Company Announcement - The business world has evolved from those days and customers are using unconventional methods to solve their needs. Technology allows consumers to connect with retailers from the comfort of their couch now. We look at the current trends in marketing that businesses are adapting in order to remain relevant and reach their customers in the right time, at the right place with the best message.

The advent of the internet has enhanced engagement between customer and service provider, this helps businesses become more direct in their marketing efforts. For example, rather than posting an ad in the paper that targets the general population, advertising online allows you to not only reach the specific demographics of your typical customers and the geographic areas closest to you, but it also allows you to place your ad in front of the eyes of someone who is looking for you. So when someone Googles, “Why is my air conditioning making a funny sound?” you can make sure that your ad appears front and center, or front and to the right, of that person’s search results.

So what is online advertising? Online advertising, also called online marketing or Internet advertising, is a form of marketing and advertising which uses the Internet to deliver promotional marketing messages to consumers. It includes email marketing, search engine marketing, social media marketing, many types of display advertising (including web banner advertising), and mobile advertising.

Don Nicholas, CEO of Mequoda and Lead Consultant offers four benefits of online advertising:
Benefit of online advertising1: Cost efficiency
Your online ads will be viewed by millions of people, 24 hours a day. You can’t say that about print advertising or direct mail! Plus, when you have your own website, consider cooperative advertising efforts such as banner or link swaps. You can’t get much more cost-effective than free! Social media, of course, can also be free via posts and Tweets. And pay-per-impression or pay-per-click advertising allows you to pay only when your ad is seen or clicked on. The beauty of the web is that hosts like Google can deliver your ads directly to people who are interested in your products, delivering far more bang for your buck than other types of advertising.

Benefit of online advertising2: Native advertising/advertorials
Advertorials, also known as native advertising, were once anathema to print publishers. But today, with greater care taken to produce truly relevant and valuable content, and to mark the advertorial as exactly what it is, advertorials are becoming much more widely accepted on the Internet. The best advertorials showcase your expertise in your niche while also promoting your products in a subtle way.

Benefit of online advertising3: Segmenting
The Internet is the easiest place to advertise directly to your market. If you publish knitting magazines, you can get 100% relevancy by advertising at knitting sites and yarn shops. If you’re a regional magazine, you can limit your advertising to specific geographic areas. There’s no waste and lots of direct contact with exactly the people who will appreciate your content.

Benefit of online advertising4: Interactivity
Now that you can include videos, surveys and other interactive activities in your ads, you have many more opportunities to engage with your audience. Let your potential customers have fun, share your clever ads and become ever more loyal to you, using all the technology that’s available today. Chances are you already have people on your team who can create these things for you, so get going and interact!

In the attempt of connecting with customers businesses can, because of lack of research, invest in marketing activities that prove to be wasteful. It is important that all marketing activities are informed by research. “Business is all about getting the attention of prospects and directing them to solutions offered by the business in order to solve the customer’s need. In order for this to happen effectively, companies need to be familiar with the market’s patterns. And in today’s world, most companies are on their smartphones searching the internet for solutions”, said Head of Brad Watridge of Hot Mustard Advertising. Barney Richardson points out the need for HVAC practitioners to evolve and be aligned with the patterns of this age in order to better service the market looking to HVAC practitioners to solve their needs, “The advent of new business innovations that comes with technology will call for out-of-the-box thinking from HVAC practitioners. And out-of-the-box thinking is informed by research and plenty of it”.