Share this
Mister Wong
Digg
Del.icio.us
Slashdot
Furl
Yahoo
Technorati
Newsvine
Googlize this
Blinklist
Facebook
Wikio
Hear this text
Print
E-mail
Tags
The Web is burning a hole in my pocket
Internet marketing and advertising is an interesting and entertaining space to work in. But you know that already; it’s filled with acronyms and reports and people that are passionate about well, money (were you really expecting something else?). However, it works well for a few and not for most because of little thinking, indiscriminate placement and lack of a defined strategy and deliverables, writes Francois Vorster.
How different is it to other media forms such as print, outdoor, radio, TV and activation? And how effective is it in terms of CPC (cost per client ) and CPL (cost per lead). Further – what does it add to my brand equity and how does it create demand? Does it provide top of mind awareness to my target market? Will it help my target market choose my product over competitors’ and help me achieve my sales, business and marketing objectives?
Lots of questions to which there is only one simple answer. Maybe. . . You didn’t think it would be that easy.
Strangely enough, any company or organization can make the Internet work effectively and accurately for them. They just need to approach the Internet correctly. It may be perfect for you as a PR platform, a customer service channel, a sales or lead generation tool or as a simple medium just like the old traditional ones. I have spent millions of Rands, Dollars, Euros and Pounds on online advertising for clients and companies that employed me and have learnt loads of things:
* First lesson – Have a proper strategy in place, not a media plan and target market overlap schedule with a clever message, but a strategy that links your business to the web.
* Lesson two – Go clever and go cheap; let the big wasteful spenders buy all the general inventory and let them get ignored.
* Lesson three – It’s about one thing and one thing only: what is that one thing for your organization? What is your single-minded message and the action you want a person to take after having been exposed to your communication?
* Lesson four – Why does your target market go online? Establish this and use it for ideas, channels and hooks.
* Lesson five – feedback, not click rate reports and impression served reports, proper qualitative feedback. What is working, or not and why.
These are five simple lessons I have learnt over the last 10 years, but still they don’t answer the first questions.
Online advertising works well for a few and not for most because of little thinking, indiscriminate placement and lack of a defined strategy and deliverables.
To make your online advertising work, talk to an independent expert (talk is still free in most places) and map out a strategy that matches your business, your customers and the Web together. Alternatively, read some books or read the millions of lessons and case studies online.
Fortunately there are loads of real and self proclaimed experts out there whose brains you can pick. You can start with one: me. Email me on
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call me on my cell 082 978 0837 and pick my brain for free.
And who said there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Well, stay cool, stay focused and always be nice to the unconnected.
