let's face facts

No one has got this right yet...and maybe there is no right answer. As new forms of media develop, the first thought from advertisers is simply "How can I use this to advertise?" The problem is advertisers almost always get it wrong.

For example, when television was invented, advertisers tried to create commercials that resembled the radio spots they were all used to. These commercials were long, drawn out ads that were often several minutes long. Of course this didn't last long. Television is a visual medium. There's no need to explain every feature/benefit of your product/service. Of course, several companies never caught on to this and faded away into oblivion.

Now the Internet comes along. And what do you see? People trying to place short commercials before videos on major news sites. People displaying banner ads on every visible part of a web page. How angry do you get when you have to wait through a commercial to see a short video on a site like cnn.com? How often can you remember a banner ad from any site you have visited? Probably never.

The issue is the Internet is different. It's interactive. People only use it to view things that they are interested in, when THEY want. I believe the real strategy with web advertising is catering to your target when and where they are interested in your products/services. For example, a car banner ad on a cnn.com homepage probably will be ineffective. Sure, you'll get some visits...but overall the performance of the ad will probably be very low. Now take that same ad and place it on a site like edmunds.com. Perhaps it's a Toyota sedan ad. Why not place that ad on a page comparing sedans or a page about Toyotas. Here, you have a user who is actively interested in your product. Now is the opportunity to help them in their buying decision. Notice I said help. Consumers use the Internet for information just like they use it for purchasing. Contextual advertising also is a beneficial tool for web advertising. When a customer searches for Toyota sedans on Google, they are actively involved in a search process. Why not have some paid search program which has your product at the top of the results? And of course there's CRM systems and email campaigns which allow you to continue to engage your customers with ads that are relevant to their wants/needs.

Let's face facts, Web advertising is different than any other type of media advertising. The benefits to engage customers are there, but often not used.