Online marketing provides a world of opportunities that should be utilised and implemented effectively. Moreover, given the fact that there are numerous online marketing methods it is important to remember the importance of relevance. Online marketers should perform a considerable amount of research into the best ways of reaching their customers online.
It is clear that online marketing is becoming very important and perhaps takes a central role in many marketing plans. However some traditional techniques are still useful and should be utilised when it is appropriate to do so. The second half of this article will look at some of the conflicting forms of marketing and evaluate their relevance in today’s society.
Leafleting versus Email marketing
Leafleting used to be a very powerful form of marketing and still holds some significance for a handful of businesses. However, it is a very time consuming process that can have a fairly low success rate.
Email marketing on the other hand has the potential to reach a large audience in a very short amount of time. It can also be highly targeted and people can opt in to receive information as well as choosing to opt out if they feel they are being provided with useless information or spam.
There is a wide variety of email marketing software available and many programmes can do very sophisticated things. Mass emails can be sent out at the optimum time of day and campaigns can be analysed in great detail, providing valuable information for future campaigns.
Television advertising versus online video
Television marketing is usually viewed as a fairly successful and engaging form of advertising. Marketers and advertising executives can place their adverts in slots with large audiences who are watching a programme that is specifically related to their product. However, television advertising can be extremely expensive.
Online video is growing at a very fast rate as audiences are embracing social media, online TV programmes and user generated content sites such as Youtube. Some marketers have tried to achieve viral success online by creating entertaining videos that people forward and circulate online. Once a video starts to go viral it has the potential to create brand awareness on an international scale. However, this technique must be approached with caution because it is very hard to find the right formula and there are no guarantees that a video will go viral. It is also hard to determine what the boundaries are in terms of content and some companies end up damaging their reputation.
Having a home page video on a website can be a great marketing technique if used appropriates and produced to a high level. The problem with the internet is that people move on quickly if you do not catch their attention. However, online video can be a good way of keep people interested in a site and converting initial interest into a sale.