Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

In what context?

Works in some cases, not in other cases.

"Works in some cases, not in other cases"? Peter! The only time when online advertising doesn't work is when the person driving it doesn't know where they're going. It's like being on an interstate: if you don't know where you're going, the size and speed of your car won't help you get there any faster.

Because between Google and Bing you have an advertising platform that is as close to being infinite as you could wish for. The problem is that when you don't know what you're doing, it can go horribly wrong. One guy popped his campaign online, and after lunch came back to check it. He'd spent $24,500.

Not a lesson I'd want to learn.

The networks are big enough to allow you to test anything. If you can imagine it, form sensible questions around it, you can pop it online and get answers. It's big enough that you can build yourself a virtual advertising campaign [TM] - you can discover if your TV ad will work - whether your new book's title is the one to grab your audience's attention - whether people will want blue pork scratchings in Mozambique - if people will want your plumbing services in suburban Houston.

You do need to know the basics, you do need to be able to phrase questions sensibly - and you do need a modest amount of financing. That means modest. For any test campaign I spend the amount that a mug of coffee costs at Starbucks. In short, you can live with the loss if it doesn't work, and you haven't hocked the farm on a chance. You will learn way more than it costs, but it may not work. That is to say, the market may not agree with you that pink mousetraps with USB connections are the thing of the future.

Further info - Perry Marshall is the go-to guy on Google Adwords. https://perrymarshall.com you can also visit Howie Jacobson's site https://askhowie.com - he's more eclectic, but has his feet firmly on the ground. He wrote Google Adwords for Dummies and works with Vitruvian.

There are only two reasons why online marketing doesn't work - either you're not asking the right questions or the market's not interested. Either way, if it doesn't work online, it isn't going to work offline. That is with the caveat that you're actually looking to make a profit on your advertising ... not everyone does.

Start small, refine and test - and once it's working nicely, scale up to worldwide. If you need to, that is.

Quite why this thread hasn't been deleted (as were many of your previous posts) remains a mystery.

A bigger mystery is why professionals shun newcomers.

Moriarty, No one is being shunned. Earlier today, and in quick succession, this person asked five, one line questions, all of which Carrie (one of the forum administrators) removed.

Interesting - an exact copy of this question was closed (see https://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/qst_question.asp?qstid=42248) and this poster had the gall to come back a few hours after it was closed and repost the question. Newcomers who look to participate shouldn't be shunned, but those who look to abuse this should be more than shunned (as in banned).

Gary, yes, I agree with much of what you say. However, the general level of acceptance around here is very low. Perhaps you haven't been a newbie? It's not very welcoming around here - there are forums that are far more friendly.

When it comes to student questions, many of the things asked at universities are frankly absurd. Is it any wonder that a student won't have an idea where to start? A professional marketer would have problems ... because I get asked the daftest things by university types. I really have to think where the heck they're coming from. Because they're so detached from reality - yet they don't know it. So some help here would be appreciated.

So please, in future, can we be a little more accepting of students? Rather than just telling them to get stuffed, or telling them to Google it - frustrating enough for me, let alone them - can you please demonstrate the fact that you can do things that are far more meaningful?

Because some of the responses aren't worthy of a schoolboy, let alone a professional with decades of experience!

And Peter, perhaps the person you mention was just venting their frustration at the wall of silence they received? After all, they'd expected a meaningful response ...

Because to develop the kind of insights you guys have is rather harder than just studying at university. When tutors tell you that they have better things to do, there aren't many places left where you can get answers.

In marketing online advertising play an important role.Companies always find new way to promote business and online advertising is best way to promote business.

What do I think about online advertising? In the content networks, it serves to generate revenue for hosts and advertisers alike. On search results, it affords visibility to advertisers.

In terms of revenue generation, its purpose cannot be faulted. I seldom click on something that's an outright ad, but that's just me.

Marketers need fun too? Sure, but please not at other people's expense!

Remember that.

When you realize that I am #1 at upsetting people on this forum, you'll know that I do not suffer fools gladly. However I do not belittle them - I do not take pleasure in making them feel as small as they acutally are. Rabbits caught in my headlights get run over, but being caught in my headlights is a very different thing from belittling them. Sure, it feels like it to someone who lacks any confidence. The experience is very different for people who do have it.

So, Mr Randall, how do you tell a bad client from a good one? What one question do you ask them that divides them, chalk from cheese?

I know what to ask in what situation - and the response I get tells me if they're an outright idiot, a pompous git - or a good customer. As importantly, it's 90% accurate and there's no need for any statistical analysis. Chalk and cheese.

So when anybody wants to have fun, make sure the questioner really is an idiot first, shall we? Because unless you have the answer to that one question, you are not going to know. Are you?

Would you even know what question to ask?