New Definition of Interactive

By Roland Grybauskas on December 10, 2007 5:01 PM

When I tell people I'm in Interactive Marketing, I often hear, "Oh, you design websites," or, "You do banners on the Internet." Wrong. "Interactive" is a misused and misunderstood word in the marketing world. Interactive channels include every communications platform that people utilize in their daily lives: cell phones, the Internet, ATM machines, kiosks, video games, and many others. These devices are evolving at lightning speed. Is the iPhone a phone, a computer, or a social networking device? How do marketers decide which platforms will be most effective to build business? And how can marketers develop interactive programs on these platforms that are engaging and meaningful to the consumer?

To be an effective Interactive Marketer these fundamentals must be rigorously applied:

Look at the web as the centerpoint of your marketing efforts. Your brand's website should provide information to the consumer; but more importantly, it should provide a value exchange so that the consumer is connected to the brand in ways that they choose. (Making a robust Search Engine Optimization program a must. Both paid and natural searches are how the maximum number of consumers will find your site.)

Understand how and where your consumer is "connecting." Do you have in-house expertise that understands all interactive channels? Does your agency bring new media ideas to the table? (E.g., Most consumers today have cell phones. What is your mobile strategy to reach teens or moms? What are your viral and word-of-mouth strategies?)

All interactive channels should lead to building a database and an active Relationship Marketing program. Relationship Marketing is an extremely powerful tool that is underutilized by most marketers. When you recruit consumers to your database, you can identify hand-raisers, segment respondents, and develop communications streams to consumers that are relevant and welcome.

And finally, establish ROI benchmarks so that marketing budgets can be continually measured and refined. The great advantage of Interactive Marketing is that it can be measured and evaluated like no other marketing channel. Be sure that you identify the key success criteria so that interactive programs can be designed to give you answers.

Category : Measuring Success