Big change needed in the agency world

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Agencies web marketing tactics

Ad agencies have been in existence for generations using the same method of engaging with various target markets. Agencies who tell you that the web is “new media” are the ones that don’t get it. The web is about content not advertising, the thinking needs to change. A new television commercial as an example for a fashion clothing brand for women can be placed in the right time during the right TV show that is relevant to women within the right demographic.

No freedom of choice

As we all know an advertisement is an interruption and an intrusion but that is how it works. Media moguls have survived over the generations explaining to the public that they may have to suffer advertising but it keeps access to the media costs down. You would have to pay much more for media services if ads were not included, so everyone sits back and says OK I suppose that makes sense.

This is the mindset of agencies over the generations it is a habit and a rule from which they operate. That is their business and like any other company that has been practicing for generations is completely understandable. However they need to keep in mind that the Web exists despite advertising, it does not rely on it.

Horses for courses

Then the Web comes along which has its own unique method of operating. This method involves the dissemination of information kind of like a worldwide library of facts and ideas not only generic facts and ideas but about individuals and companies as well. Your subject or topic may gain traction if promoted correctly (by great SEO methods) specially within you target market but to try to be important enough that everyone who is interested in a new fashion clothing brand is not practiced on the web.

To explain this in more detail.

If you have a great ladies fashion brand website you need to optimize it, track it and ensure the search engines find it. You are able to see how popular it is with any analytical software. This is direct contact between your market and your brand. If your website has a large number of visitors a day (in South Africa say a few hundred or couple of thousand at most) then you are doing well. Even if you are a national brand but you are able to convince a 100 people to buy something from you then your website is working well. A website only costs a few thousand rand to produce so this type of response you may be getting is perfect as your return on investment will be paying you over and over again. The argument between an advertisement and a website is the issue here. You pay hundreds of thousands for a television commercial or large newspaper advertisement. You expect a larger return.

Marketers and advertising agencies think big so the results they see from a website hardly mean anything to them. They want BIG! They want mass market returns. This is also a very positive thing but because of this the poor company website gets totally ignored and left up to someone like a “techy webmaster” to work on the website.

What are the avenues for mass advertising on the web?

Intrusive choices

Social media is regarded the only way to attract many thousands of people so NEW MEDIA was born. Like me all people on this earth first consideration is “what’s in it for me”. If I am engaging with people on social media that is what I want to do, if I come across a Facebook Ad that talks about fashion clothing for women, I may be interested in clicking to their Facebook page to see what’s up. I may click on a Facebook “like” but I am a busy person and I don’t want people selling me things.

Deliberate choices

On the other hand if I am looking on Google for women’s fashion clothing I am making a deliberate choice and I may buy something from the websites I visit. I also may click on a Google Ad that attracts me. So the difference in the way the web works is that I don’t want advertising intrusion while I am on Facebook (as an example) I am not in the market to purchase fashion clothing I am showing my friends a new photo of me.

So agencies may be able to turn around and say that Facebook (as an example) is great and we achieve massive figures and number of likes to encourage clients to spend more, you are able to buy LIKES on Facebook but really how are people engaged? In the meantime ignoring where the real ACTION is that is the company website.

A company website

You know that people on a website want to be there, they are either looking to buy something now or in the future. This is the opportunity to engage with them. You are able to display social videos of your company in various ways such as product demonstrations or new fashion clothing lines. How to care for the garments. Other ideas are competitions online, a social page of your own talking directly to people showing you care. Frequently asked questions and your website now begins to attract more people over time because you have the word engagement printed all over it. That is what people want to be able to engage with a company on their website.

Final words

People engage with Facebook because they have got Facebook's big idea they are not wanting to engage with you (the advertiser) they want to engage with their friends and family. The final words are that agencies should be planning and creatively working on a customer’s website with new ideas and promotional themes.

A web design company usually does not have the skills, resources or ideas that a mutual co-operation with an agency could provide. Invest in your company website and eventually your company website will become the “Facebook of anything to do with your market.” And it belongs to you with 10,000 people wanting to make purchases and buy things. Your website is your property, not some other public company and people are there to engage with YOU and not their family and friends, so treat them right!