There are principles of marketing, and there are marketing strategies.

The principles of marketing have never changed. However, marketing strategies change all the time to reflect the marketing medium in which they're being used... and the products and services the marketers are selling.

One core marketing principle is to arouse curiosity within the target market by using a benefit laden "Preview" (or teaser) technique.

There is a LOT one can learn about marketing on the Internet - and the use of this curiosity/ teaser technique - by watching TV.

How does one do this? Watch TV sports shows.

These TV sports shows clearly demonstrate this time perfected, well established (preview/ teaser) technique which has been used in marketing for decades. Other versions of this technique were/ are used in radio

The technique is also used regularly by TV news programs, soap operas, and (in a different way) with newsprint.

This technique is called the PREview (or teaser) 'technique'.

Take a sports show for example. Before the show the station will run clips which "preview" what's coming up in the sports show.

When the sports show starts the hosts will "preview" what's going to happen during the show. This technique is used again during the show (usually before the commercials) to preview what is coming up after the commercial (to keep the viewer watching the program).

The preview/ teaser technique will be used again at the end of the show to tell the viewer what's going to happen in the next show. This time it's used to get them to come back to the next show, or it's used as an end-of-program preview to direct the viewer to another (theme related) TV show on the same network.

So, how can you use this preview/ teaser technique with your own Internet marketing campaigns?

The primary way to use this technique is by using articles.

These can be articles you use in your own ezine, blog or articles which you write and then submit to article directories (for exposure across the net).

Here's how you structure your article using this tried and tested preview/ teaser technique.

Preview 1: Your article headline needs to be intriguing and contain a benefit for the reader (so they'll open the article and read it).

Preview 2: Tell your readers (up front) what you're going to tell them. Again, this 'preview' needs to be benefit laden, so people read the entire article.

Preview 3: Within the body of your article (if you're using it in an ezine and running sponsored ads) refer to the benefit which is coming up (after the ad). Again you want to keep your reader 'on the page'.

Preview 4: This can be your sig (resource) file. Again, refer to an 'additional' benefit (for the reader) when they click on the link in your resource file. People have read your article and you want to keep them within your 'sphere of influence' as long as possible.

The interesting thing about this "preview" technique is that the same technique works exceptionally well when one is lecturing on a topic.

In this case a 3 step format is used, being...

1. Tell them what you're going to tell them (in your lecture),

2. Tell them (about the topic),

3, Tell them what you've just told them (in your lecture).

Perhaps this "preview" technique is not so much an invention of marketing but more so an aspect of Human neurology (because the attention span of an average individual is about 20 minutes). Whatever the reason, this "preview" technique works!