Sometimes in the world of social media, it's easy to get caught up in the idea that a greater following equals greater success for your business. So many people focus on "getting the numbers up" - increasing Twitter follower numbers, Facebook fans, YouTube channel subscribers, and so forth. However, there may be a sobering wake-up call if you manage to get your following to snowball somewhat, but aren't managing to convert those followers into customers. As so many social media marketers can tell you, just getting the following isn't enough - those numbers don't mean anything unless you can also engage with your audience in an effective way.
With all the talk of Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and other social media, it's easy to start feeling like perhaps older protocols like email are on the way out in terms of marketing power. While it's certainly true that methods of online communication have changed and evolved dramatically over the past few years, it's important to remember that email has some benefits that other marketing methods don't have, and as such shouldn't be ignored as an essential component of your online marketing strategy.
In a report released this week, global consumer insight giant Experian Marketing Services revealed statistics on how consumers in various markets spend their online time. The report shows that in 2012, the average American spent more than a quarter of every online hour on social networking sites. By contrast, only five minutes was spent shopping, and nine minutes was spent on entertainment sites.
Ten years ago, internet marketing was much simpler than it is now. You had a website to promote your business, and that's exactly what it did. It was basically an online brochure that told your potential customers what you would provide for them, and gave them all the contact details to reach if if they wanted to do business with you.
One of the most effective methods that you can use to build your list is article marketing. It provides your business with the perfect online platform and can help you reach your target audience in a way that lets you share your knowledge and position 
you as an expert in your market at the same time. When utilized properly article marketing is an incredibly effective strategy that anyone can use to grow their list
