(Article originally titled “Look at Me! Look at Me! Getting Noticed in the Internet Marketing World Using the Protesters Model”)

Anyone who has read my blogs or other articles knows that I am a pro-Liberty minded, conservative individualist and I make no bones about it. I have been criticized for how I comport myself when I get too passionate about my views – I detest the politics and philosophical ideas of progressive liberals and socialists – mainly because they are wrong, they don’t work, and they hurt people.

But politics aside, I have to give progressive liberals, especially those we might call “the rabid protester” some credit.

They know how to get noticed.

In the internet marketing world, getting noticed (that is, positioning) is next to getting paid. The second does not happen without the first. So it behooves us to examine any tactic that actually works.

Most protest groups, no matter who they represent, suffer from many of the same problems that most nascent internet marketers suffer from: lack of both money and brand recognition. So what do rabid protesters do that internet marketers might copy that would greatly leverage their small resources in such a way as to increase brand recognition?

I believe there are some basic steps to this approach, the first three of which are:

1. Know your target audience.
2. Get your information out to your target audience.
3. Motivate your target audience to take specific action.

These three are basic and most marketers should know them – and they are no different for the rabid protester. Those protesters may look disorganized, bizarre, unprofessional, and angry, but effective protests are run with specific goals in mind, and the three principles above are never deviated from.

The first interesting thing to notice is that the target audience of the protester is NOT the people or institutions that are being protested against! That bears repeating: The specific audience of the protester is not those whom they are protesting against.

The protesters audience is like minded people. Their primary (and usually unstated) goal is to motivate those who believe as they do to join with them and then work toward their stated goals.

So I have developed a list of seven points in the order of their priority on how to get noticed in the Internet world. Notice how protesters use most if not all of these to achieve their stated goal, which is the first item on the list.

1. Have a Specific, Stated Goal.
2. Position Yourself Where Your Target Audience is.
3. Be Interesting, Be Different, Be Crazy – Your Unique Brand.
4. Have A Unique Selling Position.
5. Don’t Be Afraid Of Offending People.
6. Give Back, Give Away, And Give Value.
7. Be the Expert, Even If You Are Not.

So we begin by having a specific stated goal. You need to know what you’re selling and what you wish to accomplish. Then you need to put yourself where your target audience is – they don’t buy what they can’t see. This is perhaps one of the more difficult tasks to perform in today’s Internet, you don’t want to be labeled a spammer, but there are just so many blogs, websites, links and social networks they are outstripping the people who use them. How do you get noticed even if you are where the customers are?

The protester gets loud, garish, holds big signs, gathers tones of people is a small place, and sits where everyone has to pass by them, in other words they position themselves.

The next principle states that you must be interesting, different, and even crazy! You must present a unique brand so that you don’t look like all the rest. This segues right into your Unique Selling Position – an essential you must have. You have to be able to give the so-called “elevator pitch” of your product, the protester know how to do this – they scream their USP’s in your ear!

The fact is, if you are going to be different, unique, and stick out, you are going to bother somebody out there – well, as they say, even bad publicity is better then none! People will be offended by your marketing techniques – they may even call you a spammer, or worse… even though all you are doing is making sure everyone sees what you have to offer! Too bad, they don’t have to buy it, but you must sell it if you are going to survive.

You have to give good value, and be willing to give bonuses and free stuff – not junk either but really good stuff. That is how you attract anything from flies to customers – by having really good stuff to give away. When customers see the value of your free stuff, they will really value what they buy from you – provided your products and services are excellent as well. Most well run protests give away at least some T-shirts and bumper stickers.

Finally, in light of the last point, you need to make it your business to be the expert – continually improving. You need to position yourself as the expert even if you are not… There will always be someone who knows a little bit more than you, but you can always learn more and then be better than you were. Be the expert, and make sure your customers know you are.

I will be writing more on this topic as I address each of the seven points specifically in future articles, so start thinking of ways you can “bootstrap” yourself into that vast landscape of the Internet, or wherever you do business.

- David T. McKee

P.S. If you want to start being the expert in Internet business right now, may I suggest buying a compilation of Internet Business, Marketing, and Copywriting books, articles and reports written by some of the most well known internet businessmen such as Yanik Silver, Michel Fortin, Dan Lok, Joe Vitale, and many others. This is a collection of over 250 books, reports and articles: Marketing Magic Collection 1 For only Seven Bucks ($7.00).

Note: This is copy-righted content, Copyright  2008, David T. McKee