 | | | |  | May 2, 2005 | | By: Louise Rijk - Bio - Blog |
|
| | | | |
| | | | | Getting More Bang For Your Marketing Buck | |
Integrating Online and Offline Marketing Efforts - Part 1
 Your business may change and technology may change the way you do business, but the one thing that will never change is this - marketing is critical to the success of your business. Regardless of whether or not you have an online business or a brick-and-mortar business, you need to be aware that pigeonholing your business exclusively as online or offline and using one type of marketing medium can cost you in the long run.
Online businesses can benefit from traditional "offline" marketing such as direct mail, Yellow Pages ads, display ads, etc. just as brick-and-mortar businesses can use the Internet to promote themselves and get more business. Using both online and offline marketing together can help you maximize a small marketing budget and result in an even better return on investment.
Traditional marketing has worked so far
Online marketing has garnered quite a bit of attention over the past few years, with success story after success story praising this inexpensive and cost-effective method for growing a business. Despite these results, traditional marketing still reigns supreme. In fact, with a total spend of 100 billion in 2004, traditional offline direct marketing is still the predominant method of advertising for small- to medium-size businesses.
Low-tech marketing such as Yellow Page ads, display ads in local papers, direct mail, networking, and tradeshows still get results for businesses. This could be the reason behind the fact that many companies are only allocating 2-4% of their advertising budget to online advertising.
Shifting from offline to online
This trend is changing, however. In its April 27th issue, The Economist predicted that Google and Yahoo's combined advertising revenues would eventually surpass those of ABC, CBS, and NBC combined. That's quite the endorsement for online marketing! It's well-earned too - research has indicated that consumers are increasingly using search engines to research products and services online, which they later buy offline.
The online influence
Many consumers buy products offline because they want to see a product, feel it, etc., but they want to log on to do their homework before going to the store to make a purchase. In the last 12 months, 65% of online consumers have researched a product online and purchased that product offline. That amounts to consumers spending over $93 billion online and over $137 billion offline on Internet-influenced purchases.
Is an integrated marketing approach right for your business?
If you're like most small- to medium-size business owners, you most likely have a modest marketing budget. With no money to waste, your main goal is to get the most bang for your marketing buck. If increasing your ROI appeals to you, then consider an integrated marketing strategy.
According to a June 2002 Jim Nail Forrester Report, online advertising can boost brand impact at 60% less cost than piling on more offline ads under the right conditions. While we're not advocating abandoning your traditional, offline efforts entirely, we do recommend adding online marketing to your current campaigns. Media combinations create synergy. And there is strength in numbers - using multiple media together has greater impact than an individual medium on its own.
The benefits of an integrated online/offline marketing campaign
If the statistics above don't raise your interest, consider these benefits:- Momentum increases ROI - Consumers gather bits of data about products and services from different sources to construct the whole picture. Each impression builds on the other by reaching the consumer in a different way, at a different time in the buying cycle. If the message and branding are consistent across various online and offline advertising media, the repetition will capture and retain the consumer's attention, increasing your chances of getting the sale.
- Relationship-building leads to repeat business and referrals - Integrating mediums increases the number of "touch-points" with the customer, resulting in a stronger relationship. Offline customers can be sent email fulfillment or invitations to online events, such as Web casts. Contacts gathered online can be invited to an Open House, seminar, or special event or reception at trade shows or conferences.
- Better tracking ensures wise allocation of marketing dollars - The nature of Internet Marketing offers the unique opportunity to measure the ROI of every dollar spent on your Internet Marketing campaigns. Better tracking of the overall campaign performance and individual online and offline campaigns contributions will eliminate waste.
Preparing to go offline
While there's no doubt as to the effectiveness of integrating offline and online marketing efforts, some business owners continue to avoid online marketing because of fear of the unknown. Online marketing can prove to be challenging for the business owner that has been primarily involved in traditional direct marketing to increase sales. In Part 2 of this article, we'll discuss what you need to know before integrating offline and online marketing and how to put together an integrated campaign that will position you for success.
| | | | |  | | If you would like more information about Search Engine Marketing & Email Marketing, please fill out the form below: |  |
| |
|
 |
|
| | Copyright © 1999-2005. Advanced Media Productions, Inc.
Advanced Media Productions, Inc.
251 West Central St., Natick, MA 01760, USA
Tel: 508-647-5151 Fax: 508-647-5150
E-mail: info@advmediaproductions.com | | | | |
|
|