Assassin Marketing asked:


Advertising today has definitely evolved, just as people and businesses continue to find and discover ways of sharing information with one another. Back then, it was almost imperative for businesses to grace the pages of that thick yellow phonebook more fondly known as the Yellow Pages. The traditional yellow page advertising has been a key promotional tool for businesses to create awareness for their products and services, and sell it to the public.

The advent of the Internet, however, started to alter the way people do things; businesses responded to this by exploring new ways of communicating with and addressing the needs of the people. Today, an increasing number of transactions are already being done online and information-sharing and dissemination over the Net has never been more widespread now than it was before. More businesses are likewise actively promoting themselves online, taking advantage of the growing number of Internet users and wider reach of an online medium. Thus, there came the emergence of online marketing.

Online marketing is fast growing in popularity as an effective advertising tool, and continues to post itself as a viable alternative to the traditional yellow page advertising, especially in a fast-paced and tech-savvy environment. Any avid Internet user today would actually notice that a lot of businesses today have websites where they promote their product and service offerings, and share other types of company information. In contrast, the once very thick Yellow Pages seem to have fewer pages lately, an indication that businesses are recognizing the benefits of increasing their online presence against advertising the traditional way. A thorough comparison of the two modes of advertising reveal that online marketing indeed has a greater number of benefits versus yellow pages advertising. Let me share with you ten benefits which top my list.

First, the Internet allows businesses to share more information to potential customers. Businesses practically have limitless space in their websites which they could fill in and update with information. On the other hand, yellow page advertising has a limit in terms of space that may be utilized to post certain content. The more information is shared in the Yellow Pages, the greater is its investment requirement.

Second, marketing initiatives done online are more easily searchable as compared to those advertised in the Yellow Pages. With the right key words, businesses can easily make their websites accessible to their target market. Information searches done using the Internet is much faster than manual scanning of the Yellow Pages.

Third, online marketing is more cost effective than yellow page advertising. Setting up, designing and running a website could be done for just a small amount of investment. On the contrary, the use of offline medium is known to cost substantially, even reaching thousands of dollars, while being bound by space and time limitations.

Fourth, online marketing makes it possible for businesses to attract hundreds, even thousands, of visitors to their sites, and create two-way interactions with them. Websites can be easily programmed to collect information from site visitors and keep in touch with them. This kind of functionality is not available in the traditional yellow page advertising.

Fifth, customer loyalty is more easily gained via online marketing. The Yellow Pages are simply all about ads, nothing more and nothing less. Meanwhile, websites may contain newsletters, updates and other attention-grabbing information links that encourage repeat customer contact.

Sixth, establishing credibility and gaining the customers’ trust are easier achieved through online marketing than yellow page advertising. Aside from ad placements, company websites can contain a whole range of information that can give customers better knowledge about a company and its products and services. The more customers know about a company, the greater is their tendency to trust it and see it as being reliable.

Seventh, online marketing offers greater convenience and flexibility in terms of updating information, at practically no additional cost. Businesses have total control of the content of their websites and they can modify it at any time they wish. Yellow page advertising does not have this kind of flexibility. In addition, any update done on traditional advertising usually requires additional investment.

Eighth, the effectiveness of marketing initiatives could be measured faster when the online medium is used. Site visits or hits as well as inquiries related to an online advertising placement, for instance, can be readily tracked as compared to calls received in response to a yellow page advertisement.

Ninth, marketing online allows companies to better demonstrate their competitive advantages and support their unique selling propositions. A website highlights the merits of a particular company, while the Yellow Page merely categorizes a company, together with its competition.

Lastly, online marketing has far greater reach than yellow page advertising. Web presence exposes businesses to the whole world, allowing it to tap not only local but international prospects as well. This opens promising opportunities for business growth and expansion later on.

There is no doubt about the power and capabilities of the Internet as an effective marketing tool. No wonder more and more businesses are shifting their budget allocations to enhance their web presence. With the right planning and use of resources, companies can make the most out of online marketing, the next big thing in the field of marketing and advertising.

Article Submitter asked:


If Business is to profit, then Marketing is to business. Since, without marketing, business is not possible whether it is done in any form. Even traditional business had some marketing tactics, be it delivery unto buyer place or flexibility in payment terms. Ultimately, what can turn on more business is often considered as marketing and its implementation after analysis of the situations from time to time can be termed as strategy. I often found, when you say strategy, people nod their head but when it comes to know what is strategy they loose the color of their face.

Strategy is a factor which construes marketing and marketing runs on strategy. What RCC beams are to a building  in the same manner strategy is for marketing .if one claims to be doing marketing without strategy then he may be fooling himself and more to others as without strategy in any manner , marketing is not possible.

The very next thing which comes is how to make strategies for marketing the product?

Before that, let us take some pain to understand what exactly is strategy. Strategy is nothing but understanding the basics of positioning a product, features and potential of product, strength and weakness of products, timely review of planning’s etc and then analyzing it to conclude with some parameters for selling the same product with respect to different zones and geographical areas, this result into strategy. Isn’t it very simple. If one makes simple strategy, he makes simple way to success in business.

After Strategy, What Next?

Then comes the real marketing play. Again, it is followed by another question how to and what can be the modes of marketing.

Lets us see which mode is required, when marketing modes option comes to be chosen for business:

Whether Online Marketing?

Whether Offline Marketing?

Before, discussing about advantages and dis-advantages as well as requirement of online marketing, let’s see the modes and strategies of offline marketing.

a. Direct Marketing

b. Telemarketing

c. Advertisement in TV

d. Campaign based advertisement in Radio.

e. Advertisement in public places, public transportation

f. Participation in Exhibitions & Trade Shows

g. Door to Door Marketing

h. Promotional campaigns

i. Discounts and offers

j. Referral Marketing

k. Public Relations

l. Print Media

M. sponsoring some events, sports etc.

The list can have much more to it, but the aforesaid are considered to be the prominent amongst any other options possible or available for any person.

So, after doing, still one requires any other mode of marketing, before we make a hasty decision, what if some online marketing options are just explored:

a. Contacting and Responding through Mail

B. Advertisement in Google, Yahoo

C. Advertisement through Ad brite

D. Advertisement in Blogs

E. Advertisement in most popular sites and portals

f. Article Marketing

g. Affiliate Marketing

h. Online Viral Marketing

i. Email Marketing

j. Activities in Forum & Social bookmarking

K. Linking with quality sites

l. Banner Exchange

m. Search Engine Optimization via Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Many more to be added, even in this sphere alone.

After referring to all, do you feel one is required and sufficient and if one is, then which one .Then I must answer that absolutely NOT, one cannot be a substitute for other, but both are required.

Because, Offline, marketing is very well known potential mode of marketing and will always be required but at the same only offline marketing will not do justice to your marketing, still don’t believe, then just check the truth as stated below:

a) Round the globe more than 50% business is carried out and communicated through mails which is online mode.

b) Corporates, SMEs, MNC all are dependant upon mail for communication.

c) Young generation is net savvy.

d) People are dependant upon websites to fulfill their basic necessities be it

1) jobs, 

2) accommodation,

3) buying and  selling

4) marriage

5) chatting

6) communication

7) outsourcing work

filing tax returns

9) gathering any information etc

10) on an average more than 50% business man and involved in international trade use B2b Portals to effect the business .

If this is the some eye opening facts , can still one keep away from online marketing ………….Now You Decide !