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When you read or talk about how the marketplace is changing, it’s generally linked somehow to the Internet, and technology that connects people to the Internet. The Internet has changed how businesses conduct their sales and marketing, as well as how they whole business operates (online-only businesses). The Internet has also changed how consumers research and buy products and services. The Internet has changed how people find and apply for jobs, and even what is sold. (What did Google start out “selling” anyway? Nothing. And Craigslist stays afloat without charging anything for classified ads (although, that’s starting to change in Craigslist’s bigger cities.))

Who would have thought that Wikipedia would render your parents’ Encyclopedia Britannica set useless? Wikipedia is not only as accurate as Encyclopedia Britannica, but is also over a hundred times larger.

Consumers also make recommendations to each other and discuss pros and cons of products and services in ways online that was never possible before the Internet. Now you can compare notes with people across the country, or even across the ocean. Homebuyers don’t have to consult realtors any more to browse available houses.

What do all of these changes mean for the marketing industry?

Plenty.

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Marketers need a blog. These days, blogs are more popular than forums or product review Web sites, and anyone can have a blog. It’s up to the marketer to find out what consumers are saying about your company on these blogs, and to either give out info that consumers need, or do damage control and correct the record when bloggers get something wrong about your brand.

Your company should already have some sort of Web site; a blog is the next logical step. But in addition to just having a blog, you should also be keeping closer track of the traffic to your blog. You need to have good visitor metrics and ways to find out what kind of people are visiting your blog. You should also think about video blogging, as that’s becoming more popular as well.

Texting. Texting consumers cell phones is also a new trend that seems to be growing. Many people say they don’t want marketing texts, but some marketers are having such success with texting that they keep doing it. This is an iffy trend right now that we’ll have to wait out to see how it flows.

Increasing your marketing budget, or better allocate your budget. If you can’t increase your marketing budget to include Internet ads, text messaging and newer technology, then you need to allocate your budget to include these tactics. Traditional marketing techniques like brochures, postcards and billboards still need to be used in addition to the newer marketing tactics. And if you can afford it, tweaking traditional tactics, like a billboard, into an electronic billboard is a great way to get consumers’ attention while integrating technology and traditional marketing.  

When it comes to finding people in your target market online, it can be hard, grueling process. Although you can buy Google AdWords that are targeted on different Web sites, or pay for Google search engine results, there’s no guarantee that people will click through to your site. There’s also no guarantee that people will even read your ad – I know that I tend to ignore Google AdWords anymore, just because I see them everywhere. I don’t have to read them to know what they are.  

So how else can you get a target market online?  

Many blogs and articles I’ve read talk about using affiliate marketing, but it all seems fishy to me. Let me explain how I understand affiliate marketing, and then if I’m off base, maybe someone can help me understand.  

From the HowStuffWorks Web site, I got this definition: “Affiliate programs, also called associate programs, are arrangements in which an online merchant Web site pays affiliate Web sites a commission to send them traffic. These affiliate Web sites post links to the merchant site and are paid according to a particular agreement. This agreement is usually based on the number of people the affiliate sends to the merchant’s site, or the number of people they send who buy something or perform some other action. Some arrangements pay according to the number of people who visit the page containing their merchant site’s banner advertisement. Basically, if a link on an affiliate site brings the merchant site traffic or money, the merchant site pays the affiliate site according to their agreement. Recruiting affiliates is an excellent way to sell products online, but it can also be a cheap and effective marketing strategy; it’s a good way to get the word out about your site.” 

That’s the clearest explanation I’ve seen from any other sites I’ve visited. It sounds like swapping links, but instead of an affiliate getting some link love, they get money instead. It almost sounds better for the affiliate site to me.  

Amazon.com has over 500,000 affiliate Web sites that they pay if the affiliate can send someone over who actually buys something from Amazon. It seems kind of easy to work for a site like Amazon, which is known as the place to buy books, but what about the new sites that are unknown? I don’t usually buy from Web sites I’ve never heard of, or at least can’t find reviews of because I’m afraid of getting burned. I ordered some clothes from a Web site I’d never heard of, and when I tried to return an item, no one would email me back and I couldn’t find a phone number. Now I know better!  

I suppose if Amazon is using an affiliate program, as is TiVo and many others, then it could be legit. Then again, the HowStuffWorks article talks about multilevel marketing being similar to a type of affiliate program – that makes a red flag go up. Anything that reminds me of Amway tells me it’s bad.  

But still, I’m torn. Are affiliate programs good or bad? Someone please give me some laymen terms into what’s going on and whether it’s shady or not.

No one buys anything from a person or business he doesn’t trust. You wouldn’t buy a car from a dealer you thought was ripping you off, or from a salesperson who you thought wasn’t being honest with you, right?

Most people have always gone into a skeptical mindset when they make big-ticket items, like televisions and cars, but that skepticism is leaking into smaller purchases too. With all of the hyped-up advertising, with promises that can’t be delivered, you can’t really blame consumers for being cautious.

It’s precisely this reason that you need to use marketing techniques that put customers’ minds at ease. Here are a few ways to get trust from your customers, which is a first step to making any sale:

Testimonials
People believe what other customers have to say about you and your product more than they’ll believe what you have to say.

Using testimonials in your catalogs, brochures and other marketing materials is what will convince people that your product is the best, that it works and that it won’t break.

Get testimonials by asking customers what they liked about your product or service and how it helped them. Ask if you helped them solve a problem – these kinds of benefit testimonials work especially well. Write down their comments, and get their written permission to use them. It helps if you offer a discount or something valuable in exchange for their time. But, be sure you get the testimonial before you offer the discount or you might be called out for bribing your customers!

Write articles to establish yourself as an expert
Writing free articles for your local newspaper or magazine can be a great source of getting trust from the community. Write about what you know – your industry or your type of product – but don’t only talk about you and your product. In fact, it’s best if you don’t mention your affiliation at all in the article. Your name, occupation and/or business name will most likely be in the credit line. You might also get a headshot to accompany the article. People want to buy from those they think are knowledgeable – knowledge equals trust.

Ask for referrals
Give out your business cards to your customers and ask if they know anyone who might need your service. You can also ask your friends and family to ask their friends and family for referrals. Also, try some networking events like social industry dinners – they can be great places to strike up a conversation and find someone that might need your product, or knows someone that might need your product.

Personalize your direct mail
Use people’s names on letters and postcards – people will be more apt to read something that is addressed to them by name rather than to “Dear customer.” You trust someone that you know personally, and using names are an easy way to evoke trust. Also, try to get to know your target market – whether they have kids, pets, etc. and use that info in your direct mail pieces. “Now that your kids are about to go back to school …”. Make people think your direct mail is talking directly to them.

Lastly, once you establish a contact, keep following up periodically. Once a month or once every other month is good – enough for them to remember you, but not enough to annoy them. Once you earn consumers’ trust, the rest of the sales process is much easier!

Networking is all about creating solid relationships not only with businesses that have the same target market as yours, but also to build connections that can help you fulfill mutual needs. It also helps to have a circle that can act as a one stop shop where your clients and prospects can go to satisfy their own needs and wants.

Having a circle means one client can satisfy several other businesses in addition to your company. For example, if you’re a business card printing company, all the members of your circle can benefit with even one client. When a client needs to have his or her business cards printed, as a commercial printer you’ll need the help of a paper supplier, ink supplier, equipment manufacturer, graphic designer, color separator, photographer, artist, etc. If all these professionals are already in your circle, you’ll more likely get to satisfy all the needs of your client in one go.

That is why a smart business owner would seek out the experts in their fields to form working relationships with them. Having professionals and experts in your roster would mean a great deal of credibility and trust your clients will bestow upon you.

It also means identifying other businesses that would be a good source of referrals for your company. Who among the many businesses in your field are related to your kind of service but is not a competitor? Forming a relationship with these companies is a good way to get referrals from their clients regularly.