What do corporate professionals need to know when they leave their jobs and start an internet marketing business? They want to know how to start a business and how to attract prospects to them.

Many are already marketing their business. But if prospects are getting to your blog or website and quickly disappearing, there must be a reason.

So here is the first question you need to ask yourself. “What group of people are you marketing to? Have you made a target market selection?”

If you are marketing skin care products, you can’t target eveyone who has skin.

I broke the news to her that by following that approach, she would probably never have much success. She needed to significantly reduce the size of the market she was targeting. Why not go after a large market (all people with skin)? After all, there are many people in the market. Surely, you could find many who are interested in what you have to offer.

A huge market, all people who have skin, is extremely competitive. Even if a person finds your website, why would the prospect ever consider buying from you? Your website looks like all the millions of other websites.

Here is a second major point. If you are addressing a large market, how do you know what they are looking for?

Your company may offer the greatest skin products ever invented. But if the your products don’t match your market’s needs, you won’t get a sale.

Some may have an interest. But why in the world should they buy from you? Your ad is just like thousands of ads out there.

You must meet the needs of your prospect. You must understand their questions and give them the answers they are seeking.

For example, there are many target or niche markets that fall under the overall skin care product umbrella. Listed below are 3 smaller markets. For best results, these should be broken down into much smaller markets.

1. This group has not experienced success with skin care products they have purchased in the past. 2. This group needs answers to their specific skin condition concerns. 3. Baby boomers are seeking answers to questions about their aging skin. They want products that are scientifically proven to work for them.

Making a narrow target market selection is critical to your internet marketing success. You must then address your market in an educational manner. You do not promote your products or opportunity. So how does this affect your marketing strategy?

First of all, you will find far less competition in a fairly narrow niche market.

Second, you must determine exactly what your market is looking for.

What are their dreams? What are their questions? What are they searching for on the internet? What problems do that have that need to be solved? Do they lose sleep at night worrying about certain things?

Your marketing is all about addressing these questions, these problems, these wants and needs, and their dreams. How do you find out the deep-seated needs of your target market?

Go where the people in your target market hang out. Find blogs, forums, or message boards related to your niche market. Here you can find out what questions are being asked and those that are not being answered properly. Go online and search for keywords related to your niche market. Find gaps or issues that are not being properly addressed. This research takes time but is very beneficial.

Here’s a quicker way. Talk directly with a prospect in your niche market. Find out the answers to these questions.

If you know what the people in your niche market need and want, you can then provide them with educational information that shows you understand their situation.

Your blog or website and your entire marketing campaign should deal with the problems of your market. You should give them some solutions to their problems. If a woman searches for a subject on the internet and sees that you understand her situation, she will be open to what you have to say.

Most likely, you will have several target markets during your career. My suggestion is to list 5-10 potential markets. Then do your research. Don’t take shortcuts.

Make a target market selection. Keep an open mind as you research that market on the internet. You may find new trends in the marketplace that you can address. You may find the need for products that are not offered. This gives you an opportunity to address these issues.

Internet marketing has enabled Scott Hubbard to retire from his Chief Financial Officer position of 25 years in corporate America. He now assists corporate professionals and serious network marketers in developing their own “guide to retirement” plan.