The online marketing landscape has shifted due to economic factors, but also due to consumer behavior. Disruptive technologies and compelling online marketing lures them away and focuses their attention on trying something new. In this economic downturn online marketers must attract prospects with highly targeted and relevant messaging and quickly and succinctly provide compelling reasons to explore the brand further.

So how do you win this war in this shifting market environment? I believe that you must continue to develop the Big Ideas, the Big Concepts and the Big Results online to stay in front of the shift. I offer these guidelines for 2009:

1) Present a compelling and entertaining online brand message and give the buyer control over choices

2) Make the online buyer’s research and buying experience personal and FUN

3) Include mobile marketing and emerging technologies into strategic plans and assure that due diligence is given to the technology and platforms chosen

4) Target online advertising to audiences with pinpoint accuracy to assure conversion to real business; track everything for return on investment

5) Engage a strategy for Social Networking in the web site, the marketing and the media programs as well as track and monitor online reputation and public relations

6) Move faster and smarter and take the lead. Competitors will be out in front and slow movers will quickly be old news.

7) Focus only on what measures real business and engage those tactics. Allocate budget accordingly.

Online marketing will grow to a $60 Billion industry in the next 5 years. Today’s environment offers unlimited opportunities to take a lead…. Don’t miss it.

Till Next Time,

Leah Woolford

Founder and CEO, USDM.net

lwoolford@usdm.net