As we’ve discussed before, marketing online is a tricky endeavor. It’s extremely difficult to gage the perceptivity and desires of your potential customer base when first starting out. How do you know what truly interests them? Or what’s attractive to them? Where exactly is the best place to start?

All are great questions, and in complete honesty, the only way to truly know is to dive in and try. Sure, you can conduct market research, but the catch is – the market is always changing, and peoples’ preferences are in constant fluctuation. Something that is popular now, won’t be six months from now. So, it’s near impossible to develop a fool-proof plan when first entering the realm of online marketing.

So what can you, the first time online entrepreneur, do to ensure some sort of initial Internet success? The answer is very simple; follow the Rule of Reciprocation.

The Rule of Reciprocation

The fundamentals behind the Rule of Reciprocation are straight-forward and easy to follow. In a nutshell, the rule represents the ideal of giving. By giving you in turn receive. And in this model, by giving a piece of yourself and your business, you in turn receive support and build popularity. In a sense, you are creating a scale of market equilibrium and symbiosis, which requires both sides to provide valued assets. You contribute a part of your character and a piece of your business, and customers give their encouragement as well as their money.

So now the questions becomes – what exactly can you and should you give? Well, the options are boundless because it truly depends on what your business is all about. In the end, what you give will be completely unique, just like the company you built. But there are always a few good places to start.

Most importantly, you can give your knowledge, which is the one thing you can be certain people want. After all, that’s why you created your business; to provide a service you understand through and through to the masses. By being literate and competent in your product you attract curious clients, and by sharing what you know you reel them in and keep them interested. So share your knowledge, and use any and all avenues possible to get customers amped on your business.

In other words, get imaginative and don’t be stingy. If you wrote a book, give it out. Develop unique videos and audio’s and share them with all interested parties. Create pod casts and blast them all over the web. Do everything and anything to stir attention and garner support, but be sure to include a personalized touch. Remember, you want to stand out, not just your product or service. You are the key item that makes your business different than the hundreds of competitors out there providing the same amenity. So make yourself known to the public. Set up an open attendance webinar to introduce your business and get people excited for your product or service. The only way to become a known fixture is to put yourself out there – put yourself on the Web and in time you will hook a substantial customer base.

Never Procrastinate

And now that you know what to do, it’s time to get to it. Don’t waste precious moments over analyzing the if’s, and’s and but’s; jump right in. The time is now. Take the first step, whatever it may be, to get your business personalized and running. Whether it’s a baby step or a huge leap into the seemingly unknown, just do it. Set up your first webinar, write the first paragraph to your book, create your first podcast, and get the ball rolling. The time is now. And remember—the more you give, the more you get.

So you see; reciprocity is a beautiful thing and a fundamental beginning to any marketing venture. When you give something to the people, people will eventually give you something you desire, whether it’s their knowledge, a business relationship or a purchasing partnership. In the end it all balances out, and you’ll find yourself at the start of a flourishing online business presence. Get out there and enjoy

Daven Michaels is an award-winning outsourcer and author of the book, ‘Outsource This!’ Daven has been honored more than any other individual or outsourcing organization. You can get more information on outsourcing by visiting www.123Employee.com