The Economy

No matter what online communication channels you are using to promote your business, it’s critical that the message you’re communicating to your target market is consistent across all mediums. How you position your brand, how you appeal to your target audience, and your overall communication strategy should be consistent throughout your marketing mix. You have to consider the different touch points that are available where your brand could reach your target market. For example, assume that you run an advertisement in a popular industry trade journal that is viewed by your target market regularly. Now, this ad may or may not drive users to your Web site, but what happens if these same members of your target market are reading an article on a popular industry-specific content site and view a banner ad for your business? If your communication strategy is consistent, the users eventually will link your online/offline ads together, which ultimately will bring the user to your site something we know counts only if your site is prepared for the traffic.

It’s important to stress that being consistent doesn’t mean that you simply create your offline advertising in an online environment. As we all know by now, the Internet is very different from communicating to your offline audience. With technological limitations and researched user characteristics,
it’s important that you adapt your communication strategy to the medium.Sure, it would be great to amuse your visitors with a large visual depicting humorous billboard advertisements that your offline market views repeatedly, but how does this same advertisement translate to an electronic medium? If a user is on your Web site, he or she most likely is there because of an interest in your product or service. So, while you communicate with users using a consistent communication strategy, it’s critical that you acknowledge that it is at this point that you can connect the user with your business. Whether it’s the sale of products online or simply a lead-generation tactic, the Web site will help you to bring your business closer to your clients. Think of it in the same way you would your offline advertising. The billboard advertisement brings the client to your store, and it’s at this point that your sales force helps to close the deal. In the online world, your ads do the same thing, but now it’s your Web site’s job to close the deal for your business.