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Getting in line on-line
June 2008
The Chartered Institute of Marketing
The buzz words of the internet age have now slipped into common usage, and there can be few businesses that have not dipped a digital toe into some form of online marketing. The internet, particularly for organisations with international aspirations, can open up whole new markets, reaching an unprecedented number of potential customers at the click of a button. It offers an unrivalled opportunity to get up close and personal with each and every person who takes an interest in a company. It can put the small business on the same level playing field as its multi-national competitors. It can be cheap, (there is no need to spend a fortune on glossy brochures which need to be regularly re-printed), it can be quick, (company information such as price lists or contact details can be instantly updated) and a web site means that a business can be open 24 hours even if the office isn’t.
As an advertising vehicle, online campaigns are becoming more and more central to marketing strategy as homes switch off the TV in favour of the internet. Creatively, advertisers have moved on from irritating pop-ups and boring banners, and it is now widely accepted that online advertising that is relevant, imaginative and displayed at the right frequency is a tool that works. While online advertising did not appear on many marketers budget lines as recently as 2000, it now accounts for 10.6% of marketing spend in the UK, and The Chartered Institute of Marketing’s last Marketing Trends Survey found that it was the fastest growing area of marketing expenditure.
But while technologies come and go, the fundamental rules of marketing still apply. A company that fails to promote the right product to the right market at the right time and with the right messages is destined for failure, no matter how sophisticated the media it uses.
Online marketing is not an excuse for laziness – an e-mail database must be just as carefully prepared as a mailing list for a traditional mail-shot. The content of any electronic communication must be just as well considered, and the objectives for sending an e-communication must be clear. It was a very long time ago that an e-mail communication was a novelty, and therefore creativity is just as important when sending an e-mail communication as it is when designing a 30 second TV commercial. However, while a heavy hard sell will have recipients dashing to ‘unsubscribe’ messages that are too subtle may fail to meet the business objectives of the campaign. While it is tempting to show off with the latest flash and video downloads, this is a waste of time and money if those targeted do not have the right software and therefore it is a good idea to stick to less complex technologies.
Timing is also important, and it is best to avoid sending an e-mail on a Monday or a Friday, when in-boxes will be overflowing. Studies show that a follow up can increase success by up to 40%, and therefore picking up the trusty telephone after the e-mail has been sent can rescue a communication from the fatal blow of the ‘delete’ button. And it goes without saying that any campaign must comply with laws such as the Data Protection Act, offering recipients the right protection of privacy and the option of removing their names from a mailing list.
An e-marketing campaign must complement, rather than clash with any other marketing activities, and it must reinforce the values of a company brand. Online marketing should be regarded as part of the wider marketing plan – it should support traditional marketing tools such as trade press advertising, and these in turn should promote a business’s online activities.
Careful measurement of results is essential. It is important to ensure that any investment in online marketing is money well spent. Keeping track on who visited a web site, who clicked through from which search engines and who responded to e-mails is not costly and requires only simple technology. Once this analysis is complete, it is easy to spot the initiatives that work and those that don’t, and the campaign can be adjusted accordingly.
While not everyone can become a technical expert, it is important that those responsible for e-marketing are at least familiar with the terminology so that they are confident about say briefing a web design agency or discussing the statistics needed with from a web hosting service. Web sites that look sumptuous but don’t work and those that are technically perfect but dull as ditch-water are equally as useless and it is important to remember that designing an e-marketing campaign is a balance between art and science.
The ability to communicate effectively with customers and to understand their needs is vital. The company that can use the latest methods to do this successfully will be the company that thrives – whatever exciting technologies the future may bring.
