Internet marketing has come down to one simple concept: Do whatever you can do to make them look!

Hey! This used to be my playground. Being one of the few internet marketers working in the 1990s, I learned to compete for your attention the easy way. Those of us who got in early loved the ease with which we got results from our brainy ideas.

Pay - per - click (PPC) ads were almost foolproof in the beginning. I paid fi ve cents a click and owned most of the keywords in my category. Then came the pleasure seekers. They, too, wanted to fi nd gold in them thar hills, and with the competition for attention and space, we had to start playing by different rules.

It is not enough to be selling online. You ’ ve got to make ’em look. And you have to be memorable.

Are You Memorable?

Does your marketing make you unique, interesting, personal, or addictive? Does anything you do have the instant punch? And does it say, “ Hey, look at me! ”?

I am amazed at how many Web marketers miss the mark. Web sites that have no name, no brand, no picture, and no personality, have no sticking power.

What do you want people to remember?

I don ’ t care who you are or what you are selling, you are going to have to stand out and be memorable. It is still true that all publicity is good publicity, and that it doesn ’ t matter what they say about you, as long as they spell your name right.

Well, most of the time that holds true — and when the publicity is not so good, it is up to you to creatively make it into something wonderful. Internet squabbles are great ways to make you famous. So don ’ t be afraid to make waves. Have an opinion. Get as far away from that middle ground as possible.

As I see it, you have two choices. The fi rst is to sell the same thing everyone else does, in the same way, with the same approach. Don ’ t have an opinion, never offend anyone, take no chances, go only with what is safe, and above all be sure to take the advice of others who will keep you safe.

Or. . . Create your own niche, fi nd your own unique angle, and go nuts with your marketing. Have an opinion. Challenge others. Say things that show your strong opinions. Send out profuse apologies when you screw up. Make people think, make them respond, make them laugh, make them tell their friends.

You might remember that guy on TV with the coat with all those question marks on it — the guy who talked about grants. He has not been on TV for a while, but I still have a picture of him in my mind. He is memorable.

Why? He’ s a little nuts, different, and screams a lot. The information he offers is pretty much what anyone can get for free. There are certainly more professional sites (like Www. GrantMeRich. com , For example). But he’ s memorable because he’ s brave, unique, and willing to be nutty.

What will people remember about you? What will make them tell their friends about you? How will you stand out and become addictive?

This is the part that gets a little challenging. If you are a person who loves to play it safe, doesn ’ t make waves, plays by the rules,

Only does what all the other sheep do, and would never ever break a rule. . . go get a job. The Internet is not for you. Here are some ways to make an impact:

☛ Ask a question that begs an answer.

☛ Get a picture that oozes personality.

☛ Challenge your viewers.

☛ Create a controversy.

☛ Break the rules.

Stop using silly handles when you log into chat rooms, forums, or other interactive Internet places. Use your full name. If you want people to remember you, don ’ t miss an opportunity to put your Real name In front of them.

Be generous. Give your readers something they didn ’t expect. Go above and beyond what they expect, and know that your generosity will create more goodwill and loyalty than just about anything else you might do. The worst that will happen when you take a marketing risk is that people will remember you for the silly marketing thing you did.

Being a hypnotist, I like the idea of going overboard with the hypnosis angle. I let people know that when I snap my fi ngers they will be in my power. When I snap, they listen.

I let my followers know that I am willing to hypnotize them against their will and use them as part of my plot to take over the world. On my weekly radio show, I tell my listeners that I will do my best to get them dancing naked on the tables, going to the bank and withdrawing all their money, and making my every wish their instant command.

So here it is, my SNAP Formula to remember when you are deciding on a marketing approach or a new campaign, or even when you are making a new web page:

S Is for Splash. Make a big splash. Shock Them, Surprise Them, tell them a Secret About you.

N Is for Niche. Create a niche that doesn ’ t exist. Nag Your readers until they realize they can ’ t live without you. Toss in a little Nookie ! Be fl irty and playful and sexy in your approach.

A Is for Addicting Your readers. Create a personality that becomes an addiction and keeps ’ em coming back for more. Ask Them questions that make them think. Give them more than they expected. Make them interact with you so they have to pay Attention To you for the Answers.

P Is for Personality. You have to fi nd your own unique self. The Internet doesn ’ t need another boring web site or e - mail. Punch It up! Find out what makes you Powerful. Please Your reader and visitors with your unusual style and charm and be as weird as you can be.

And what have I done to make my business SNAP? I love to make videos. My staff dressed me in a straightjacket and I escaped. I told dirty jokes to the camera.

I ate a lemon. And much more. I trust you will be enjoying it soon at Http://wendi. blip. tv .

And now I will let you in on my most brilliant marketing moment in the history of everything. I asked my customers to record a testimonial on their phone that is about one of my products. The best one, most creative and unique, would get $500. The next week, my customers were all asked to listen to, and vote for, the best and most creative one. Brilliant, I know.

Find a nutty idea, go for it, and in everything you do, make ‘em look!

Wendi Friesen, CHT, operates the number one hypnosis web site on the Internet, Www. Wendi. com , rated by Alexa. com. She is a popular speaker for corporations, Sales teams, medical professionals, and athletes. Wendi hosts her own radio show, Www. WendiRadio. com , and has appeared in numerous television programs and Publications.