Dont Baffle Me - Talk to Me

Congratulations, all you Internet marketing people you. You now command a whopping 3% of total advertising and marketing budget. Hey, it's better than, well...2%. And the number is trending higher. That's good too.

But what if I told you that people spend nearly as much time on the web as they do in front of the television?

Did you know that TV commands almost 40% of all ad spending, while the web gets only 3%? How about newspapers? Businesses spend almost as much on newspaper ads as television, but guess what? Consumers spend less than 10% of their time reading newspapers.

Clearly, if you judge just by the numbers, the web is underfunded. Why?

I have a theory: to most business decision-makers, the people who sell the web channel are geeks. They talk in web jargon and acronyms. For example, if I was a business owner (which I am) and had an inkling that email marketing might be successful for my business (which I do) and called an Internet marketing consultant to meet with me, here's what I might hear:

"Thank you for calling me in. What we provide is an ASP email solution that has easy-to-use WYSIWYG tools which, in addition to providing you outstanding content management, tracks click-throughs, white list status, and user conversions in real-time."

As a business decision-maker, I think: What did that geek just say to me?

Or let's take search marketing: "Sir, I'd like to talk to you about how we can dynamically measure your keyword PPC programs within the Google AdWords or Overture network to, again, track real-time user conversions using state-of-the-art web analytics systems, which, by the way, are an ASP model so your IT guys don't have to get involved. Isn't that great!?!?!"

Yeah. Not so great, pal, because YOU'RE NOT TALKING TO ME!

And we wonder why web marketing might be underfunded? The fledgling field is so proud of itself for its snazzy lingo and sizzling software that it's forgotten that this is just marketing -- only possibly a whole lot better in many ways than traditional marketing.

To get decision-makers fired up about investing in the Internet marketing channel, strip out the jargon and the acronyms and get down to business. If you do so, then you've finally got what everyone wants to buy: better marketing. Instead of selling "conversions" and "ASPs" -- which have no language connections to traditional advertising and marketing -- talk in real business language. A conversion is a sale or a lead. A user is a customer. Keywords are just words and language. Every Internet t erm has a seasoned business equivalent. Use them.

If we want to justify more than a 3% budget allocation for our web marketing efforts (which we can and should), then we need to talk about business in language that decision-makers use everyday. And whatever you do, if you say "it's just marketing" then don't make it sound like IT.

Until next month,

About The Author

Andrew determines Cicerons strategic direction and leads the team in its ongoing quest for client success on the Internet. His 10 years of experience in Internet marketing provides a perspective that combines visionary creativity with common business sense.

Under Eklunds spirited leadership, Ciceron provides web marketing services to a diverse client roster that includes Best Buy, Jostens, US Bank, Hazelden Bookplace, Minnesota Environmental Partnership, Trend Enterprises, and Coldwell Banker Burnett.

http://ciceron.com

andrew@ciceron.com

---

Joint Ventures - How They Can Benefit Your Business

Joint ventures are partnerships in which two or more businesses... Read More

Seven Marketing Questions You Should Ask Before You Get A 10 Year Old To Build Your Website

Google tells us there are 4 billion websites- almost one... Read More

DOI, a Proven Marketing Tool for Driving Traffic and Increasing Search Engine Rankings

The Digital Object Identifier otherwise known as the DOI is... Read More

The Relation Between Internet Marketing Education and Profits

Many people join internet business opportunities online blindly. By this... Read More

10 Scorching Ways To Heat Up Your Sales

1. Email each visitor a satisfaction questionnaire after they purchase.... Read More

7 Quick Marketing Tips To Uplift Your Profits

1. Publish an ezine.Your ezine will help you to stay... Read More

Catapult Your Marketing Success With Joint Ventures

There are many ways to make money on the internet.... Read More

My Secret To Selling More Big Ticket Items

Many aspiring Internet marketers hear all of the talk about... Read More

10 Ways To Increase Your Ads Efeectiveness

The current climate on the internet is very unfavourable to... Read More

Do Guaranteed Signup Programs Work? Discover the Hidden Truth About Paid Sign Ups

Jeff Mills, a popular internet marketer and entrepreneur told us,... Read More

Generating Sales with Lead Generation and Online Marketing Tools

One of the best projects to undertake as an online... Read More

Selling to Sellers - Utterly Stupid Idea or Not Quite?

The list of promotional tools and resources available to online... Read More

Online Marketing Donts

There are over 200 million people worldwide connected to the... Read More

Book Yourself Solid Key #4: Produce A Powerful Personal Brand That Sets You Apart

Copyright 2005 Michael Port & Associates LLCWould you rather be... Read More

The Tao of Web Marketing

A few months ago I was watching a stream meandering... Read More

You Gotta Think -- Strategic Internet Marketing!

Have you ever been lost in the woods - wondering... Read More

Free Marketing = Effective Marketing

According to Google.com there are over three billion web pages... Read More

How To Profit From HOT Niche Markets - Every Time!

Do you want to learn two proven niche marketing business... Read More

I Hate Asking for Referrals! ? 6 Proven Methods for Getting a Flood of Referrals Without Asking

Yes, I admit it - I hate asking for referrals... Read More

The Power of Taglines: Take My Tagline Test!

An effective logo/tagline combination can be one of the best... Read More

Interactive Content ? Blogs, Forums, and Feedback ? What Does Your Web Site Need?

The business principle of continued contact and online relationship building... Read More

Autoresponders = Automatic Internet Marketing Success

What if you could send out all the information that... Read More

Internet Marketing Tips from a 10-Year Old?

Can a 10-year-old teach you anything about Internet marketing? Until... Read More

What is So Exciting about Money and the Internet?

I believe it is a principle of human nature that... Read More

Do You Really BELIEVE You Have What It Takes To Make Your Website A Success?

Last week, on a cold, dark Friday night I stood... Read More

Mortgage Marketing: What To Expect From Your New Website

The day has come for your new website to go... Read More

7.5 Ways To Get More Sales Through Your Web Site

Yes, apparently - websites are supposed to make money! Somebody... Read More

5 Secrets to Building a Successful Internet Business

Everyday I talk with people who want to get started... Read More

Chasing New Business?

As well you should. New business is what makes the... Read More

Tracking & Troubleshooting for Increased Sales

So many times, online business owners are confused about where... Read More

George Bushs Secret To Successful Internet Marketing

Former U.S. president, George Bush Senior told the following story... Read More

Internet Marketing Promotion And Advertising Can Build Your Business

Internet marketing promotion & advertising are crucial for your website's... Read More

Targeting Online Customers

Although generating online traffic is an important goal of any... Read More