The New Challenge In Online Marketing
by The Blazing Lucidity Staff
When we talk with clients today, we impress upon them that the web is undergoing evolutionary change. Some call it Web 2.0, but there’s some debate about that term. What isn't under debate is that there are a host of new-look web sites that are changing the way people interact with the web: namely, social media sites. There is still plenty of focus on search marketing and driving traffic, but what the new generation of sites have shown is that rich interaction appeals to a lot of people.
Consider some predominant attitudes in the Web’s short history:
- 1996: Get on the Internet. Being ‘first to market’ was paramount.
- 2000: Modus operandi was to enrich functionality and link up with branding partners.
- 2007: Tap the full potential of the web as a interactive and powerful marketing medium.
The amount of competition on the web has spawned finicky, demanding web surfers, so directing traffic to your site isn’t enough anymore, nor is a site that is long on style but short on substance. Smart companies are reaching beyond their product or service in an effort to deliver a total online experience; you accomplish this by understanding your audience better than your competitors and offering them a positive, hassle-free experience. Blogs, wikis, and online forums are ways techniques that organizations are utilizing to cater to their customers' wishes for a relationship that goes beyond informational or transactional.
The idea of online communities is not new, but more organizations are using community building to realize measurable gains. For an example, consider a vendor of high performance aftermarket automotive parts and services that hosts an online forum. The forum topic categories discuss all aspects of tuning high performance automobiles. The forum greatly increases the volume of information that is immediately accessible to customers and potential customers, because it incorporates information provided from outside resources: other customers. The benefit to customers is the existence of an online community in which people exchange information with like-minded enthusiasts.
For the company, the forum represents a powerful marketing channel with a receptive audience, and the opportunity to generate buzz about products, prototypes, and special offers. The company is also able to solicit feedback about products and customer preferences. Yet another collateral benefit is that customers will frequently act in the role of customer service reps by assisting other customers with problems or questions.
The takeaway here is this: There are benefits to creating an online experience that appeals to your target audience. Investing the time and promotional effort to build an online forum like the one described above is not right for every organization; depending on your audience, you may be better served by focusing on other aspects of your site. We feel that though the level of interaction that is appropriate will vary depending on various factors - your audience, your product or service among the most important - most businesses will benefit from exploring the possibilities of Web 2.0 (eek! There's that term again).
