NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Article: Offline Advertising in an Online World
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Article: Offline Advertising in an Online World
Doug Bates (dbates_at_richmond.infi.net)
Fri, 11 Sep 1998 08:30:29 -0500 (CDT)
Jeff Schaeffler <schaeffler_at_columbus-group.com> said, in criticizing the
use of off-line media for promoting web sites said:
>Until someone proves how specific media within the
>traditional was the catalyst to a person visiting a site, I
>will always recommend online.
With at least one traditional medium, this can be readily
done -- telemarketing. Obviously, the dynamics and costs of
telemarketing aren't appropriate for most sites; however, it
is a reasonable option for narrow, high-value markets or
segments.
I ran a telemarketing program to a list of people likely to
be interested in our site. The script told the prospect
about the site and asked for the prospect's email address --
no other commitment. Shortly after the call, we sent an
email to the prospects who were interested, giving a link to
the site. Further, we included these prospects in our
regular email newsletters. The cost of this compared
favorably with banner advertising. Moreover, it was
completely measurable. We knew where the came from, whether
they visited, and whether they spent money.
Performance patterns of telemarketing leads vs banner leads
was very different. Telemarketing generated "members"
(i.e., we got their email address) were acquired at about
30% of the cost of banner generated "members"; however, they
were only about 25% as likely to visit the site during the
period we measured. No significant difference by lead
source was observed beyond the point of the 2nd site visit.
If you try this, be prepared for a lot of experimentation on
scripting and a lot of call monitoring. Significant
experience with managing telemarketing programs is required.
It took us 17 script iterations and 3 significant list
refinements before we got performance that was comparable to
banner ads.
Factors that favor this technique are:
* narrow target market, for which telemarketing lists are
available
* you can afford $50 or more per person for converting raw
leads into inquirers
* you have an on-going email communication program with
prospects
* a target market that is relatively hard to target with
banner ads
* a product/service for which there is a significant
advantage to being the first online provider the prospect
encounters
Doug Bates
dbates_at_richmond.infi.net
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