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The proliferation of new media can sometimes be confusing for the marketer to determine how and what to leverage – if at all. You already have to divide your marketing budget between print, TV, radio or web and now there are a number of new venues. How do you decide?

Ultimately it is all about talking to your customers when, where and how they want – this will make them the most receptive to your message. As with all advertising, but specifically new media, it is critical that you understand the culture of the medium before you attempt to leverage it for marketing purposes. A prime example is of a corporation wanting to develop a corporate blog, in order to appear “tapped in” and appeal to a “cooler” demographic, but not understanding the rules. In many cases, strategies such as this can backfire and damage your brand rather than deliver the intended goal.

In the Financial Services industry, online advertising is a critical component of a broad marketing campaign. For independent advisors, consultants or brokers, the Internet presents a valuable opportunity to level the playing field and increase your reach at a much lower cost than conventional advertising. Increasing your online presence can also enable you to reach younger target audiences, who, as a group, spend far less time watching television or listening to the radio than their parents’ generation.

But online marketing also has challenges of its own. While Canadians spend more time online than any other country in the world, the volume of messaging that is out there means that businesses need to work harder to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Below are a few strategies that you can use to leverage online marketing:

Marketing, in all areas, is becoming more consumer-based than ever before and savvy marketers are always looking for ways to create meaningful experiences with their brands. Targeted, personalized messaging, user-friendly web interfaces and innovative lead generation activities are just a few ways that companies can build powerful brand experiences and measure successes.

Online forums, blogs, guides and chat rooms provide opportunities for you to reach a targeted group of educated consumers, and ad space is often less expensive than traditional advertising. Many online search portals such as Sympatico.MSN.ca (http://finance.sympatico.msn.ca) and Yahoo Canada (http://ca.finance.yahoo.com) provide real time news coverage, stock feeds and online tools and can create just as much buzz as a mainstream publication.

Smart sells. Used properly, new media can present unique opportunities to reach your audience, and increase the reach of established campaigns. Post past radio and television campaigns on your website or on YouTube as commercials often gain significant followings well after they are aired. Add RSS feeds to your website so that your audience can receive the latest news, findings or press releases right to their desktops.

The challenge is in determining how to spend you marketing budget – this all comes back to really understanding your target market.

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Summer Office Hours: Please note that the Kaleidoscope Office will close at 2 p.m. on Fridays from May 25 through Friday, August 31, 2007.

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