The grasping hands of media (planners)

April 27th, 2007 Jackie

During the last decade I’ve managed a variety of campaigns for a variety of clients. I’ve forwarded numerous articles, statistics, insights and case studies to a number of clients, prospects, colleagues and friends on the topic of reaching audiences using various channel combinations (online only, naturally).

Here are some of the possibilities of campaign combos for the online channel ONLY (so it doesn’t include other forms of media such as print, TV, Radio and Out of Home (OOH - eg., billboards, etc.).

• Display/Banner Ads via CPM
• Display/Banner Ads via CPC
• Text/Display combo (e.g., Blogads.com)
• Search Marketing (PPC, SEO or a combination of the two)
• CPA (cost per aquisition) alone
• CPA with Search
• Search/CPA/Display
• E-mail Stand-Alone (Direct Mailing to Third-Party Lists)
• E-Mail Stand-Alone/Search Marketing

(and the above list is based on my experience only, it doesn’t include podcasting, blogvertising, mobile ads which are directly related to online ads becauses of the connectivity interweb thing, wikis, and so much more).

If someone were to ask me what was most effective, I’d have to disappoint them with a vague answer such as, “it depends on the campaign, the goals, the target, etc. etc. etc.” But one thing I do know - using one single tactic exclusive of all the others is probably the least effective way to handle your media. It’s like putting all your eggs in one lead-generating basket.

It’s also impossible to underestimate the effectiveness of different online tactics across various industries. Even though my focus is search marketing, I have worked on some campaigns where I’ve sat back and said “search will not work for this client” for any number of reasons including too much competition, not enough money (on the client side), too targeted, too broad, horrible site (again, on the client side) and more.

Media companies grasp at search because they read about how huge chunks of revenue are shifting from traditional channels to online and, paticularly, search. But what they fail to understand is that search is more than a buzz word and it’s way more than a tactic that can fit neatly into every media plan.

So, if you’re planning search into your media the way you plan everything else, then you’re doing it wrong. Take some time to read about why search is special on Search Engine Land, or John Battelle’s Searchblog and while you’re at it, read Battelle’s book titled, “The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture” which provides an excellent background on the history of search, and why it’s so remarkable and compelling.

It’s not that those of us in nontraditional media planning roles don’t want to welcome our traditional bretheren into the fold, it’s just that we want you to get it first.

Entry Filed under: E-Marketing Advice