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Have you ever dreamed of developing a successful internet marketing strategy, online advertising strategy, or any of the many varieties of web site marketing strategies possible today? Do you have a stratigic game plan in mind? Perhaps you're planning a secret Web 2.0 plan of action? Or perhaps you're scratching your head wondering what the term Web 2.0 even means?
Join the croud, because if you're like most, you never knew there was a Web 1.0. Worst yet, unless you get your plans going soon, Web 2.0 could be history as we find ourselves smack in the middle of Web 3.0.
If that weren't enough, you're likely intrgued by the enormous success stories involving word of mouth and viral marketing strategies. We all remember the now ancient hotmail viral email campaign or more recently, we were amazed by the highly successful and profitable viral internet strategy used to promote the smash hit movie: "The Secret". Could your product, service or business replicate such a marketing plan?
If by chance you missed all the hoopla surrounding The Secret viral web campaign, in a nutshell, this movie (on the topic of "Positive Thinking") generated massive web site DVD sales averaging some 2 million dollars per month for well over a year.
Even before The Secret move hit the mass media circuit of Larry King, Oprah, and Montel Williams, the systematic and comprehensive secret strategy had tipped the scales toward significant results unleashing a worldwide viral response of pandemic perportions. A well orchestrated plan initiated over a six month period; low on budget but high on creativity, broke almost every internet record in this stratigic category.
Regardless of whether you are promoting a product, a service, a book, a film, or even a charity; success is within your reach with a good systematic plan of action or what some might call an actionable game plan. On average, you should expect the planning and implementation of a good internet strategy to require a 3 to 12 month time period prior to roll-out and ongoing maintenance, testing, adjustments and enhancements as it matures.
The question is, can you be your own strategy consultant or must you outsource the planning and implementation to a professional internet marketing consultant.
The responsibilities of creating and overseeing a web strategy today are often a hybrid mix of marketing and IT disciplines. One study, conducted by the Internet Strategy Forum revealed that the majority of Internet strategists have a professional background in either traditional marketing (31%) or traditional IT (29%). The majority of companies still drive Internet strategy out of the marketing department (58%) while the data shows a reduced role for IT (4%). However, 20% of companies have a stand-alone department that drives Internet strategy, an emerging trend.
Strategy creation is not just the business of big corporations, countless small entrepreneurial ventures create and manage online marketing strategies successfully. Sometimes the nimble flexibility of an entrepreneurial environment lends itself to surprizingly effective strategic web planning and execution.
Whether marketing falls in your hands or a hired hand, someone has to perform the role of web wizard. Behind the curtain of every successful corporate web site, online product, movie or e-marketing initiative is an internet strategist; sometimes by title, sometimes by default. In either case, the role a strategist must plot is to translate business objectives into actionable strategies that leverage the internet for maximum impact.
Internet strategist responsibilities:
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Maintain web presence
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E-mail marketing
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Other eMarketing
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Social media initiatives
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Customer support web presence
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Online community development
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eCommerce
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Online content product
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Web-based software services
Leadership and Skillsets of Web Strategist
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Presentation skills
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Web analytics expertise
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Service vendor evaluation/management
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Managing staff
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Training/Suporting others in your organization
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Fiscal responsibility (budget etc.)
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Search engine marketing
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E-mail marketing
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Software vendor evaluation/management
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Contract negotiation skills
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Web page production
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Social software (blogs, wikis, etc.)
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Web application development
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Managing enterprise web production tools
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Managing E-commerce
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Managing networks/servers
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