Interactive Marketing Firms

The rise of interactive marketing firms and the fact that advertising agencies offer interactive marketing services points out the fact that marketing has become not a two way street (since there has always been interaction and give-and-take between buyer and seller), but rather more like driving in a busy traffic circle interchange. New avenues of information and options are constantly entering and leaving the circle and a rather random set of factors seems to determine when the customer/driver gets on and off and where they choose to do so. In the past, a customer may have relied upon 'experts'(salesmen) to help them make decisions about various purchases, but in the age of the Internet, customers are much more engaged and knowledgeable about the products and services they wish to buy.

Instead of the former situation, in which the customer was almost irrelevant to the deal, as long as they made the purchase, now it seems that knowing about the individual's preferences and behaviors are keys to ensuring that they will make the purchase and exit the circle at the place that the seller wishes, instead of chooosing another route or circling around to find other options. Interactive marketing firms help make it more likely that the customer will be directed along the route which a company desires, and that he or she may even return for another visit. Instead of this direction being given authoritatively, like a policeman directing cars, it happens more as a result of the conversation that occurs between buyer and seller. In fact, the seller may be more like a passenger in the car, in that he is not the one doing the driving and must persuade rather than compel the driver to take a certain exit.

Although interactive marketing firms are not always necessarily involved in online marketing, it seems obvious that they are wise to do so. The speed at which Internet conversations and transactions can occur and the ability to collect customer information certainly make online interactive marketing services the logical choice as far as the means to facilitate service and purchases. A customer can also voluntarily record preferences, and can then be shown further selections which seem to match, based on information about recent purchases. Large bookstores often make use of this type of function to show customers additional merchandise. This type of approach is useful for many different types of businesses.

The basic approach that interactive marketing firms will use to make customers more fully aware of a brand is to target the specific demographic of the desired audience with a customized message, try to engage them in a way that will bring higher results (purchases) and provide an ongoing analysis of the results. Some results which may be analyzed include: return on investment (ROI), trends, the cost of acquiring a customer, whether the customers are being retained, and whether the product is truly marketable. Those who offer such services must work cooperatively with advertising agencies. Advertising develops and promotes the brand, while interactive marketing brings potential customers to the brand website. Both activities overlap and complement each other.

It is important to choose an effective interactive marketing firm. Look for experience in a variety of arenas, although a prospective client will of course be most interested in those who have done work in his or her field. Examine samples of work done for other clients. Check with these clients to get first hand information about the performance and results obtained from the firm.

A good interactive marketing service will be able to use a variety of technology to complete the desired project. They may utilize a wide range of areas, including online video advertising, podcasts, games and contests. Blogs, communities and other social networks may be employed to spread the message about the brand. From these places talk may be ignited which will result in further traffic. Some interactive marketing services also use direct mail and targeted events to widen the customer base.

One of the most important aspects that the interactive marketing services can provide is help with search engine optimization (SEO). A website may be a wonder of design, but this is useless if no one is aware of its existence. Without proper search engine optimization, the site may rarely be visited. In order to be found, a web page must be located by the search engines. With the multitudes of webpages available, and the knowledge that users generally choose a site located on the first page or so of search engine results, the importance of search engine ranking becomes critical. An effective interactive marketing firm will optimize a website so that more people can find their client's website, while allowing the client to focus upon the business. In the United States alone, a large percentage of the population use search engines to look for products or services, so it is not surprising that companies are willing to spend time and money employing interactive marketing firms to provide better results. There are two types of search engine optimizaton -- white hat and black hat optimization. The former employs techniques which are approved by search engine companies, and generally focus upon providing a better, more accurate search experience for the seeker. Black hat optimizers, however, focus upon employing techniques which will assist the website to gain a higher ranking in search engine results, regardless of whether these actions will skew the accuracy of search engine results or cause other problems. Because such actions may cheat other businesses of rightful customers, perhaps it would be wise to recall this principle from Proverbs 12:3 -- A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved. Needless to say, the black hat optimizers are not kindly regarded by search engine services, either.

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