6 Pillars is a methodology for evaluating, developing and implementing best practices in Internet Marketing. It is budget-agnostic, so whether you are a Fortune 500, a start-up, or an SEM (Search Engine Marketing) company, this approach is relevant to your web properties. Even Google is subject to 6 Pillars, although it may seem unfair for the king of search to be subject to a methodology which it has so much influence over. However, while Google is a clear trailblazer, 6 Pillars reminds us that there are many other factors to successful online marketing aside from solving the riddle of the Sphinx (aka, Google’s search algorithm). All is not lost if you cannot break into first page rankings on google.com for a competitive keyword phrase.

So what are the 6 Pillars of Internet Marketing?

Pillar I. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Pillar II. Online Advertising
Pillar III. Email Marketing
Pillar IV. Interactive PR
Pillar V. Affiliate Marketing
Pillar VI. Web Analytics
* Plus 1. Blog & RSS Marketing

Each Pillar contains several sub-categories, and some of them are closely related to others; for example, some forms of Affiliate Marketing can pass for Online Advertising. Things are changing so fast that a seventh Pillar was almost added recently. Blogs are taking the world and web by storm, literally transforming what a website is and can be. In our view, blogs are a more dynamic and interactive form of websites, the next phase in website evolution, a defining characteristic of what is being called Web 2.0. Whether or not Blog & RSS Marketing becomes known as an additional Pillar is not as important as is the need to respect and understand the power of blogs, and how they interact with ALL 6 Pillars.

Understand that the 6 Pillars framework or its creators do not claim ownership of the actual tactics that make up the pillars, as in “we have something new here, nobody ever thought of this.” Other experts surely classify Internet Marketing and communications tactics differently, and we do not seek to contend with other classifications. If an SEM or marketing firm does not endorse or publicly recognize 6 Pillars, it does not mean that they are not able to respect its laws or do a wonderful job by some other guiding principles. The complexity of Pillars such as Pillar I. SEO, with all of its controversial tactics, ever-evolving best practices, and self-proclaimed experts, renders it quite difficult to evaluate how compliant websites or SEM agencies are with 6 Pillars.

The goal of 6 Pillars is to provide marketers and business decision-makers with a set of tools that help them understand how effectively their companies are leveraging web properties and interactive strategies to meet business objectives.

6 Pillars is…

• an objective and holistic framework for the evaluation of all aspects of an organization’s Internet Marketing. You don’t need to be an SEM (Search Engine Marketer) to conduct the evaluation component of 6 Pillars. Implementation, now that’s a different story, but 6 Pillars will give you input on the options given your budget.

• about standards and best practices for each tactic that falls under any of the 6 Pillars. There are hundreds of tactics [the next blog entry will feature a 6 Pillars map], significant overlap between them, and new ones popping up faster than you can blink. What worked last year is stagnant and outdated today. While certain underlying principles have held true since the dawn of the web (ie - clean and organized User Interface = higher conversion rates), the speed of web evolution forces the 6 Pillars to be a dynamic and adaptive system.

• about knowing your ROI on each tactic utilized. 6 Pillars demands that marketers be skilled at projecting, tracking and reporting on campaigns in a detailed manner. 6 Pillars acknolwedges that instincts are important, but delineates that they must be accompanied by a scientific approach that yields evidence.

• a best-in-class vendor evaluation tool for each Pillar, with budgetary guidance for companies of different sizes. What works best for a VC-funded consumer products ecommerce store may not make sense for an entrepreneur starting out of his garage. 6 Pillars vets out software and service providers based on our own objective and unbiased experience, as well as that of our colleagues, as reported through anecdotes, case studies, journals and comparative research reports.

6 Pillars is not…

• a get rich quick scheme or some shortcut to success. If you want instant gratification, then certain Pillars are more conducive to that, but understand that highly efficient and easily accessible channels like Google Adwords are becoming increasingly more expensive. Like life, we have to make some choices and trade-offs, but in the end, we must find a healthy balance for our web properties. The right Pillar-balance for a local pet supplies shop is vastly different than that of an online dating service. Patience and a methodical approach is required for long-term success.

• all about Search Engine Marketing. While SEM is clearly a key aspect of 6 Pillars, it is not the be all and end all. We respect search and dedicate a good amount of time to studying all aspects of it. Nonetheless, companies are missing the boat by not diversifying their Internet Marketing efforts. Have you ever conducted an email survey of your existing clients, to see how they truly feel about your products and services? Do you integrate your customer database (CRM system) with your Web Analytics (Pillar 6) to see which strategies and referral sources generate the most loyal customers?

Blueliner welcomes our fellow web, business and marketing professionals to the discussion on 6 Pillars, to share with us how you see various marketing tactics relating to and fitting within this framework. We want to know about your challenges and experiences in implementing any of the 6 Pillars. Did you have a nightmare working with an SEO company? Have you struggled to understand which keywords are driving the best ROI for your Online Advertising campaigns? Are you pissed off about getting sold on an all-flash site which doesn’t bring in any traffic?

We will be exploring these questions and many more over the coming months. Stay tuned for a full unfolding of the 6 Pillars of Internet Marketing framework, what it means to your business and how you can use it to set realistic expectations and take a practical approach to Internet Marketing.