In the beginning years of the internet the only option for internet marketing were text ads, with limited character space, which gave little room for expressing a message. Today, businesses have a myriad of options from banner ads, to rich media ads and becoming even more prevalent, video ads. This is definitely a plus in a world where a picture is worth a thousand words.

Let’s talk about banner ads. Banner ads come in many different forms and sizes. They can be jpegs, gifs and for the truly advanced they can be done in flash, which is a form of rich media. A static jpeg or gif banner ad allows a business to include more detailed information about their business and/or product and present it to a potential consumer. A perfect example would be one of our convention center clients. When they were advertising for an upcoming convention it was quite a task to fit the date, location, call to action and a price offer in a text ad, while making it eye catchy. However, static banner ads came to the rescue. We created banner ads that included all the above and made it eye catchy. The client received more response from the banner ads than the text ads that were created for them. The next step up after a static jpeg or gif banner ad is a flash ad.

Flash banner ads allow consumers to interact with them. A couple examples would be mini animated videos with a call to action at the end, as well as ads that request information and give a result. An example of the mini animated video would be an ad that we created for an orthodontist client.  The client is offering a discount on children’s braces during the Christmas season. A 30 second flash ad was created showing a snowman with crooked teeth; we added some “sparkle” to his holiday and magically he received straight teeth with braces.  The end of the animation offers a discount on braces.

Another example of flash banners is an ad that I came across with my colleagues. Dunkin Donuts has an ad that asks you to put in your zip code. Upon receipt of your zip code the ad tells you the breakfast deal at the nearest Dunkin Donuts, along with an image of a delicious bagel and a hot cup of coffee for only $0.99. This ad was very effective, seeing that my co-workers wanted to go for a walk to the Dunkin Donuts across the street.

Another way to grab a consumer’s attention is through video ads. A business can place video ads on their site or they can advertise on a website like YouTube. According to Wikipedia, YouTube “is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips.”  One side note, if you’re going to advertise on YouTube you ought to be creative. According to Google, regular ads don’t cut through the clutter because people are looking to be entertained.

Now that you know a picture is worth a thousand words and a good investment, go experiment.

According to eMarketer, approximately 80% of the US online population now watches online video at least once a month, consuming everything from news clips to college humor to sports highlights to full-length TV episodes. I wanted to shed some light on the demographic of these online video viewers, given the high percentage of users.

Based on the data from Emarketer below, online videos appeal to a wide demographic, so there are opportunities for most marketers. Online video users skewed toward females (55% to 45%), but mobile video users skewed towards males (54% to 46%). Males were more likely to be characterized as “heavy users” as compared to females. Around 40% of US viewers were age 35 and younger. Ages 45-54 had the highest percentage of online video users by age group. As expected, mobile video users tended to be younger. Unlike the Social Networking universe, ages 55 and older were well represented with online video usage – over 20% of total users.

As high speed internet becomes more and more common in US households, the percentage of online video consumption continues to grow at an impressive rate. Online video ads should be considered as part of your marketing mix, and are certainly worth a test.

The internet has made our lives completely different! Almost everyone has an email address or the ability to access the internet in some fashion. Children as young as 3 along with seniors as old as 100+ are utilizing the internet for a myriad of purposes. Whether it’s for fun, general knowledge, or shopping…the place to be is online! Why bother to run out to the mall when you can likely get the same gift online for a better price, without ever having to leave the comfort of your home or office?

Take Ebay for example. Ebay offers the ability to shop online for practically anything your heart desires; usually for a reduced price. Not only is there an enormous inventory, you also get to participate in the auction element that Ebay is widely known for. The auctions are enjoyable for many people and can also be educational, for kids in particular. The thrill of being the highest bidder is truly a “win win”. A win because they got to pick out what they wanted; an added win because they are learning about how the marketplace works.

With the holidays fast approaching, sites like Email Santa are getting an increase in activity and are the perfect way for kids to tell parents exactly what they want!  As a consumer, you should know that there are many online retailers who will literally stop at nothing to win your business. Take advantage of that mentality, especially given the current economy. Be a savvy online shopper! As a retailer, you should capitalize on the busiest shopping time of the year by offering as many incentives as possible!

The internet has indeed become an integral part of our daily lives. For business or pleasure, for children and adults alike, the world is at our fingertips now more than ever!