George, paid advertising is only one part of online marketing. Search engine optimization is another as is reputation management, content, engagement etc.

Also, consider that online is just one part of your overall marketing plan.

The best marketing for business is a matrix (spiderweb) type where there is a mix of online and offline supporting each other and focused solely on each growth point of your business. The more complex the matrix the stronger your foundation and edge over your competitors.

As to your question regarding Facebook Marketing. Facebook marketing is awesome, be aware though, It is easy to waste a lot of money if you are not very clear on who you are talking too and what you want them to do. Is it brand awareness, purchasing a product, booking some time with you, downloading a report, attending an event or simply liking your page?

If you are deciding what your next move is in marketing I would suggest speaking to a consultant that does strategic marketing, and then when you hit the face book question, ask for a recommendation to an expert.

A good consultant will have a number of trusted advisors they can refer you to and this will avoid picking someone that has been having fun on face book and decided to start a business yet does not really have the depth of knowledge you need to be successful. A good indication of a reputable social media marketing consultant is that they will measure on sales and/or click to your website as opposed to likes.

Hope this helps, Lisa

No it's not true. If you just consider the mechanics of 'ONLINE' what you're really talking about is your presence in that space. Much like a store on the high street, it's the complete profile of you or your business on the web.

So online marketing covers all the work you do to prepare and load your profile - content, images, videos and so forth, and the actions taken to then create outbound and inbound 'FLOWS' to that content.

You can do this both unpaid and paid. Everytime you post a blog and a new person follows, likes or responds to you this is creating new 'FLOWS' and networks on that communication line.

Yes, you can pay for ads to boost a particular flow, but it isn't the only way.

Don't forget there is the offline world (I find it funny that the real world is 'offline') and there are many ways to boost your online marketing through offline activity, like promoting a competition in your store, or through a business network. Making sure you include website address and social media pages on all your collateral is a good start.

It's one way, but not the only way. Cheers Hunter

To start with begin with a easy to understand website which has the information your user needs. Paid advertising within a certain budget helps to get new clients for your business. You can think of other avenues of digital and offline marketing once you get started with some orders. Stick to your strengths till you can survive on your orders. best of luck! :)

There are lots of options for online marketing.  Using SEO and SEM together is ideal as main search engines are constantly changing their algorithms  for rankings so stop thinking of SEO and SEM as rival forces. When used together they are complementary services that help boost your marketing strategy and increase brand exposure.  The key is to build brand awareness and trust in your brand or business which begins by getting your business name to appear in prospect’s searches.  Seeing your brand name appear twice, both on organic and on paid results, creates more brand awareness and intensifies your businesses’ trustworthiness.  Research shows that if there are two brands that have apparently the same products, people will be more likely to choose the one they are familiar with. When a brand is shown in organic results alone it only gets 60% of clicks, whereas a brand that appeared in both organic and paid search results, attracts 92% of total clicks.  When paid listings are shown beside organic, the click-through rate of paid ads increases. This means that clicks increase for both organic and paid listings when they are both featured and do not detract from each other.

Would be great to hear your thoughts @Quentin Aisbett @Beau Ushay @Erik Bigalk @Maria Bellissimo-Magrin @Lisa Creffield @Paige Arnof-Fenn @Kim Barrett @Roland Hanekroot 

No @George Brookes, it is not true that the primary way to do online marketing is through paid ads. While paid advertising can be an effective way to reach your target audience and drive traffic to your website, there are also many other ways to promote your business online that do not require paid advertising.

Some of the most effective ways to do online marketing without paid ads include:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Optimizing your website for search engines can help you rank higher in search results and drive organic traffic to your site.

2. Content Marketing: Creating high-quality, valuable content can help you attract visitors to your website and build brand awareness.

3. Social Media Marketing: Building a strong presence on social media platforms can help you connect with your target audience and drive traffic to your website.

4. Email Marketing: Building an email list and sending regular newsletters can help you promote your products or services and drive traffic to your website.

5. Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with social media influencers or bloggers in your industry can help you reach a larger audience and drive traffic to your website.

While paid advertising can be an effective component of an online marketing strategy, it is not the only way to promote your business online. By utilizing a combination of different marketing tactics, you can reach your target audience and drive more traffic to your website.