Most Common Online Marketing Methods

Online marketing dominates the market. There are numerous methods companies use to get the word out about their products and services. Using the right one to reach your target market can make a big difference is whether or not you are using your resources wisely.

The most common online marketing methods are below (Minculete & Chisega-Negrila, 2014):

Search Engine Marketing: The method of data collection, search software, and categorization of information. This is the bones behind the Internet.

Email Marketing: The collection of emails and dissemination of information using this medium.

Viral Marketing: Creating content that users will willingly pass onto their social networks.

Affiliated Marketing: Displaying a company’s banner and advertisements on sites for additional revenue. Most people know this as Google Adwords and similar type programs.

Internet Advertising: The process of creating advertisements and purchasing places and locations in high traffic areas and sites.

Web-logs: The use of blogs to create content that draws search engine and user interest.

Social Networks: The social media networks that try and engage physical and virtual communities.

Online Reputation Management: The use of reputation management to ensure one’s online image is strong.

Mobile Internet: Using personal products, cell phones, tablets, etc… to reach customers. This is common in the applications and music download industry. Newer technology includes streaming.

Web Communities: Marketing within chat rooms and forums.

Webcasting: Creating videos and other advertisements that can be posted on Youtube and other areas to draw interest.

Each of the tools has different levels of effectiveness and rates of return on investment. All of the tools funnel people to a website or brick-n-mortar business that can create an exchange of money and product/service. How a website is designed based upon the target culture can have an impact on conversion and sales (St. Amant, 2006). Such websites should consider the placement of functionality such as hyperlinks, text, pictures, search functions, e-commerce buttons, etc...


Minculete, G. & Chisega-Negrila, M. (2014). Online marketing. Challenges and opportunities for the military higher education. Journal of Defense Resources Management, 4 (2).

St. Amant, K. (2005). A prototype theory approach to international web site analysis and design. Technical communication quarterly, 14 (1).