Is Internet Marketing a real business? I don't think so.

In my opinion, a good business offers valued products or services. The internet is a huge media and internet marketers are just specialized in leveraging views from it. If the affiliate model did not exist, then the internet marketers would still have high-valued skills for companies who want to get their product out there, so these marketers could still build a business upon their skill set.

Semantics... what does it matter... a rose by any other name...If you're making money...you're making money... I don't think my bank manager give a ...She's always happy to see me...

Geoff, you are right by definition. If we look at the real meaning of terms, Internet Marketing is more like a "job" by nature. But there is such a thing as an "online business" which naturally includes marketing as well. You can sell your products, services, etc and use IM as a natural part of your business process. The point you are making is that most are using the term IM for everything done online I believe.

That's weird because I incorporated my Internet "Series of tactics" almost a decade ago. And I have an actual Business Degree from an Accredited United States University.

So if I am not operating a business... then what the hell am I doing?

This will definitely require more thought. I wonder if my accountant knows I'm not operating a business. I wonder if the IRS will refund me the 10,000's I've paid in taxes.

When you live in a small little bubble the world seems like a very large place doesn't it?

Specific Marketing to targeted group - Isn't this essentially what Adsense does for internet marketers? It targets groups with certain search intents and can also geo-target, as well.

Acquisition of customers - I would think that all affiliate customers is about acquiring customers.

Monetization - IM definitely ain't about charity, that's for sure

Systematization - I think this is the reason people come to the warrior forum so often. They want to learn and eventually develop a system which they can streamline and profit from.

I believe when you start out in IM, you are starting up a home business as an advertiser, whether it be for adsense or affiliate marketing. When you eventually expand and hire virtual assistants and what not, then it resembles an advertising firm.

Just my $0.02.

If you go through any Frank Kern or Dan Kennedy material you will see that is exactly what they do and teach.

I'm only new to this but from what I can see, there's people like Kern and Kennedy, treating it as a real business and making the big money (and doing the things you said). Then there is everyone else trying to make a few bucks and wanting to automate everything i.e. trying to do the 'tricks'.

you want to tell me that amazon has no real business?
Internet Marketing is nothing else than selling stuff via the internet

Internet Marketing is a real business if you're charging people to do their Internet Marketing. Other than that, it's just a way to promote your business on the Internet.

Thats pretty arrogant considering the company you are in. If you have something that is valuable to someone they will pay money for it. What else do you need to know?

In the history of the world, wealth is about creating "value", I don't care what you call it.

My opinion - Theoretically, a business is defined as someone or something that provides a service or product to consumers, hopefully while making money. With all of the different types of "internet marketing" I'm not sure one could say that it isn't a business. We provide a service and/or product to fill a need, and we make money doing so. Again only my lonely opinion

Hey Geoff,

I know you must have expected a somewhat negative reaction from some people out of this. Honestly, I mostly agree with you. Aside from the few that either work for a company and perform the function of marketing that company online or do consulting for legitimate business and help them market online, much of it isn't a business at all.

I'd be willing to bet that some of the people that took offense (those that posted and those that didn't) didn't like what you had to say because they knew it was true for them. SOOO many people we've come across are an IMer on the side...they work their 9-5 and use tips and tactics to make a little side money. They don't approach it as if it were a real business at all.

That being said, aside from our work with seo's, our IM right now isn't really a business either. We've found a few tactics that seem to be profitable and we're exploiting them...just as a side-gig for now. That being said, the more we continue the more we can see this actually being a pretty reasonable business path for us...one that could become a focus of ours in the coming months/years to come.

Over the past few months, I have noticed that people are turning
towards product creation as their business method. As some of you
may already know that it isn't the most stable business plan, but it
does turn out good for some.

Interesting question. I would agree in and of itself it is not a business. It is just like Offline marketing - it is a tactic. It is part of your overall business, you just market ONLINE. When I jumped into this "business" I had not direction and just waiting got others to guide me, signing up for everything. I learned after several months of this I had nothing to show accept a bunch of "tactics". I think you can be successful with IM, but you absolutely need a plan. What are your strengths / talents? What do you enjoy doing? And go from there.

Yes, focusing on your actual business is necessary but those tactics in my opinion are key to growing your business. Also learning IM tactics yourself rather than paying someone else to perform those tasks could drastically increase your ROI.

Hmmm...those are internet companies, but not internet marketing companies.

Ebay and Amazon are marketplaces. Facebook is a social community.

Their business is not classified as "Internet Marketing."

I think its safe to say you are using the wrong term.

What you mean is "online affiliate marketing" ...not Internet Marketing

"Internet Marketing" is something that nearly every business..whether a Fortune 500 company or a Mom&Pop brick and mortar shop engages in on a daily basis.

"IMers" ..the kind that frequent a forum like this, tend to be blind to the fact that anything other than the internet even exists. - Whats even funnier is if you were to make an actual list of specific "Online" methods and specific "Offline" methods...there would be like 2 things in the online list and everything else would be considered offline...email, facebook, google places, texting, flyers, print, direct mail, telemarketing. yet the offline thread never has more than 200 viewing it, even though the majority of marketing strategies are considered "offline".

Everyone wants in on the easy push button, automated, never have to actually deal with people, method...thats why 2000+ viewers hang out in the online thread.

Personally I think its funny that email, facebook and google places are considered an offline thing when you actually need a computer and an internet connection to use them. Its brutally stupid if you think about it.

So is your Affiliate Marketing" a real business?

...if it requires you to make and keep customers then it is a real business, because that is the only thing a business is built to do.

'Internet Marketing' is an umbrella term that refers more to an industry rather than a specific business.

Now, if you're talking about affiliate marketing, you might have something.

However, I think you're branding all affiliate marketers as hustlers trying to learn the hottest, latest backlinking tactic to game the search engines.

Sure, there are some hustlers in our industry, but some of us do build solid, sustainable businesses from our efforts that are not solely based around selling products for other companies.

Wal-mart, K-mart, Sears, etc... how many of the products that they sell do they actually manufacture?

Sure internet marketing is a business. Anything that generates income for you (by working yourself), you can consider it a business. Your own business hours, your own time, your own effort. No bosses, no datelines, no office hours. Now isn't that one of the best businesses in the world!

Whether you think it is or it is not ... you are right!

Internet marketing is a method of doing business, it is not in itself a business. Your business is marketing a product or service, or providing an advertising medium. The method you use to generate customers or clients is internet marketing. Therefore, it isn't the business, it is the method of doing business.

I agree, internet marketing is not a business per se, rather, it is a crucial part of a business, be it online or offline.

A business is about providing value in the form of a product or a service. In this case, should you teach internet marketing (as a form of service) then would it be a form of business.

Is Internet Marketing a business? What does an Internet Marketer do?

*Takes out ads and creates content targeted at a specific group of people to get a list of leads for their business.

*Create a system to convert their leads into sales or JV partners for their various business ventures.

*Market to their lists until they buy or unsubscribe from the list.

Seems to fit the parameters of your definition, there's more to it than that, of course. You need to have a product or service

But no, Internet Marketing is not a business in and of itself, it's a business style, nothing more or less.

Mike

I would disagree that Internet marketing is not a business. I like the conditions you've given in your post to describe what a business is. All Internet marketers should be doing all of those items. If they're not, they're not running an Internet marketing business. Instead, they are running an Internet marketing hobby. If your point is that is what most people are doing (treat it as a hobby not a business) then I would tend to agree with you. The people that are running their Internet marketing as a business are the ones that are making money.

If I had an offline store that sold products that I bought wholesale from another company, then I would be running a business.

If I owned an offline store that sold products and I earned an income based on my commission from those products I sell then I would be running a business.

If I owned an offline store and sold products that I created myself then I would be running a business.

Internet marketing is the same thing but it is just done online. If I buy products wholesale online and sell them online it is a business. If I sell products online and earn an income based on commission earned then it is a business. If I sell my own products online, either physical or digital, then it is a business.

Why would online marketing be classified differently than an offline business, you are still selling products - whether it's for commission, your own products or wholesale - you are still doing the same thing - marketing products.

And...... the tax man certainly thinks that I am running a business

I dont agree with your opinion that IM is not a real business. Maybe you are mistaking "real" IM with the newbies on various forums who offer random services or dabble into random aspects of IM without a plan.

In IM, it is in fact the case that people can "try" and do all kinds of actions to "somehow" make money, you dont need a certificate or any "formal" education. You can simply start DOING "things" - easier often as compared to other professions. (Because you can do it home, resources are free etc...you can teach yourself...)

But sooner or later you need a strategy and plan, and your above points will apply since otherwise you will FAIL.

You NEED to make your "dabbling in various aspects of IM" attempts into a solid business, because you WILL start marketing to targeted groups, you will acquire customers, you will systemize and monetize AT ONE POINT if you want to do serious and profitable IM.

While there are people who do not do this...this does not mean that IM is not a real business. If you see it that way you might do it wrong.

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You are mistaking attempts and tries to find suitable tactics with the actual applying of working tactics.

Example: It can very well be that someone needs to try various niches and "tactics" until they find what works for them. This is normal, good and not different to some other professions.

Once you find what works, you would be smart to apply this and do it over and over again because you will turn your tactics where you know it works INTO A BUSINESS.

Example: Let's say i am starting to build websites, i am getting a number of satisfied customers. I see it works and i get money. I expand this, put ads up, get more customers. I start outsourcing, actually have people working for me. I am looking for ways to optimize my work flow, to do it better and faster. Isn't this a prime example for a business?

I find the whole arguement fundamentally flawed.

People have different ideas of what IM is depending on their perspective and how they got into it, so trying to shoe-horn the term into a definition that everyone can agree on just doesn't make sense.

It's both a set of strategies and a business depending on your perspective.

Also what a 'proper business' is also makes all the difference.

For some people a 'proper business' is one where they're completely hands-off and they make $20k a month from residual online income streams. Maybe they have an outsource team that continually follows their internal strategy to constantly adds new streams to this, but fundamentally they want to be out living their life and the business is just there to pay the bills and provide spending money.

For others - they won't consider it a 'proper business' unless they're heavily involved in it and have an office and employees.

Neither is wrong or right - just different for different people.

And there are lots of other flavours of business model.

Andy

If it is making a money, then it is a business...not unless it is a job.

There are 1000's of people making a full time living from "Internet Marketing"

I think that if you're able to use the internet as a means to support yourself financially without needing to rely on another job then you have successfully created a legitimate business for yourself. Just because you may not be spending 8-10 hrs a day doing so, like you would with a day job, doesn't mean that you don't have a true business. Now if it's something you do for some extra cash, then I would say that it's more a hobby. Don't discredit what internet marketers do just because it's not a typical way, according to society, to earn a living

if it pays the bills, its a hobby.

If it sends you on a holiday, and you come back to see more money in your account then when you left...then you got yourself a serious business.