The most common topic that comes up with my clients is Internet Marketing for Small Business.  Most of my clients have spent the money for a new updated website, now they want to know how to monetize it.  This makes sense.

What surprises me is that small business people believe that they are different from larger businesses.  They aren’t.  They could learn a lot by just watching what the larger businesses do and then follow their example.

What they should not do is follow along in the small business herd.  Lately I’ve been getting a flood of email from small business people promoting their product.  These are nothing more than an email advertisement.  What gives them the right to send me this email except that they must have gotten my business card at some networking event?  What makes them think I might be remotely interested in their product?  What relationship am I supposed to have with them?

For small business owners, a better approach to Internet Marketing might be to build a relationship with their list.  Most of them have not used email to market their products much less their website.  Email has a higher comfort level so the temptation is to start where they are most comfortable.
The first step to small business marketing , whether it is Internet based or not, is to understand the customer.   I am sure that I wasn’t the only one offended by clogged advertisement email from businesses with whom I have no relationship.

Obviously there is more to Internet Marketing than just email.  Other examples of online promotion that businesses can use to improve their search marketing efforts are:

•    Banner ads on other complementary business sites
•    Optimize the website for specific keywords
•    Maintain a presence on consumer forums
•    Use email to stay in touch and build a relationship with other business people and prospects
•    Start their own topic based forum group on a site such as Ning.
•    Write articles on their industry, business, or area and post them online

There are many more ways to promote a business online but all of them require a relationship with clients and a demonstration of expertise in a given field.  My advice is to take just one of these recommendations and perfect it.