Online Promotions Quickly Rising

Initiating an online promotional campaign, whether it is stand alone or tied to traditional mediums is increasingly providing results and return on investment that is measurable. Online promotions, viral campaigns and email marketing strategies are on the rise and are growing as an integrated component of many traditional, offline, marketing strategies. Web marketing is now cited as the most influential source on consumer buying decisions in seven out of ten consumer market categories (IMG consulting, 2003).

A key factor of a successful promotion is integration. Using combinations of various marketing tools (offline and online marketing) is consistently cited as providing the best return on investment. "The bottom line is that Integrated Marketing is cost-efficient, focused, comprehensive, measurable and ROI oriented" (IMG consulting, 2003). One must first set clear objectives; generating leads, traffic, sales, brand awareness, etc. Every objective that is set forth should be realistic, attainable and tie in to an offline marketing activity. Synergy is key, as usage of television and the Internet has increased 72 percent in the past four years. "Smart marketers will synchronize their messaging so the end user hears and sees complementary messages at or near the same time" (www.salesmarketingnews.com).