Recently we were on a call with two partners at a well-respected law firm about their media strategy. They’re commonly viewed as a high technology firm. We chatted about familiar media outlets, then we asked them to consider online advertising. Our lively exchange came to such an abrupt halt that we suspected the call had been dropped.

“Hello? Are you still there?” we asked.

When they confirmed that indeed they were still on the call, they somewhat sheepishly—and with full understanding of the irony—admitted they don’t yet understand the medium or believe online advertising will deliver.

Why?

Because of a classical “thinking error.” They don’t respond actively to online ads themselves, thus they believe others are not motivated to notice or click though online ads either. This is exactly how great opportunities are missed.

The four biggest advertising media channels—print, television, radio and outdoor—now compete with a ubiquitous and rapidly changing fifth, the digital channel, for your advertising dollar because your buyers and influencers are spending more and more time online. As a service marketer building brand, service offering or recruitment campaigns, you not only have to understand the digital channel, you need to learn how to use it well. This, as you’ll read below, is easier said than done.

This is the first of a three-part series where we will try to help you understand online advertising. Consider Part I: The Setup. In this article, you will learn:

• Why smart money is finding its way to online campaigns
• Where and how often executive-level targets go online
• The different types of online ads and their associated strengths and weaknesses
• Best practices, including the need to integrate online and offline efforts.

View full article