Why Are Potential Customers Ignoring You?

Why Are Potential Customers Ignoring You?

Nov 5, 2009
online marketing

What happens  when your customers stop reading your advertising, stop watching your 30 sec spots and you’re so hard to find online that according to Google you basically don’t exist?

Online Advertising is not the Answer

Ahha, I know the answer!  We’ll run online ads, banner adds, pay per click and what not.  You know you don’t even have to pay unless they click through! Yes I actually had someone say that to me the other day.

Well here is the problem with that.  Its’ effectiveness continues the same downward spiral as the other mediums mentioned above.  Here’s a quote from a recent article

Recently, the results of an update to comScore’s highly publicized “Natural Born Clickers” research, conducted two years ago with Starcom USA and Tacoda, showed that the number of people who click on display ads in a month has fallen from 32 percent of Internet users in July 2007 to only 16 percent in March 2009. Also, an even smaller core of people (representing 8 percent of the Internet user base) accounted for 85 percent of all clicks.


The Internet is the Greatest Sales Tool

I’m a big proponent of using the Internet to foster relationships, engage customers and sell products.  In fact the Internet is the single greatest selling tool ever invented! But don’t think for one second that a digital marketing strategy should revolve solely around online advertising, or advertising at all for that matter.

The “if you build it they will come” approach to marketing by some company’s these days needs to come to an end. The reality is if the customers build it, if the critics build it, if the networks build, then and only then will “they come”.

Get Involved In the Online Conversation

For these reasons alone you need to be involved in the online conversations that are going on right now.  You need to use all the available tools available, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Linkedin, YouTube and more.  The day is arguably already here when your customers ignore your adverting all together. If it’s not happening in your industry yet then its just a matter of time.

There is a huge shift going on right now.  A shift from company controlled markets to customer controlled markets.  Get involved today.

Is there anyone who thinks that print , TV or online advertising will become more affective over the next 5 years?  Leave me a comment below and tell me what you think.  You can also email me.

photo credit

  • http://twitter.com/BizJunkie Douglyss Giuliana

    Rich,

    Clearly you are correct. What I find worth noting is that the “conversation” requires much more transparency than “advertising” did. Ads are run by the marketing department; conversations are run by the business leaders (like yourself). Rather than crafting an external image of the company (which may actually be false), now we must open the doors and windows and let the consumer see who we REALLY are. Transparency, authenticity, and availability now rule.

  • http://www.RichLazzara.com Rich Lazzara

    Douglyss, great point about the transparency. Its interesting to see how companies handle this along with authenticity and availability. Those who focus on these will win, those who don't won't. Thx for the good comments.

  • http://nathanhangen.com/blog Nathan Hangen

    Great point and honestly, who really clicks ads and banners anymore? I do occasionally, but rarely. We've learned to tune them out. For the most part, it's content that sells these days.

  • http://www.amnavigator.com/blog Geno Prussakov

    Exactly! As one of the newer OPA studies reveals “people in 2009 on average spent 42% of their time online on content sites compared to 34% in 2003″ and between content and community sites users are currently spending a total of 55% of their online time. Staggering stats which prove that content is still king. More at http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Artic…

  • http://www.RichLazzara.com Rich Lazzara

    Geno, great stats and thanks for sharing the link. That is a very good study with some really sobering facts. You would be surprised (or maybe you wouldn't) how many business execs are failing to realize the shift. Again thx for the good info and sharing.

  • http://www.madmariner.com/ Glen Justice

    Don't be too quick to discount online advertising. There is much data to show that display ads encourage search, meaning rather than click, customers simply type the advertiser's name into Google and go straight to the site. My site has many advertisers, which collectively gain tens of thousands of clicks. I completely agree with the sentiment that social networks are the future. But advertising — TV, online and even print — still moves the needle, and I think it will for many years to come. Bottom line: I think we need it all.

  • http://www.madmariner.com/ Glen Justice

    Don't be too quick to discount online advertising. There is much data to show that display ads encourage search, meaning rather than click, customers simply type the advertiser's name into Google and go straight to the site. My site has many advertisers, which collectively gain tens of thousands of clicks. I completely agree with the sentiment that social networks are the future. But advertising — TV, online and even print — still moves the needle, and I think it will for many years to come. Bottom line: I think we need it all.

  • http://www.RichLazzara.com Rich Lazzara

    Glen, fair enough. I do agree that TV, online and print will be around for many years. I do believe that they can move the needle. So we agree on that. I also would say that the more specific your niche, the more specific the channels you use to market on, the more effective your advertising will be. Obviously creativity is important online and the Navionics peel back on your site is a good example. My guess is that is more effective than a typical banner ad.

    I suspect we could put forth studies to prove either side of our discussion. It's nice to say we need it all but the reality is that many companies are having to choose because marketing dollars are scarce. I also suppose it depends which company in which industry as to which mediums you would use. But no matter who, what, where if Im in charge of the Marketing dollars in 2010, Im putting more online. And to do that its coming out of print and TV. What about you? In 2010 would you take some marketing $ from one medium in order to increase in another? Which ones?

  • http://www.madmariner.com/ Glen Justice

    Don't be too quick to discount online advertising. There is much data to show that display ads encourage search, meaning rather than click, customers simply type the advertiser's name into Google and go straight to the site. My site has many advertisers, which collectively gain tens of thousands of clicks. I completely agree with the sentiment that social networks are the future. But advertising — TV, online and even print — still moves the needle, and I think it will for many years to come. Bottom line: I think we need it all.

  • http://www.madmariner.com/ Glen Justice

    Don't be too quick to discount online advertising. There is much data to show that display ads encourage search, meaning rather than click, customers simply type the advertiser's name into Google and go straight to the site. My site has many advertisers, which collectively gain tens of thousands of clicks. I completely agree with the sentiment that social networks are the future. But advertising — TV, online and even print — still moves the needle, and I think it will for many years to come. Bottom line: I think we need it all.

  • http://www.RichLazzara.com Rich Lazzara

    Glen, fair enough. I do agree that TV, online and print will be around for many years. I do believe that they can move the needle. So we agree on that. I also would say that the more specific your niche, the more specific the channels you use to market on, the more effective your advertising will be. Obviously creativity is important online and the Navionics peel back on your site is a good example. My guess is that is more effective than a typical banner ad.

    I suspect we could put forth studies to prove either side of our discussion. It's nice to say we need it all but the reality is that many companies are having to choose because marketing dollars are scarce. I also suppose it depends which company in which industry as to which mediums you would use. But no matter who, what, where if Im in charge of the Marketing dollars in 2010, Im putting more online. And to do that its coming out of print and TV. What about you? In 2010 would you take some marketing $ from one medium in order to increase in another? Which ones?