Internet Marketing Post

Internet Marketing's Evolution

I took this poll after finding it in my daily tweets - and sure, it was interesting to see of the top 3 I chose what the other 100 folks thought...but what struck me about this exercise was not so much the poll results but the length of the list of digital media categories. Wow.  This media type has grown from a corporate site, a micro site or two, maybe paid search and some targeted landing pages. There are no less then 45 categories listed on this poll! My votes are bolded, looks like email marketing and microblogging are right up there with other bloggers, or folks who read blogs, but corporate sites gained a small 6% of the votes. The survey is too small to be very statistically relevant yet, but it would be worth watching over the next week to see where it lands. 

Similar to my comments on Social Media, Digital Media (aka Internet Marketing) is a vast, fast growing, complicated and fun media type. That needs a marketing objective, a plan and a measurement tactic. Again, if the unknowns and level of complexity overwhelms you, build your objective (reach, revenue, return, etc.) and then media types in line with that objective, and it's demographics, timeline, methods and budget. 

It will be interesting to also look at the list of digital media types in even 6 months from now, to see the fall outs, what evolves, the start ups and the melt downs. 

For now we will keep building and redesigning sites, enabling clients to increase their traffic, convert more of it and bring them back for more with seo, search, email marketing and social media strategy. Here is the survey and the digital media category list, for those of you still reading. (Thanks Lee Odden, Online Marketing Blog, great post and survey!)

What 3 digital marketing channels & tactics will you emphasize in 2009?

• Blogging (41%, 50 Votes)
• Search engine optimization (36%, 44 Votes)
• Microblogging (Twitter) (33%, 40 Votes)
• Social network participation (Facebook, LinkedIn) (28%, 35 Votes)
• Email marketing (17%, 21 Votes)
• Social media monitoring & outreach (17%, 21 Votes)
• Social media advertising (11%, 13 Votes)
• Video marketing (11%, 13 Votes)
• Pay per click (10%, 12 Votes)
• Blogger relations (9%, 11 Votes)
• Online/digital public relations (9%, 11 Votes)
• Viral marketing (8%, 10 Votes)
• Corporate web site (6%, 7 Votes)
• Free content (eBooks, white papers) (5%, 6 Votes)
• Branded microsites (5%, 6 Votes)
• Podcasts (4%, 5 Votes)
• Online communities/forums (4%, 5 Votes)
• Article marketing (4%, 5 Votes)
• Affiliate marketing (4%, 5 Votes)
• Link bait content (3%, 4 Votes)
• Widgets (3%, 4 Votes)
• Behavioral targeting/re-targeting (3%, 4 Votes)
• Advertorial (AdFusion) (3%, 4 Votes)
• Social news / Bookmarking (2%, 3 Votes)
• User generated content (2%, 3 Votes)
• Online contests, giveaways (2%, 3 Votes)
• Webinars (2%, 3 Votes)
• IM/Mobile SMS (2%, 2 Votes)
• Contextual advertising (2%, 2 Votes)
• Online display ads (2%, 2 Votes)
• Mobile ads (2%, 2 Votes)
• Advergames (2%, 2 Votes)
• Virtual worlds (Second Life) (1%, 1 Votes)
• Buy web sites and retool (1%, 1 Votes)
• Paid reviews (1%, 1 Votes)
• Rich media apps/demos (Flash) (1%, 1 Votes)
• Blog advertising (0%, 0 Votes)
• Freemium services/tools (0%, 0 Votes)
• Virtual tradeshows (0%, 0 Votes)
• Rich media avatars (0%, 0 Votes)
• RSS advertising (0%, 0 Votes)
• Teleconferences (0%, 0 Votes)
• Sponsorships / Cross branding (0%, 0 Votes)
• eCommerce feeds & Comparison shopping (0%, 0 Votes)
• No holds barred spam (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 123

Marketing Sherpa provides an analysis: Recession Marketing Spending

I stopped getting Marketing Sherpa email newsletters due to lack of time to read all the rags I was committed to. I focus more on Media Post and Ad Age and never miss my OMMA magazine session - especially for the industry summary numbers. However, Marketing Sherpa research is excellent and always timely. Here is a chart worth a gander.

Long time online marketers have watched this shift for years, Marketing Sherpa articulates the shift to online media with an excellent visual of marketing spending going into next year. Marketers are writing in email marketing, social media, paid search and even online display advertising, replacing more traditional marketing like direct mail and drtv.  

You have heard it before on my blog...but I will say it again...If you are afraid of email due to spam concerns or your online reputation, now is the time to get educated and get started. Paid search and display advertising are measureable legitimate approaches to your audience online. And a recession economy is a great time to risk into new means of generating business.

Women Choose Blogging Over Chocolate?

Marketers to women take note.

With declining trust in institutions and increasing trust and connnection with peers via the internet, women are choosing blogging over tv, chocolate and other vices. Note the below details on the Compass created survey of women on blogging. Thanks to eBrand for the summary.

• 50% of those surveyed regard blogs as a highly reliable or very reliable source of information.
• Only 30% of respondents said that a blog influenced their purchase decision. 50% said that blogs do not impact purchase decisions (this is surprising see  reviews greatly influence purchasing decisions.).
• The blogging community is passionate – before
  giving up participating in the blogosphere:
  – 43% would give up reading the newspaper or
  magazines
  – 50% would give up their PDAs
  – 42% would give up their i-Pod
  – 55% would even give up alcohol

What does this mean for marketers? Entering the conversation on blogs, blog advertising and at minimal blogosphere participation are climbing the list of priorities. Are you in the blog business? Why or why not?

Internet Marketing Small Business Tips

I thought this SmallBiz TV series had some good tips - particularly enjoyed the information about the benefits to small business during an economic downturn.

Internet Marketing Blog Conference

Wanted to give a plug for this blog conference as their email marketing design was great! So they deserve a cyber high five from someone like me who appreciates thoughtful creative design. The conference is being held to connect bloggers with advertisers. Also, check out this great blog story by one of the presenters at this conference. Too bad there is not a live stream available of this conference as I would be there. The site design for the conference is also fun. Great job guys!

Ad Sales Down, Internet Up

Thanks to all you junctiongen blog readers who stayed faithful to the cause during my hiatus. Typical business owner here trying to stay on top of multiple priorities while the social media world explodes without me, or so it seems. I believe in this stuff, it's scary when your own blog falls behind. Anyway, I'm back, nice to see you again.

Here is an online media set of stats that is fascinating to me. TNS Media published that ad spending in general is down for 2 quarters in a row, 1st time since 2001, yet internet "display" advertising is growing more then ever. I think this is a typo and what is really happening is Internet in general is growing, encompassing all media types especially Google's favorite - search engine pay per click marketing. Does this strike anyone else as a little funny? Surely display is not getting all the growth...and why? From a results standpoint it pales in comparison to PPC, SEO work and the newly growing email marketing. Talk to me people.

Share of Advertising Spending by Media: First Half 2007 vs. First Half 2006

MEDIA TYPE Jan-June 2007 Jan-June 2006 NATIONAL TV 32.8% 33.1% MAGAZINES 20.0% 19.1% NEWSPAPERS 17.8% 18.8% LOCAL TV 10.8% 11.4% INTERNET 7.6% 6.4% RADIO 7.1% 7.3% ALL OTHER 3.9% 3.8% TOTAL 100.0% 100.0%

Source: TNS Media Intelligence Note: The sum of the individual media may differ from total due to rounding

Meatball Sundaes

Seth Godin has done it again. There was The Purple Cow (be very different), Small is the New Big (flexibility and growth power of small and nimble entities) and now, Meatball Sundae? If the man has any gifts at all, he has the keen ability to create word pictures that leave you saying "eeeeeewww". If that is a word. You get the picture.

Tammy Munson - New Media Virtual Assistant

Tammy Munson is a new connection I met on www.linkedin.com. Tammy, for a reasonable price will design your blog and get you set up to post podcast files on your blog. Tammy is knowledgeable, friendly and very busy, so she is definitely meeting the new market needs of podcasters. She also will help you become a podcast author -- if you have something to say or have an existing archive that you want to get out in the podosphere (?) call Tammy, or visit her at www.tammymunson.com. Tell her I said hello!