If you’re looking for a way to make some extra cash, you’ve probably considered exploring the lucrative world of online marketing. But what is online marketing and how can you become one? This article will delve into the various ways you can make money online from home, demonstrating the numerous options available to those looking to enter the field. It will also cover some of the most popular legitimate ways to make money online, such as blogging and affiliate marketing.
The Basics Of Online Marketing
Depending on what sort of online marketer you want to become, it’s advisable to study the basics of online marketing. If you’re looking to break into the field and start your own blog, for example, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with a handful of key concepts. Fortunately, online marketing is quite an accessible subject, and for only a few hours of reading through some of the basic guides available online, you’ll be able to understand the basics of the industry and how to become a successful blogger.
Key Concepts
Although the internet has made accessing a wealth of information incredibly convenient, it has also made understanding complex subjects easier. Thanks to subject-specific articles that can be accessed through a simple search, you’ll find that many of the questions surrounding online marketing can be answered by simply going through the motions of research. A few hours of learning the basic concepts of SEO and online marketing, and you’ll be able to understand the basics of the industry and how to become a successful online marketer.
SEO vs. SEM vs. Organic Marketing
Search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search (paid search) are two different methods of getting traffic to your website. SEO is when you try to improve your ranking in organic search results, while paid search is when you pay money to have your product or service at the top of a particular search engine’s results page.
Both SEO and paid search require a bit of an understanding of basic internet marketing, including the use of keywords, backlinks, and content strategy. However, if you’re looking to enter the field and start your own blog, SEO might be the better bet. The reason being is that, although you’ll need to study the art of paid search, you’ll only need to focus on the basics of SEO. As long as you have a blog that contains valuable content, you can’t go wrong.
The Main Players
When it comes to the internet, there are dozens, if not hundreds of different websites that you could use to promote your product or service. Depending on what you’re selling, some of these sites might be better suited than others. Let’s take a look at the main players in the online marketing world and what they do.
If you’ve ever shopped for electronics online, then you’ll be familiar with the ubiquitous role that Google plays in our world. Thanks to their remarkable search engine, you’ll find that virtually every electronics store in the world advertises on Google, as do the websites of popular brands.
Whether you’re searching for an iPad, an Android, or a laptop, you’ll find that Google is always the first stop for anyone planning to shop online. As a result, Google algorithms prioritize websites that provide useful information over those that merely promote sales (which is why most major electronics retailers have their own websites).
While Google is the king when it comes to online search, social media platforms such as Facebook also have a lot to offer. If your target audience is on Facebook, you can take advantage of their open platform to drive traffic to your site. One of the main ways is through page likes. Essentially, when your Facebook page “likes” a brand or product, they’ll send that brand or product’s messages to their 55+ million followers, encouraging them to “like” your page as well.
You can use this tactic to your advantage by getting your Facebook fans to “like” your page, and then leveraging the shared “likes” to drive traffic to your website. According to HubSpot Blogs’ research, 64% of people have gained revenue or created new products because of product recommendations found on social media platforms like Facebook.
YouTube
Like most other online marketing platforms, YouTube also offers an easy way to gain traction in the increasingly competitive world of online marketing. One of the main ways is through video content. Even if you don’t have the budget for a professional-looking video, you can use YouTube’s video editor to quickly and easily craft a compelling case study or product demo video that will draw visitors to your site. Additionally, you can use the platform’s advanced tools to pinpoint your target audience and create relevant, engaging content that will keep them coming back for more.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over a billion users around the globe. Like other social media platforms, Instagram offers a simple way to gain traffic and make connections in the thriving world of online marketing. One way is through stories. Stories are a primary drawcard on the platform, encouraging users to engage with content, as well as other users who’ve engaged with that content. This, in turn, can boost your organic traffic.
In an increasingly digital world, content reigns supreme. Without a steady flow of engaging content, your site will struggle to gain traction and make money online.
Blogging
Speaking of content, if your target audience is on social media sites like Facebook, then why not try to reach them through blogs? After all, a healthy dose of self-expression, whether you’re writing in your own voice or that of a guest author, can go a long way towards establishing your credibility as an expert in your industry. Even if you don’t have the budget for a full-time content strategist, you can use tools like WordPress to cheaply and easily launch a blog that will serve as a source of valuable, authoritative content for your website.
Affiliate Marketing
As the name implies, affiliate marketing is a way of earning a commission for recommending a product or service. To qualify as an affiliate marketer, you don’t need to have a website of your own (though it definitely helps), you just need to be able to recommend products that you’ve personally tried and enjoyed. Depending on the affiliate network you work with, you’ll be offered a variety of products that you can promote, from digital cameras to travel packages and more.
The Downsides
While there are many legitimate ways to make a living online, there are also a few major downsides to consider. One of the biggest is that, although it’s a great idea to leverage the internet to grow your business, it can also be a very digital solitary existence. If you’re looking to get out and meet people, the offline world still has a lot to offer.
Final Takeaway
In today’s world, every business, no matter how small, has the potential to succeed online. However, in order to be able to do this, you have to be willing to learn the various platforms available and how to use them effectively. While there are many online, free resources available to help even the most novice of internet marketers get started, once you’re ready to dive in, understanding the ins and outs of SEO and digital marketing can be a challenge. Fortunately, with a little bit of research, determination, and practice, you can be on your way to making a living from home, promoting products that you believe in and enjoy using.