When you are starting out in business there are a few things that are generally understood. You need to have a plan, you need to have a product and you should have a good idea of your market. On top of that, you need to make sure that you have secured the financing that will see you through the start up, until the business pays you back.

But how many of us truly understand the real Nature of our business? Is it really about having the best technology, the best knowledge about your product or industry or the most offices available to make it easy to contact you? It might surprise you to learn that, although all of these things are important and do serve a key purpose in your business, they are not what your business is really about.

Your business is about MARKETING your products and services. Today’s consumer is a much more sophisticated shopper who does their homework before making a purchase. The advent of instant access to consumer information has done away with spontaneous purchasing or using the local store or shop because it is convenient. Although we may still patronize friends or friends of friends in the business we are interested in, we also look beyond these methods to make sure that we are still getting the deal we want. To be successful today any business person needs to accept this and adjust their thinking about what their business is really about. And once again, that is Marketing their business.

Any business person must realize that they are a Marketer first and a Retailer, Restaurateur, Banker, Doctor, Real Estate Agent or Broker second. The acceptance of your role as a marketer is paramount to your success in whatever area you focus on. In the world of sports the athlete that trains and prepares the most is the one that is going to stand out in their field. In the business world the marketer that incorporates and practices the best marketing methods, will win.

Success in business is dependent on two things, attraction of new customers and then their retention. This is why Marketing must be priority one regardless of all of the other tasks that face us in our day-to-day operations. The purpose of this article, by the way, is not to dismay you, but rather to provide you with some insight about marketing opportunities that are available to help any business incorporate these best marketing practices into their operation. And they are available today. Automated Marketing Solutions or AMS is a full service provider of marketing technology and solutions that incorporate the latest Direct Marketing techniques. AMS’ Direct Marketing solutions provide inexpensive, results oriented programs that use proven sequences to attract and retain customers. Their solutions work for the smallest start-up business to mid sized companies.

A key aspect of their technology solution is the ability to place an entire Marketing Program on Auto-pilot. What is meant by Auto-pilot? Once a business marketing program (including voice messages, e-mails, faxes and other broadcast and mail out collateral) is compiled and sequenced, it is loaded into AMS’ Lead Management System. This system provides the unique ability to manage and control that program without any further human interaction.

The benefits to this system are significant time savings on what would otherwise be labor intensive tasks and consistency in marketing messages. It also means that businesses never need worry about losing customers who misinterpreted your lack of contact for apathy. If you would like to here more about AMS marketing programs and how they can benefit your business visit (website here) today. You will be surprised at how quickly and economically you can implement and start benefiting from AMS’ tested and proven technology and experience.

The success of your Networking business is fully dependent on the number of qualified Network Marketing Leads that you can generate on a CONSISTENT basis… and after that is your ability to convert those leads into actual buyers. But that’s a whole different topic.

It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to generate an opportunity lead or a product lead… the foundational principles are all the same.

And here they are…

#1 – Cold Marketing/ Canvassing

This is anything from Telemarketing, Door to Door selling, & Blind Direct Mail.

Basically, picking up the phone book and going down the list calling people.

Pros – You don’t have to do anything to get the actual name & number… it’s in the phone book!

Cons – They’re most likely to hang up in your face after you say your third word… not qualified at all.

#2 – Traditional Mass Media

An example of this would be running an ad in the NY Times. They already have a subscriber base, and you’re buying access to that list through your ad.

A few more examples would be Trade Shows & Public Relations.

Pros – You can get the prospect to actually contact you if you write your ad correctly… that’s a whole different subject.

Cons – It costs a lot for one ad run and if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll lose your entire budget without making a single sale… which is unfortunately what happens to the majority of marketers.

#3 – One to One Marketing

I don’t think I need to go too deep into this.

Pros – High involvement of the prospect. You get instant feedback from the prospect. Probably the best way to make a sale if you’re selling to JUST ONE person.

Cons – Ineffective on a grand scale. There’s only so many presentations that YOU can make by yourself.

And of course… my favorite…

#4 – Existing Customer Relationship/ Direct Response

This is anything from Endorsed Marketing (JV that you can run with someone else’s list), Target Direct Mail to a rented list, or Search Marketing (PPC or SEO).

Pros – You can get PRECISE targeting of your prospects. If someone types in “belly fat” and you have a product that can show them how to get rid of belly fat… that’s the highest quality lead that you can find.

You can also have your ad run in front of hundreds of thousands if not MILLIONS of people simultaneously.

And with the internet, you can TEST everything… and you’ll get results in REAL TIME… which I think is freakin’ awesome.

Cons – Takes time to learn web design, online advertising, PPC, etc.

But the results and leverage that you can get from this medium is SO worth the time and effort.

I have spent thousands of dollars and months of studying to learn Direct Response marketing and I believe that it’s a MUST if you’re serious about growing your Networking business.

An internet marketing online business was the 21st century’s shake up of the capitalist marketplace. Now the playing field has been levelled and perceptions have changed. The internet was a huge wrench within the sockets of the elite marketers of the old industrial – neo liberalist age. Anyone and everyone can use the internet for a platform to launch a marketing business and for years that will slowly turn into a decade, newer and more innovative methods of internet marketing have cropped up. So wait no longer, these are the 3 internet marketing online businesses revealed.

Blogging. Ever since someone decided to pen their thoughts in an easy reading format and a company decide to syndicate, nobody would have known the true potential of blogging as a viable internet marketing online business. Blogging is the multi-dimensional tool for anyone serious about selling online. A platform for several marketing tactics like content, search engine optimisation, PPC, guerrilla marketing and as a contact point to companies who use blogs as back links to their corporate site, the business of blogging is immense. With so much potential to generate interest and sales, its no wonder it is a business that has covered more than a quarter of the internet marketing online world.

Direct marketing is another huge online business that is generating people lots of money. With its many transmutations of email marketing, list building, digital fax marketing, viral marketing and the use of social network sites like Facebook or MySpace, direct marketing is a business that rewards the progressive performer. Over time and practice, you should be able to represent several products and services and work for a variety of networks and corporations. Opening up your revenue streams and picking the products you feel most comfortable in selling makes this an online business that is growing in popularity.

Affiliate marketing should be the end word of anyone worth his mint online. It is the best and easiest way (if done right) to open up multiple revenue streams; combining into a vast ocean of wealth. As a marketing tool, there is none other that is as flexible and able to cross platforms. It is also one of the few that utilises every possible channel on the internet to gain audience volume and drive traffic to where it matters the most. Unlike direct marketing, this is spreading out quality even over quantity and individuals and companies can engage an affiliate network to represent multiple products and services from various sources. Earning a few hundred thousand dollars a year is not unheard of and this is a bandwagon you should start running towards.

For each one, you have to learn the basics and know the ropes. With time you will be able to have a deft mouse hand scouring the internet for newer ways to market your products. These are the most popular methods in use now, the top 3 internet marketing online businesses. If you think you have what it takes and a nose for selling and a willing mind to learn, why not take the first plunge.

When deciding to begin the journey towards a successful home based business, there are several factors that are extremely important. Obviously, researching your field, competitors, and available products is always the first place to start. Possessing a great amount of knowledge about the field is always beneficial, and seeking others with this knowledge is helpful as well. However, many home business entrepreneurs forget to fully understand the market they are attempting to reach and how understanding that market enables them to be more successful. Fully achieving a familiarity with the intended target market only serves to assist the internet marketer in any endeavor they embark upon.

Within the Internet and work from home arenas, knowing your target market is important for many reasons. To start, this knowledge helps you to advertise appropriately. For example, if you are marketing a health product geared towards senior citizens and you researched your target market, you would understand that purchasing advertisements on a social networking site like MySpace would not necessarily be worthwhile. MySpace tends to have a much younger demographic than your target. Therefore, sticking to a more traditional method of marketing, such as a direct email or postcard campaign, would be much more geared towards your intended clientele. There is no use in advertising for a product if the only people that would buy your product never see the ads.

Common sense then tells us that a direct correlation exists between the effectiveness of the advertisement used (effectiveness being increased with appropriate marketing to the correct target market) and sales produced from these advertisements. Of course, the more sales or customers, the wealthier you become! Therefore, understanding your eventual customer base becomes vital to the longevity of your success. Also, knowing your target market prevents you from wasting money needlessly. If you understand your target market fully, you won’t be wasting money or time on misplaced or useless marketing methods.

With just a little bit of preliminary knowledge of your intended clientele, you can utilize your time, money, and energy on focused and direct marketing methods that will increase your customer base and hence closed sales. Furthermore, when you advertise to a target market that you fully understand, your marketing methods tend to be more personalized and attuned to who the intended customer is or what they are looking for. This personalization can be extremely effective, and will enable you as the internet marketer or salesperson to really speak to the needs and interests of your clients.

Lastly, when you market to groups of people that are already interested in what you have to offer, potential customers tend to be less skeptical. You will not find yourself wasting time on convincing people of the effectiveness or worth of what you are selling or marketing, because your target market generally already understands that what you have to offer is worthwhile for them. This fact alone can save you countless hours and headaches!