If you’re a fan of the popular HBO series Mad Men, you probably don’t need to be reminded of just how old old-style advertising seems in this, the age of the internet, as any internet Kamagra jelly marketing agency exec can attest.

If you’re unfamiliar with the series, Mad Men is all about a fictional New York advertising firm in the 60s. It showcases the rise and fall of hot-shot executives. These execs were kings of “the big idea” in their era, a role that’s fallen largely to internet marketing consultants today.

The 1960s was the perfect era in which to set this type of program because this time period was all about change and big ideas. All an agency had to do was put together a creative advertising strategy and promote it to the masses via television – the most popular outlet of the day. Simple and to the point – if you were a large company with a big marketing budget.

Fast forward 40 years. The landscape for business – especially when it comes to marketing — is far more complicated. There’s been a shift brought on by globalisation, the emergence of the internet and the complexities of marketing online and off.

This spawned the need for a new form of marketing; hence, the emergence of the internet marketing agency and internet marketing consultants. Following are four main areas felt by this shift:

The Long Tail

Unless you work as an internet marketing consultant, you may not be familiar with the long tail. It’s the strategy of selling niche products and services to expanded markets. The phrase was coined by Chris Anderson, the author of Wired magazine.

The long tail demonstrates to niche companies how they can increase sales by offering a wider range of products via the internet. It has opened up markets to small and micro businesses that were previously inaccessible to them – allowing them to sell their products worldwide.

Entrepreneurs from chocolatiers to niche record collectors have reached beyond their local communities, selling their wares worldwide to consumers seeking their types of products and services.

The Power of Search

This vast increase in reaching new markets is made possible by search technology. Internet search engine pioneers like Google and Yahoo have been wildly successful – and become very rich — by giving consumers exactly what they want which is simple, relevant, useful information.

The first thing an internet marketing consultant will tell any online marketer is that search engines empower consumers, giving them the ability to source relevant information for themselves.

By putting the “power of the search,” if you will, in the hands of the masses, traditional advertising agencies have seen their influence decline – and the rise of the internet marketing agency has come to pass. And why wouldn’t it when consumers can so readily access and compare information online before they make purchasing decisions?

It’s All About You

Time magazine declared “You” as person of the year in 2006. This annual award is historically reserved for presidents, noted peacemakers and elder statesmen. Time was ahead of the curve, spotting a new trend and announcing that the future belonged not to institutions, but to individuals and communities who could carve out an online voice.

This “online voice” eventually became known as Web 2.0. It was yet another shift away from traditional media control. Since its inception, Web 2.0 individuals have found it relatively easy to stay connected. The various tools that make this possible include social networking communities like Facebook and business networking sites like LinkedIn.

One of the most popular tools though has been the power of the blog, which allows individuals to publish – unfiltered – their own thoughts and beliefs, taking the power of “You” to a whole new level.

Listen and Engage

What all of this means is that now, enterprises must compete for a customer’s attention. This has been a hard pill to swallow for many marketing managers who cling to the belief that if they send out enough messages to the masses, some of it will stick.

But any internet marketing consultant will tell you, this no longer works. In this new era, customers want to be listened to and engaged. It’s no longer an option; it’s a necessity. Proof?

Some of the most innovative, effective marketing examples recently have come from small and micro businesses who’ve grasped this concept of “new media advertising.” They carefully craft their messages, using email and other online PR to not only reach out to consumers, but to build loyalty, which leads to increased sales.

The rise of the internet marketing agency has a place in this new media landscapes. It helps businesses recognize and adapt to this shift in consumer attitudes and the emerging world of “new media marketing.”

The question is, will companies rise to the challenge and embrace this new media revolution, or stay stuck in the 60s marketing like mad men?

Author Bio: Paul McGarrity is an internet marketing consultant at Octave Online Communications. The company offer internet marketing services including SEO, Pay Per Click, Online PR, Social Media Marketing and Email Marketing – visit OctaveOC.com for details.

Category: Internet Marketing
Keywords: Internet Marketing Agency, Internet Marketing Consultant