When it comes to emerging media marketing, search engines are one of the most popular options. Search marketing deals with website pages and their relationships with words and phrases that are associated with your company, brand or products. According to Jupiter Research, more than 40 percent of the average marketer’s budget is devoted to search. In large part, this is due to attractive pay-per-click models. But while search is a great tool, marketers must also understand its limitations. Online behaviors can vary dramatically from one user to the next — two users searching for similar information may not visit the same sites or conduct online research in the same way. By relying solely on search, marketers are missing users who may not know they have a need for the product/service, who are loyal to the competitors’ brands or who simply are not aware of the appropriate search terms to use. Therefore, marketers need to seek ways to broaden their reach, so that they are impacting new audience segments that may not be searching “on their terms.” Marketers should consider both search and behavioral targeting to reach the target audience. Behavioral targeting involves finding out the target audience’s interest in specific topics and trying to capitalize on it. By using both strategies and taking advantage of their complementary relationship, marketers gain maximum value from each. In addition, they reach customers at the moment they express their intention (i.e. during a search) and then re-market to them throughout their online experience. One more point before signing off: Don’t get too comfortable. To be successful, B2B marketers must continually challenge assumptions about the media use habits of their target audiences. Online media are always changing; new advertising models are being introduced, as well as new technologies and creative capabilities. Be ready to reevaluate your strategies on a regular basis, and you’ll continue to meet customers and prospects on their terms.
— Matt Webster, Director of Emerging Media and Planning
