The average professional has become more informed in recent years about online marketing, the concepts, and the buzzwords. So while it may be becoming easier to explain it to those people, family members and those you only see around the holidays can be a different story altogether.
While it might be simple to talk about online marketing activities in general, how do you explain things like, affiliate marketing, blogging, video marketing, email marketing, search engine marketing, pay per click marketing, or social media marketing?
What about, how you make money?
Personally, I’ve found this a challenge over the years, so I threw together some ideas I thought I’d share, and invite you to chime in with your own.
Explaining to Family and Friends What it is You Do
One of the reasons face to face events like BlogWorld, Affiliate Summit, and JV Alert are so successful is they serve as sanity checks for those who attend. It’s nice when you go to an event and a set of assumptions are in place. People you meet may not be in the same area of specialty you are, but they often understand the concepts of said specialty. From my own experience, translating what I do, or what Internet Marketing is to those with little or no familiarity is no easy task.
The Approach
Make things as simple as possible.
Suggested Responses
These are things you can say to those who want to learn more of what you do when not at holiday parties, carving up large birds, or watching football games.
Internet Marketing in General - I make it easier for Internet users to find products and services they are looking for.
Responses for Internet Marketing Specialties
Affiliate Marketing – I act as an independent commissions only sales rep for products sold on the Internet.
Blog Marketing - I share ideas with others by writing about it and publishing it on websites.
Video Marketing - I post videos online to share ideas and create interest in various products or services.
Email Marketing - I send email about specific information to people who’ve requested it.
Search Engine Marketing - I work with sites like Google to help Internet searchers find what they are looking for.
Pay Per Click Marketing - I create advertisements that are posted on the Internet introducing people to products and services.
Social Media Marketing - I make connections online through sites like Facebook with people who might be a fit for the products and services I offer.
So…How Do You Make Money?
At this point, if I haven’t lost them entirely. They might ask the next logical question.
Clients pay me to help them do Internet Marketing [or insert specialty] better.
Consider the following.
Affiliate Marketing - I get paid when someone buys a product I introduce or recommend to them.
Blog Marketing - There are numerous ways, the most common is through advertising, sometimes through affiliate marketing, or newsletter signups on the blog.
Video Marketing - When there are a lot of views, I get advertising revenues, but it isn’t much. Video really helps viewers understand more about me and invites them to my site where they can see my products, ads, or products I recommend. They might even signup for my newsletter.
Email Marketing - Advertising in the emails, as well as products I recommend and get commissions for (affiliate marketing).
Search Engine Marketing - By having improved search engine rankings, I get more traffic to my website where people can purchase my products, services, recommendations, or sign up for my newsletter.
Pay Per Click Marketing - Ranking well in the search engines takes hard work and patience, in the meantime, I can increase visibility by paying to have better visibility with advertising. Sometimes ads takes visitors to a webpage, inviting them to buy a product, signup for a newsletter, or a page recommending a product (affiliate marketing).
Social Media Marketing - In connecting with people on social sites, I make friends with some of them, and from time to time introduce them to products and services they might like to buy. They are more likely to buy having known me over time on the social media site, than say someone who recommends a product and doesn’t the person referring them at all.
Family gatherings can be tricky for some depending on their background. In general, people are fascinated with what online marketing is, and how it can create a full time income. These short and simple responses have lead to some amazing conversations, even to things much more meaningful than work.
What are your ideas? How do you respond to these questions of family members or those who unfamiliar with your Internet marketing specialty? Chime in below.
Image credit: Wesley Oostvogels
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
Twitter
Skype
Hi, my name is Travis Campbell, I operate this site. One way I can extend what I've learned marketing online over the years is by writing about it here... and helping you along the way.
Get Started