As marketers we hear all the time about media fragmentation; about the gazillions of channels competing for attention and eyeballs. And we want a piece of the action.
So we plan our assault. We meticulously think about that new interactive game; the new video that we hope and pray will go viral; we slave over the content and design of our new microsite; we work tirelessly on developing a social media hub and any number of other clever interactive ideas. We work long and hard to get it just right. Then we put it out there. And we wait… and we wait… and we hope it will get traction.
There’s loads and loads of great interactive stuff out there competing for the consumer’s attention. Why is it some are hugely popular, some get a modest but loyal following and some fail to meet their potential?
Why?
Part of the answer lies in a disciplined approach to traffic driving. Unfortunately it’s not enough to just budget for building and creating an online asset. Equally important is the need to set aside funds to develop and implement a traffic driving strategy. That may mean a combination of on and off line media; it may be through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter; it may be through leveraging existing databases; it may be through a well executed media relations strategy; it may be through ongoing SEM and a focus on SEO – there’s no shortage of possibilities.
When clients say ‘yeah its unfortunate but we don’t have any money for traffic driving’ we should be alarmed. In my view it’s reason to reconsider whether it’s worth building and developing the asset in the first place.
Like I said with gazillions of choices, there’s no guarantee we’ll make any kind of impact if we don’t work and plan to get people to come see and experience what we’ve spent our money on.
What do you think?
We could use the good old traditional advertising methods … print, TV and surprise, surprise … we still have radio! Maybe these will have their day again… like today’s leggings from the 80’s.
I saw in today’s Courier Mail there was an insert by eBay Australia promoting their Super Sale which is happening at the moment. When one of the most visited web sites in the world continue to use pro-active visitor acquisition tactics it shows the need for understanding how people will find out and continue to be prompted to visit digital assets.
The biggest driver of traffic remains the destination.
Content rules.