advantages of online advertising:
• no expiration date. traditional media has an expiration date. a print ad is
only as good as a single print. newspapers, magazines and even television
have specific media placement plans and strategies. once the publication
has expired, so has the message in the ad. online media is instant, flexible
and forever changing. a website is accessible 24/7 and will never expire.
People visiting their favourite news website with see the banner every day;
the message is reinforced and the content can be updated within minutes.
• Lead time. It can take weeks, if not months, before an offline advert can
be screened or printed. online information can be published immediately
and changed regularly. there is little to no lead time. there are also no
geographical limitations.
• Quality exposure. When you drive past a billboard or watch an ad break during
your favourite series, you are exposed to an ad but do not necessary have
any interest in the product being sold. online, viewers only click on a banner
or a google advert if they are interested. online advertising has the potential
to be more targeted.
• Freedom. online users have more control over what they want to see and when; offline viewers, listeners or readers have no control over whether they
want to listen to a radio ad, view a commercial or read a billboard on the
highway. Freedom of choice enables the customer to choose whether to
interact with the brand or not.
• reach. the internet crosses global boundaries. no matter where in the world
you are, one ad has the potential to reach thousands of people with just one
click.
• cost. Provided you understand how to manage budgets, set a limit for online
ad spend and target visitors accurately, online advertising can be a much
more cost effective and measurable medium than traditional advertising.
there is nothing cheap about magazine advertising or shooting a 30-second
commercial. Production costs can easily run into several hundred thousand
rand for one commercial.