Ever-changing Media Landscape: Marketer’s Dilemma or Reward?
January 19th, 2007 | Marilou BarsamAs a Best Practice I occasionally consult our Advisory Board of TechTarget clients. They provide me with a realistic sense of what their pain points are in terms of their professional roles. A consistent theme I hear from them is the notion that the Internet consistently introduces a new array of media products and marketing solutions. The end result of this is that their immediate marketing landscape is in a constant change of flux. The onset of Web 2.0 is just one aspect of how this impacts them.
This reality has both its good and bad sides. On the positive side, it creates an environment that demands they embrace change and innovation and as a result they are challenged in their jobs.
On the other side, is the reality that because nothing remains static or the best solution for too long, they must constantly reevaluate their media choices and educate themselves anew as to how to prove ROI on their investments? A good example of this is performance associated with video interactive ads. Should money be spent on these or be placed to support advanced SEM tactics? And in general should new media replace the old new media like webcasts and/or email newsletters?
Years ago, it seemed marketing tactics were less complicated because there were fewer choices and a loyalty to specific media (like direct land mail) that historically performed. Now, try something new is the cry of the day and most marketers are spinning in their virtual office chairs trying to sort out what to do next.
Anyone have a perspective on this situation you’d like to share with us?
January 23rd, 2007 at 1:26 pm
It is true. There are so many creative ways to get your message out there today. There are also many ways to track ROI. Some say that our tracking and abilities to prove campaign effectiveness today is better than it ever was.
The struggle that I have is that there are so many ways to get your message out quickly (podcasts, emails, blogs, etc.) that I sometimes forget about tracking and proving ROI. With the web and digital media it is very easy to become consumed with getting your message out instead of thinking of everything in terms of ‘campaigns’.
We think in terms of ‘campaigns’ as a vast array of materials and media that we launch to get our message out. These would include newsletters, blogs, podcasts, emails, webcasts, etc. It is also good to really think through how you are going to track effectiveness and determine ROI.
What I am saying is that it is so easy and fast to get content out there today, that we sometimes forget about that ‘ROI’ thing. I have realized that I must take the time and think through how I am going to track campaign effectiveness before launching a campaign.