I have friends who blog on all sorts of topics: childcare, politics, and family, to name just a few. So it’s a concept I was familiar with, but not one I had considered as a legitimate outreach method for my clients – until recently. The same goes for e-mail campaigns (expect an article in a future issue) and landing pages (see the article in issue three). I think what is happening is that I am finally coming to terms with the changing public relations and marketing landscape. To remain effective, it looks like we’ll have to accept, or at the very least acknowledge, some new rules. In my estimation, this is both good and bad.
The bad, I think, is temporary. The problem I see with Internet marketing (e-mail outreach, e-newsletters, blogging, landing pages, etc.) is that none of these methods is widely accepted by the public. So while you’ll invest a lot of time and energy perfecting and implementing these strategies, you may not see the same kind of results you can expect from traditional outreach (direct mail, advertising, earned media, etc.). Yet.
It’s only a matter of time before a Web-based marketing campaign nets the same results as traditional methods. And even now, while many people won’t respond in the same way to Internet outreach, they certainly expect it. I know that I prefer an electronic newsletter to a paper one (the environmentalist in me), and I love it when I have a chance to add my thoughts on issues addressed by an organization’s Web site (usually in the form of a listserv or discussion forum, but a blog that allows for responses does the job too). And I certainly give e-mail updates or event notices the same attention I give to paper solicitations or invitations. In this respect, I doubt I’m terribly unique.
The good, I think, is intrinsic in the Internet, and therefore is here to stay. Internet marketing is one of the least expensive ways to reach your audience. Registering a Web site can cost as little as $20, and maintaining it can be free (if you have the time, talent, and inclination). Sending mass e-mails (not spam, mind you) can be done from your current e-mail program at no cost, or for larger campaigns, through a service for a small fee (see Tech Tips in issue three). Blogs require only your time and your opinion.
This effectively puts cause organizations on financial par with anyone else trying to market a product, service, or behavior change. Although I believe that more money does not necessarily make a better outreach campaign, even I have to acknowledge that it takes some capital (often quite a lot) to launch a successful, traditional campaign. So while I am a fan of nearly all methods of outreach, I have to admit that I have a particular affection for anything inexpensive or free.
In truth, these days, successful campaigns need to combine the two approaches. But in the near future, organizations with little capital will be able to focus most of their energy on Internet-based outreach methods without seeing less of a response than if they devoted time and energy solely to traditional methods. I look forward to this future, because as you might guess, I love anything that levels the marketing playing field for cause organizations.
Amy Buringrud
Editor, Media Savvy eJournal
