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Comparing Bang For Your Buck With Online Marketing Methods

By Gregory Smyth

If anyone could definitely tell you which internet marketing method would always get more conversions and make more money per dollar spent, that person would be richer than Bill Gates! The answer to: "Which internet marketing method is best for me?" is a resounding "That depends!". Here, we look at some of the most popular and long-standing forms of internet marketing, including article marketing, press release distribution, blogging and email marketing and examine how they can each affect your website traffic and sales and compare them with their relative costs.

Article marketing is a method that costs little, but does represent a significant time investment. Alongside the cost of time, though, are some real results in terms of your search engine marketing and increasing your search engine ranking. In many cases, article distribution is free, but you can streamline the process by taking advantage of internet consulting services. Many firms will write, distribute and monitor results, relieving you of the time and effort investment.

Email marketing can also be a great investment if you consider guidelines like sending offers at typical shopping times and ensuring that you use special offers and update requests to keep current subscribers interested.

Press release distribution has been around for much longer than the internet, and it is still a very effective way of marketing your business. The prime goal, of course, is to have your event or news published in a newspaper or online journal, bringing you additional publicity. However, distributing press releases can also be a valuable link building tool. Again, using the services of an internet consulting business will cost a little more, but will be much more effective.

If you choose to save the money, but invest the time in writing your own press releases for distribution, there are a couple of guidelines to follow. You should send them frequently - being a regular contributor helps your standing. Use web analysis tools to determine your target keywords and then use them in your press releases in the correct quantities. Try to appeal to buyers as well as journalists in your press releases - use some of the emotive language that is found in your marketing materials and not only straight factual language.

Of course, the methods that will always offer the best return on your investment are those that didn't cost anything to begin. Blogging is one internet marketing method which does not cost anything, and for those who loathe the fact that the modern world forces you to become not only an expert in your field, but also at administration and marketing, this is a chance to reconnect with why you are in business. Blogging is not only a good way to connect with your customers, but it is also a great link building strategy. Including links in your blogs that will fetch backlinks will greatly assist your search engine marketing campaign. By publishing your opinions on products or services that are relevant to you, you can help build your company's personality and brand -- a vital part of a web marketing strategy. And remember, blogging free!