There are many fallacies about internet marketing around and they veer from the sublime to the ridiculous. On the one hand there is the hype that aims to attract anyone that is fairly new online. The get rich quick headlines boom out to all novices in an attempt to get you to buy the product, join the membership...come on roll up, roll up...see the show.

The other extreme is if you actually tell people you have an interest in internet marketing and they automatically assume that you spend your life spamming all the other poor internet users out there. The truth is far from both of these extremes. Internet marketing can be a great way to gain an extra income or even to make your living online. However, no get-rich-quick methods will feature if you actually want to make a success of marketing long-term. Internet marketing, like anything else, does take work, it does take commitment and it does entail a learning curve as you absorb new skills.

The best way to approach internet marketing initially, is as you would a new job. First, look around and view the environment you are working in, i.e. what is working successfully on the internet and what is not? What are people drawn to, what do they enjoy and more importantly where are they willing to part with their hard earned cash? Look at how the internet giants such as Amazon and E-bay do it, and where do they succeed and fail.

Second, have a look at your colleagues. Join forums, network with peers and discuss with people in a similar situation to yours what has helped them in their journey, and what has hindered them. As in any job, have a laugh and socialize, but also remember that at the end of the day you are there to get a job done, and to get it done well. People will value professionalism and an ability to follow through on your promises in any environment, but particularly so when you don't have the advantage of meeting face to face.

Third, as with any new job you are going to need to increase your level of skill. Now, this does not mean that you are suddenly going to have to become a computer programmer, but you may at the very least have to gain a better understanding of the jargon of the internet. For the more advanced techniques, as you would do in any job, you can delegate to people who have different areas of expertise. As you gain income this may mean outsourcing some areas to others, but even initially when money is tight, it can mean asking for help on sites and forums where people are more proficient than you in particular areas and you can then return the favor with a skill of your own.

Overall, to succeed online you need to formulate a plan, test to see what is successful and then rinse and repeat. You won't be buying a mansion this time next Tuesday, but what you will be doing is starting to build a residual income that will grow and expand into the future. There are a lot of people around who have made serious amounts of money on the internet. There are millionaires, there are people who are seriously rich and there are people who have paid off all their debts, or who have been able to shake off the shackles of the 9 to 5 and work from home. All of these people are equally happy with what internet marketing has had to offer them. Would you like to be amongst them?