Marketing in the New Millenium

**News Flash**

We've come a long way since the days of the paper boy on the side of the road screaming "Extra, Extra... Read all about it". This then begs the question "Where is marketing today and how do I do it right?". If I or anyone could answer that with a simple a,b,c 1,2,3 solution they would be a bigillionaire.

Let's dive right in to e-mail marketing....

Some, actually, many people view email as SPAM or a shady way to communicate with people for the purposes of marketing and/or selling. Sure there are a ton of illegitimate characters out there who do email the wrong way. I could give examples how poorly they do it and how many CAN-SPAM laws they break in the process but listing the "What not to do's" isn't going to get anyone anywhere. 

How do we combat the anti emailers....

First and foremost be CAN-SPAM compliant. Have fun enjoying the hefty fines if you are not. One must also seek the double opt-in. This is key to ensuring your audience wants to receive the information being sent to them and assist in ensuring you do not get blacklisted. If you get yourself blacklisted, there's something wrong. If too many people click the spam button or report it as spam, the ISP and/or ESP will block you out completely. So, if you're selling sporting goods and you target little old ladies in a senior's centre, you have better luck cheering for the Maple Leafs. (Yes, any opportunity to beak the Maple Laughs must be used).

What's my ROI?....

I would then ask you what your objectives are. Generally people say they want to generate revenue. After-all, if your brand awareness is off the charts yet you can't sell anything or generate revenue, you're likely going to be out of a job and a victim of CNN's favourite word, the economy. So where is the ROI... Compared to most traditional ways of advertising such as TV, Radio, Newspaper, the conversion rate and ROI of email is fantastic. Does anyone remember how much a TV spot during the Superbowl was? Try singing to the tune of $2.6M for a 30second spot. Yes, this is the extreme case. My point is that when you look at the cost of email compared to the cost of traditional it is just common sense to do email campaigns. How can you possibly target properly in traditional media sources? You can't. 

I'm not saying to call up the local TV station or stop the presses immediately but it's time for all the old fuddy duddy's that think they know how marketing works to give their heads a shake. Talk to your audience, connect with them. How does somebody who is 60 years old know what goes on in high schools and what is considered to be "pop culture"? If you were to pay some kids or even 20 year olds $100 each for a few hours of their time to find out how they interact with media and what influences their buying decisions, would that not be a good use of cashola? I'd say so.

Email and (coming on strong) SMS are quickly becoming the go-to method for reaching people; certainly the younger audience. I'm a young buck and the majority of people within my circle have smart phones or are constantly on the computer checking out the latest wall post or status update. Emails and texts are going to phones and people are on the go all the time. This is how people want to be contacted now. Contact them in the method they want. Sounds pretty simple doesn't it. But, people still love their TV. For big B2C brands, it can still be very effective.

As you can tell, I'm a fan of email and SMS. I think they give you the most bang for your buck but you have to figure out what is right for you and your firm. All I ask is that you take a look around and reconsider where your marketing budget is going. It's no surprise that companies constantly increasing the amount/percentage they are spending on digital. 

Thanks for tuning in.