The introduction of the Internet has changed marketing. It has vastly altered the ways in which people view, use and interact with media and this has in some ways changed the effectiveness of certain traditional marketing techniques, while creating new marketing opportunities. This article takes a look at how some of the traditional and new forms of marketing fit into business today.

TV advertising has changed in many ways over the last ten or twenty years. The ways in which television advertising is used has changed. Although there are still commercial breaks, with the vast number of channels now available to many they have become less effective. Viewer behaviour has changed, with many changing to another channel during the adverts or turning the sound off. In an effort to combat this some businesses have chosen to sponsor specific programs, or genre’s, for example drama on ITV or films on Channel 4. In these cases an advert is shown at the beginning and end of a program, as well as at the start and end of the commercial breaks. This increases the chances of viewers seeing them, and because they are shown over and over again throughout the program, possible on a weekly basis, viewers establish a connection between a program and the product being advertised. Adverts can also be tailored to the program they are in partnership with.

Newspaper adverts are still a popular form of advertising but the numbers buying a newspaper daily has decreased so it is not as effective as it once was. The availability of free online news is partly to blame for this. A newspaper advertisement will still reach a large number of people but not as many on a regular basis.

Billboards can still be as successful as they ever were. The reason for this is the very nature of them; that they are large posters in public places. If someone is driving or walking past a billboard it really can’t be avoided. Unlike television and newspaper adverts people are still just as exposed to them

Although leaflets being dropped through letter boxes are still used by many marketers they are not deemed as successful as they once were. There was a time when there were so many that the effect became diluted. Many people get frustrated with unwanted leaflets and immediately through them away, meaning that even people who would potentially be interested in what is being sold will not notice them.

The main new marketing tool is a website. It is a way for businesses to get everything they do and any information they would like people to know about them into the public domain. It has got to the stage where people expect a company to have a website. If they want to look into using a specific company for something they will look for their website. If they are looking for a particular service they will search for it using a search engine. Therefore having a website is crucial for all businesses, whether they trade directly through their website or not.

SEO is an important related marketing technique. It involves a variety of techniques to encourage good search engine rankings. This can make a significant different in the success of a website, and therefore a business as a whole. For example if someone is searching for a divorce solicitor, they may search for Family Law London in a search engine. If a particular divorce solicitor is not found for this they are letting potential clients fall through their fingers. If they are top of the search engines for this though, it can make a massive difference to their overall income.

The Internet can also be used for advertising on other ways. Similar to advertising in a newspaper or magazine, many websites carry advertisements. This can lead to a much quicker sale than with print advertising. A visitor may click on an advert, reach the website and purchase something immediately or send an email to set the wheels in motion. With a newspaper advert they would only see the brand advertised and maybe a telephone number, with the purchasing decision coming at a later date. They may forget about the advert altogether. Another advantage of online advertising over print advertising is the possibility of video or audio advertising.

Which types of marketing work best depends on the type of business and the behaviour of potential customers. A website is though, almost essential now. Tradition marketing techniques can still be successful and shouldn’t be disregarded altogether. A mixture of traditional and modern marketing is often the best marketing plan.

Andrew Marshall (c)