As I dance around the edge of the proverbial internet marketing pool, it will be inevitable that I fall in again. I recently “Fired My Agency” and started the local job search, only to find all the usual suspects looking to hire. I first noticed how their were positions available with some of my ex-agencies clients. They sought out a in-house approach now that they knew what to look for. There was of course the IYP’s looking for soldiers to front their “weak” marketing platforms (leveraged by the print directory) and spread worthless propaganda. There were no positions visible for SEM/SEO  managers needed, with growing small to midsized companies. Is there a shortage of “growing” or “mid-sized” companies?

As look at the internet marketing industry from a different point of view, I begin to see the vulnerability of companies big and small.

There is no doubt that the economy will have a effect on the amount of capital ear marked for online advertising. The last to come ,first to go ,seems to be the common method. This type of blind denial will not aid a ailing company who need nothing more than to lose visibility to there demographic online.

Why is it that when we feel financial jabs & punches do we first cut those things that sustain our very existence. ( marketing and sales)

I am not a Wharton business school graduate, nor should it take one to realize the importance of an online marketing strategy as well as a presence to achieve that goal. This sentiment will most certainly begin to grow as, the consumer education of the benefits of online marketing grows. The nimber of agencies offering internet marketing options will continue to grow (with SaaS). The lack of regulation and best practices will also aid in the degredation of SEM quality.

The one benefit to this hyper growth will be the consumers immersion in the lingo and channels that internet marketing consist of. Business owners will be on the front lines trying to decipher friend from foe. Many business owners who seek a fast fix to their marketing and a cost effective internet introduction, will more than likely give some ruthless and cunning sole a portion of their (not so easy to come by) dollars and never hear or see from that SEM again. While this lack of presence may protect the business owner from continued fraud, the will be a loss felt.

The next scenario, probably the most common, will be a well known or locally known agency dropping names and using charts and graphs to show/defend their actions. These types of agents operate as though they will be your life preserver, only when you need them to make a change or explain a method or result, you be hit with upsale, upsale, upsale! Let me be clear that not all local agencies or SEM fall into this category, only a few.

The last type of predatory online marketer, the worst, is also the best at providing temporary results, with no long term strategy. This may confuse some , because you do actually get a result and ROI, but at what cost, literally. This is not just “a build it and they will come” venture. there needs to be a well thought out plan of attack with clear goals and metric to consider. ROI is not always the best result, sometimes online market awareness is more valuable. The reason to avoid these types are obvious, high price. Their results while quick, diminish and not hold page rank. The site they use may not take in consideration “conversion” tactics, which would be like inviting all your potential clients into a dirty store with a poor salesman. Leaving a bad taste in the mouths of consumers and search engines alike will have long-term effects. These effects can range from over-priced keywords to loss of e-commerce, none of which is where you need to be.

Moving on, in order to defend yourself and your business from predatory online marketers, educate yourself, look for the signs (pie-in-the-sky, and high prices) and remember the best form of marketing during economic crisis is online advertising. It reaches more people for less dollars.

Tags: Punch Lines //