (e.g., PowerPoint slides), enhancing engagement.

• Lead Generation: Attendees provide contact information upon registration, offering warm leads for your sales team.
• Credibility Building: Hosting or appearing on these events establishes your authority in your field.
• Evergreen Content: Recordings can be archived as podcasts, attracting ongoing attention long after the live event.

8. Microblogging (Twitter) for Real-Time, Concise Engagement

All this twiddling of your thumbs online with Twitter sounds like “business haiku” to me.

Concise communication. Microblogging services like Twitter specialize in short, blog-like updates, typically limited to 140 characters. This format, often delivered via text message or web, allows for rapid, real-time communication with "followers" who have opted in to receive your messages. It's a new, direct channel to reach an interested audience.

Business applications. Twitter offers a unique platform for marketers to:

• Share Updates: Broadcast quick news, special offers, or behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business.
• Customer Service: Respond to customer questions and address concerns in real-time, building trust and loyalty.
• Lead Generation: Announce promotions or discounts that followers can "re-tweet" (share), amplifying your message virally.
• Networking: Connect with industry influencers, journalists, and potential partners.

Strategic tweeting. To succeed on Twitter, provide value or entertainment. Mix personal and business updates to build a genuine connection. Tools like Twitterfeed can automatically post blog updates, and Tweetlater allows scheduling of promotional campaigns. The short format often leads to less competition for attention and a higher likelihood of viral sharing, as users "re-tweet" content they find interesting.

9. Strategic Paid Advertising: PPC & Affiliate Programs

Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.

Targeted efficiency. The Internet has revolutionized advertising by offering precise targeting and measurable results, addressing John Wanamaker's famous dilemma. Pay-per-click (PPC) keyword advertising allows you to display ads only when users search for specific terms related to your products, and you only pay when someone clicks your ad. This ensures your ad budget is spent on interested leads.

PPC advantages:

• Control: Define keywords, geographical areas, demographics, and even times of day for ad display.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Pay only for clicks, not impressions, guaranteeing interested visitors.
• Flexibility: No long-term contracts; easily adjust campaigns, ad copy, and landing pages at any time.
• Accessibility: Platforms like Google Adwords allow you to start with minimal budgets, making testing affordable.

Affiliate programs: Your commission-only salesforce. Affiliate marketing is a performance-based strategy where you recruit "affiliates" (website owners, bloggers) to promote your products on their sites. You pay them a commission only when they drive a specific action, such as a sale or lead. This mobilizes a worldwide sales team with no upfront costs.

• Broad Reach: Affiliates expose your products to their niche audiences, expanding your market reach.
• Risk-Free: You only pay for results, making it a highly cost-effective advertising model.
• Brand Building: Trusted affiliates can lend credibility to your products among their followers.

10. Cultivate Your "Product Presence" & "Reputation Cloud"

The Web’s memory is long—maybe forever—so your marketing efforts need to be authentic.

Beyond your website. Your online marketing strategy must evolve from being solely website-centric to managing your brand's overall "product presence" across all digital channels. This includes your website, email newsletters, blog, social media profiles, online videos, and any other platform where potential customers might encounter your brand. Actively manage this presence to maximize sales and influence perception.

The "reputation cloud." Your brand's reputation online is a dynamic "cloud" of all interactions and discussions about your products, company, and personnel. This includes:

• Search engine results and reviews (Amazon, Yelp)
• Blog posts and social media chatter (Facebook, Twitter)
• Online articles and directory listings (Wikipedia)
• User-generated content (YouTube videos, Flickr photos)

Proactive management. You cannot fully control your reputation cloud, but you can actively manage it. Ignoring it means letting customers, competitors, and disgruntled employees shape your narrative. By engaging in online communities, responding to feedback, and consistently publishing positive content, you can steer the conversation, protect your brand, and attract loyal customers. Authenticity and transparency are paramount, as online deceptions are quickly exposed.

11. Measure Success & Differentiate to Thrive Online

Being average has never helped anyone rise above the crowd. Average is average. People don’t pay for average.

Track your KPIs. To ensure your online marketing efforts are effective, you must measure your key performance indicators (KPIs). This includes website traffic, email sign-ups, social media engagement, and ultimately, sales conversions. Tools like Google Analytics offer free, detailed insights into visitor behavior, helping you understand what's working and where to optimize. Establish a baseline before launching new campaigns to accurately track progress.

Differentiation is key. In a crowded online marketplace, a clear value proposition is essential. Even commodity products can be differentiated through superior marketing, customer service, or unique content. Consider:

• Exceptional Service: Like Zappos, stand out with unparalleled customer support.
• Unique Content: Offer compelling stories, expert analysis, or timely information that sets you apart.
• Style & Branding: Invest in distinctive graphics and a consistent brand voice.
• Timeliness & "Inside" Info: Be first with news or provide exclusive insights in your niche.

Analyze the competition. Use online research tools (Alexa, Compete) to study your competitors' strategies. Identify gaps in their marketing, content, or customer engagement that you can exploit. For local businesses, simply having a strong online presence can be a significant differentiator against less digitally savvy competitors. Your unique strengths and consistent effort are the ultimate drivers of online success.

Last updated: August 25, 2025