A crash course on the most dynamic marketing platform today! Online marketing has evolved far beyond flashy websites and banner ads shouting at customers about your product. It's about using an array of Internet tools to build credibility and visibility, spread your message, and form meaningful customer relationships. The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course: Online Marketing puts you on the fast track to harnessing the power of the Web for your marketing goals. It begins with planning and building a website and then provides in-depth coverage of essential online marketing tools and techniques, such as: Content marketing and blogging - Social media marketing - Web analytics - Search Engine Optimization (SEO ) - E-mail marketing - Online Public Relations - Earn a Certificate of Achievement Through A Free OnlineExamination! The McGraw-Hill 36 Hour Course: Online Marketing spells it all out in easy-to-understand terms and actionable steps. You’re already on your way to Web marketing mastery! Lorrie Thomas, M.A. , is a marketing strategist, educator, writer, trainer, and speaker. She is the CEO of Web Marketing Therapy (www.webmarketingtherapy.com), a marketing agency that offers strategic advisory services, online marketing training, and marketing management. Lorrie Thomas, M.A. , is a marketing strategist, educator, writer, trainer, and speaker. She is the CEO of Web Marketing Therapy (www.webmarketingtherapy.com), a marketing agency that offers strategic advisory services, online marketing training, and marketing management. ONLINE MARKETING THE McGRAW-HILL 36-Hour Course By Lorrie Thomas McGraw-Hill Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All right reserved. ISBN: 978-0-07-174386-0 Contents Chapter One BUILDING AN ONLINE MARKETING FOUNDATION Online marketing is like the Wild, Wild West: it has few rules, endless opportunities, and a vast open space. The innumerable possibilities can be exciting, but the geek-speak and limitless choices can sometimes seem overwhelming. Fortunately, online (or web) marketing is also very logical. Online marketing pioneers simply need to take that first step on the wagon train to get started. Journeys go more smoothly with a map and directions. And you have just picked those up. There is a place for everyone on the web. Online marketing strategy helps define and refine what those roles are. The evolution is fast and ongoing. The rules of web marketing change every day. Smart professionals become continual learners to harness the power of the World Wide Web to brand, build relationships, and boost results. Moving slowly in the wild online marketing world is the equivalent of being at a hard stop. The good news is that online marketing, compared to other marketing media, is still relatively new. It has little to no barrier to entry, allowing anyone to participate and strike gold at any time. Whether you have some experience with online marketing or none at all, this book will help guide and empower you on all the wild and wonderful ways web marketing can support artistic, technological, and strategic goals. So, congratulations! You've taken the first, most important step of braving the unknown and forging ahead. Whether you're new to online marketing, need to refine areas of marketing expertise, have been recently assigned the role of online marketer at work, or are in search of a reference to support other goals, this book is your guide. The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course: Online Marketing is going to lay it all out in easy-to-understand terms and actionable steps. The Chinese philosopher Laozi famously wrote, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." You have made the important first step by investing in this book. You will discover the wealth of web marketing possibilities, and learn how to apply them to support specific goals. HOW THIS BOOK WILL HELP Making smart strategic online marketing choices happens by understanding the breadth and depth of puzzle pieces you can work with. You make better decisions when you know your options. The art and science of online marketing "clicks" with a strategic (aka a game plan) bridge. The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course: Online Marketing will teach you about the various pieces of the online marketing puzzle so you can think critically about how to use online marketing now and in the future. Although every online marketing puzzle will vary, there are three constant online marketing rules that will hold true through continuing evolutions (and revolutions!) of this wild web marketing world. Online Marketing Rule 1: Online marketing is not something one spends time or money on. It is something that (when done well) becomes an investment. Online Marketing Rule 2: Online marketing success is not about what you know, it is about what you are open to learning and what you are committed to managing. Online Marketing Rule 3: Optimal online marketing cannot occur without help. You have c