The need for new customers and the ability to retain existing ones is essential to the success of any good or service. The use of the internet as an advertising tool has developed in a number of different ways, growing in order to increase the benefit of marketing procedures.
Linked Ads
The use of adverts has always been one of the steps undertaken by marketers, however, the creation of the internet has changed the way these are used. Adverts will often be aligned with websites, blogs and and/or articles that relate to the same topic. For example, producers of cooking equipment will often use advertising space on a website or blog that relates to recipes. This makes it easy for the company to capture the attention of people who are specifically looking for cooking equipment, as well as those who may buy something on a whim while looking up a recipe. These advertisements can take several forms, such as plainly shown at the border, either static or scrolling. The website owner will often earn a commission when these adverts are clicked.
Hyperlinks
Another way that advertising on the internet takes place is with the use of hyperlinks. This works by adding a link to a particular word or phrase, which may appear in a standard article or blog post, for example. This will allow the reader to click on the word, which will open another web page that takes them to information about a specific product. For example, an article about motor vehicles may have a hyperlink attached to the name of a particular make of car, which will be able to be clicked to go to the official website for that make of car. Companies use this method of advertising on the internet to hook those people showing interest in buying their product or service.
Social Media
Creating a ‘buzz’ and getting people talking about a particular product creates an ideal way to advertise on the internet. Many companies have a presence on social media websites for this purpose. This enables the companies to hold competitions and giveaways, run surveys and even create games that relate to their product in order to attract attention from consumers. This advertising process has attracted some criticism for aiming game style adverts at children and by encouraging consumers to draw in others by offering rewards.
image: K.-U. Häßler – Fotolia