Internet Marketing

Source: http://interactiveonline.com/blog/marketing-yourself-online

Brochure of the Future

heres a quick look at the future of interacting marketing using brochures!!!

Quick Insight IntoTypes of Online Interactive Marketing

Heres a small clip of different types of online interactive marketing....

Evolution or Brand Spankin' New...???

Online interactive marketing is it new, or is it the evolution of change in society?
The way interactive online marketing works carries the same schematics of marketing of the past, only difference is how it is presented....ONLINE!!!

It’s fair to say that the tactics of online marketing are new, but when push comes to shove we (as advertisers) use the internet, email, promotional spotlights, spam, and advertising mainframes on every webpage possible to attract and retain customers attention and pocketbook, the same way the Radio did in the 20s, 30s & 40s; or the TV through the 70’s, 80’s & 90s.

The main purpose of Online Interactive Marketing is the same of any other marketing scheme....ATTRACT AND INFLUENCE THE CUSTOMER....how we do that online is with personality, intelligent catchy adverts and empathy to attract the consumer.

So is online interactive marketing really any different from regular old television marketing ... or has the way marketing presented itself just evolved with the most popular way to attract a customer???

Wondering about the cost?

An interactive marketing campaign can either be designed by your company or by and external company who will do all of the work for you! These external companies each charge their own fees for creating these campaigns.
Despite the difficulty of finding specific costs, the following chart has been provided to demonstrate past, current, and estimated future spending in the US on interactive marketing.

















The creators of this chart found the following information based on the previous chart:
- Interactive Marketing Will Top $61 Billion By 2012
- Search Marketing Will Triple In Five Years
- Display Advertising Steps Into The Light
- Email Marketing Spend Shifts To Services And Integration
- Online Video Ads Perpetuate A Virtuous Cycle Of Growth
- Social Media Will Drive Emerging Channels To $10.6 Billion By 2012
WHAT IT MEANS: All Marketing Will Become Interactive by Then!!!!
(Source: http://blog.nugg.ad/de/2008/04/28/update-market-news-viii/)

Now isn't that neat!!

It's a cycle!

Source: www.pos-results.com/

Are there comparable marketing tools?

So some of you may be wondering if there are comparable marketing tools.
Interactive marketing is a very unique marketing tool used in order for marketer and consumers to communicate back and forth. It is a great way for consumers to spend less time searching for products and spending more time buying!
It is difficult to identify any other marketing tool that does such a fantastic job at creating relationships with consumers. The internet makes it a great deal easier for marketers to build these relationships.
A similar but less effective way is surveys. This allows consumers to give marketers feedback on the service they receive and the types of products that they prefer. Another similar tool is consumers requesting emails and updates from the marketer.
I personally still find interactive marketing to be the best way for marketers to meet consumers needs. But my question to you is: is it ethical for companies to trace our online behaviours so closely?
What do you think?!

Does your company need help with internet marketing? - You're in luck!

6S Marketing Inc. is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. This company has experienced much success in the Internet marketing field.

By reading the company information, it is fully apparent that Internet marketing can lead to the increasing success of a business if done right! 6S Marketing is one of the many companies that can aid your business in the field of Internet marketing.

http://www.6smarketing.com/

Is It Completely Unique?

I think it can be widely agreed upon that there is nothing like the Internet.

There are, however, some similar ways for companies to market themselves as well as the products and/or services that they provide.

Other ways in which a company can market themselves include:

- television advertisements
- magazine, newspaper advertisements
- billboards
- fliers
- brochures
- phone calls, i.e. surveys, follow-up phone calls
- radio
- mail
- surveys distributed through the mail
- celebrity endorsements

Many of these alternative ways in which to market a company have the possibility to reach a huge audience, but the internet has the ability to reach the widest audience. It also allows an interactive component between the business and the consumer to exist. This is truly unique.

How Has Internet Marketing Developed?

Marketing on the Internet is still relatively new; once the Internet was created and people started to use it companies began to utilize it in order to provide information to their customers. The first websites that were created by companies were text websites that did not include any pictures or graphics! The company’s phone number was given on the site and customers could contact the company if they were interested in making a purchase.

The Internet has come a very long way since then! It became a global phenomenon and companies realized they could reach a global audience. Websites started to become increasingly complex. Technology increased and customers were able to start buying products from websites.

A couple of “newer” ways to advertise on the Internet:

Pay Per Click Advertisements are used to benefit both the website publisher as well as the company selling the product.

Affiliate Programs allows a publisher of a website to advertise a company’s product on their website. If a customer purchases this product, the owner of the website receives a percentage of the sale!

Internet Marketing has had an extensive development process. Now companies are able to interact directly with their target market in hopes of meeting their needs in a better, more efficient, and more cost effective way. Through e-mailing, help sites, blogging, etc. companies are able to collect important data that can further its success. Companies are also able to market themselves more effectively through e-mailing, pay per click advertisements, buying a “spot” on google search, ad-banners, websites, etc.

B2B Interactive Marketing

As consumers, any time we spend focused on advertising usually consists of products that are being marketed to us - the Business to Consumer market. There is also, however, a much greater market for selling at the wholesale level - the Business to Business market. The costs of losing a customer from a B2B perspective can potentially mean a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales, depending on the size of the company. To prevent this, creating a similar interactive approach to marketing as B2C marketers have developed can be very beneficial.

From the link below, an article is available outlining the importance and the benefits of taking marketing to an interactive level within the B2B market:

http://www.pixelbridge.com/articles/index.php?p=138

Interested in a new career?

Does this blog leave you wondering how you could build a career with interactive marketing!?
Well you are in luck! Some companies designate positions to Interactive Marketing.
cnib has a position posted online as follows:

JOB TITLE: Associate, Interactive Marketing

TERM: Full-time

SUMMARY:
The Interactive Marketing Associate is primarily responsible for developing interactive online marketing campaigns, thereby leveraging the web and other digital technologies to maximize constituent participation and support the company’s business goals.

The Interactive Marketing Specialist will liaise with both external agencies and internal stakeholders to execute web-related initiatives. Our ideal candidate understands the online conversion funnel, Web 2.0 community, newly emerging technologies, has a deep knowledge of the interactive landscape, and a passion for web analytics.

Responsibilities include planning, implementing and advancing CNIB’s online integrated marketing strategies to deliver our brand promise and support marketing objectives. You will make an immediate impact by improving the online user experience and generate increasing web traffic, online donations, and online sales orders.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Liaise with the team of internal stakeholders in defining and maintaining the integrated marketing calendar and schedule to ensure that all campaigns, and programs are being implemented and executed according to strategy.
• Lead the strategy, concept development and execution of integrated email marketing campaigns and programs in collaboration with external agencies and in-house cross-functional representatives.
• Manage Google AdWord campaigns, including testing and optimization of keyword bids and conversion points. Conduct competitive research and make recommendations on keyword selection. Maintain a database of keywords, categories, and campaigns.
• Work with the Web Team to make recommendations and manage the testing of website changes and enhancements in order to tailor the online brand experience based on segmentation and behaviour. Drive the web content optimization strategy to create landing pages for optimal visitor conversion.
• Manage tracking, testing, data analysis and reporting of campaign strategies and programs and measures the effectiveness of all integrated marketing mediums utilized, benchmarking success and adjusting strategy and tactical implementation as needed on an ongoing basis.
• Report significant findings and key business metrics, including costs, results, and response for campaigns and data sources on a monthly, quarterly, and fiscal basis. Recommend appropriate analyses to create deeper constituent insights.
• Assist with email list growth and cleansing strategies on an ongoing basis.
• Establish self as a functional expert with a solid understanding of best practices, quality objectives, and project needs for online campaigns. Remain current on email industry trends and concepts, registration and privacy practices and standards and competition

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:

• Bachelor-level degree or relevant diploma in New Media, Marketing, Advertising, Web Design, e-Communications or related field
• 3+ years of web marketing with a solid track record of success in online campaign management, online media and SEO campaigns, social networking and link building
• Some knowledge of HTML and design concepts. Flash/CSS/ASP.NET development experience is an asset
• Experience with common web analytics tools (e.g. Webtrends, Google Analytics)
• Experience writing creative briefs and working with interactive agencies
• Experience with eCRM ASPs such as Convio or Kintera is a definite asset
• Experience with accessibility practices, including W3C standards, is an asset
• Experience with MS Sharepoint CRM is an asset
• Proven online marketing experience. Portfolio with samples of interactive email campaigns should be provided.
• Segmentation and measurement knowledge
• Ability to conduct in-depth data analysis
• Excellent verbal communications skills
• Proven ability to advocate and negotiate (internal & external)
• Strong written communications skills, including copy writing
• Team building skills
• Creative problem-solving skills
• Fundraising knowledge is an asset

SALARY RANGE: Commensurate with experience

http://www.onedegree.ca/2008/08/associate-inter.html


So if you find interactive marketing fun and interesting its possible to translate that fun into a new career!!

Marketing Mix of Online Interactive Marketing: Place

Product placement in a virtual environment requires interactive marketers to carefully observe the click through patterns of purchasers in specific demographics. Pin pointing the more popular 'places' products are being found provides marketers with an indication of where capitalizing their promotional efforts will have the best payoff.

It is the goal of marketers to minimize their costs for maximum market share. Using an interactive marketing approach to the placement of products online reduces the risk of useless, while costly, advertising.

Marketing Mix of Online Interactive Marketing: Product

A product can be defined as the final good that is sold to consumers. Products that were once only ever purchased from a store can now be bought with a few clicks of a mouse.

Monitoring online purchasing trends provides marketers with an idea of the types of products being purchased by different individuals. As explained in the B2B marketing section, once online customers can be identified, or reached, marketing to them becomes much easier. And with possibilities for purchasing almost any product or service online comes the opportunity for marketing to work interactively with consumers based on their spending habits. No matter what product a marketer is trying to advertise, targeting the individuals most likely to purchase it is simplified when past online purchases are being tracked.

Marketing Mix of Online Interactive Marketing: Promotion

Promotion is a means of communication between the seller and buyer. In traditional marketing, promotion has four elements, advertising, public relations, word of month, and point of sale. For online interactive marketing, promotion includes banner promotions, web public relations (WPR), E-leaflets, and having a domain name. First, placing banner advertisements on WebPages in one of the most common form of promotion online. Banner ads have the most effectiveness when they are placed on where the potential consumers to browse. Second, web public relations (WPR) is the approach of prompting product or service by placing articles or news worthy stories on WebPages or review sites for consumers to read. Third, E-leaflet is the least effective promotion. It is the way of promoting product or service via Emails, but most consumers will think these emails are junk emails and only a very small percentage of consumers may reply. Fourth, having a domain name is the most important stage of promoting product online. The most popular websites around the world, such as google.com, yahoo.com and ebay.com, have the recognizable domain names. 

Marketing Mix of Online Interactive Marketing: Price

Price of a product or service is a number, a formula, or an agreement about how much is will cost. For online interactive marketing, pricings is also the most digital of marketing actions. Traditional pricing was about finding original costs and how much consumers are willing to pay, taking account competition pricing then setting the selling price. Pricing on the Internet is very competitive. Many costs, such as salespersons’ salaries and store management costs have disappeared for complete online marketing, placing price pressures on traditional retailers. Moreover, the Internet gives consumers more opportunities to get the best deal. Website such as eBay, Amazing and Kelkoo offer consumers the details of product, and also they helps consumers to dictate price. Consumers can compare the similar product online. Also, payments, such as paypals and credit cards, are very convenience. 

Marketing gone Mobile

There are countless ways of attempting to attract new customers; the real challenge is to create an interaction between business and consumer that helps to develop a loyal relationship. Finding individuals who are interested in being updated on things like upcoming sales, new items, and so on, not only provides this opportunity, it also opens the door to individualizing a company's marketing. When businesses have an adequate amount of information to reach their consumer, combined with knowledge of past purchases, marketing on a more customized level becomes a much easier process.

Marketing to these individuals has become possible through mobile text advertising. Companies such as Remax are already taking advantage of this, forwarding their clients new listings on the real estate market that meet the criteria for their specified house search.

Here is a little clip to show just how it's working:

Breaking News on Internet Marketing!!!

Google has teamed up with media corporation WPP in creating a grant program to help support research on how online media advertising influences consumer behaviour, attitudes, and decision making.

WPP and Google will contribute up to $4.6 million over three years to recipients of the Google and WPP Marketing Research Awards Program.

This research hopes to contribute to more effective and more measureable advertising performance and also hope to benefit from the application of some of the world’s finest research programs into how media influence consumer decisions. In addition to funding already provided, WPP will also make accessible Brandz- which is the annual study of brand perceptions by consumers.

More information about grants and other aspects of this program can be found at http://research.google.com/university/marketingresearchawards/. So go check it out!!