Traditional advertising strategies worked with a blend of above the line and below the line marketing tactics. Gaining traction in a mass market through broadcasts via tele, radio and magazines to build brand visibility blended with centered tactics to target niche messages to specific audiences via a BTL approach. For a long time this has maintained the core method for achieving brand recognition, for creating prospects and opening up a sales channel.

Then along came the virtual world, the sphere of email, Internet and now mobile gadgets that, though possibly classed as media, don’t quite fit the normal molding of ATL and BTL methods. All of a sudden the consumer audience were inundated with both mass market and tailored marketing campaigns flooding their inboxes, flashing on their work desktops, now following them on their mobile phones.

But what are the implications of this inundation? What are the effects on traditional channels? Do the traditional types of marketing still hold tight? Is the new frontier of online advertising just a bubble? An ineffectual method or a waste of your time?

With so many sorts of online advertising popping up, and increasingly brilliant minds figuring out ways to capture eyeballs through viral marketing campaigns posted on YouTube, it is tough to see an end to this new frontier. Still only in early adoption phase, the Internet is still the wild west of faceless firms claiming everything from a guaranteed viral campaign to page 1 rank on Google using only SEO tactics.

Like any fledgling industry, it is crammed with jargon such as backlinks, SEO, SEM, PAY-PER-CLICK, CPM … the list of acronyms just keeps growing. For the more seasoned among us, viewing a screen shot of the most recent social media platform and understanding the Internet terminology is about as simple as deciphering hieroglyphics.

Though the pioneers have cleared a trail, gradually creating a trained model that allows any Tom, Dick or Harry to set up a social media page, to form their own web presence, and to enter into the minefield of the web. Yet like any minefield there are mines, some will scare, some will maim, and some will kill businesses who have not spent time on the right preparation and advice.

So a word of advice – research, use common-sense and temper your expectations of worldwide domination by adding an online presence!

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