The impact of the Internet on the field of advertising Research Paper

The impact of the Internet on the field of advertising - Research Paper Example Moreover, the other important question is regarding the effectiveness of online advertising. It is said that the online advertising is less costly but whether the returns on investment from online advertising are more profitable than traditional advertising is another important question that needs to be answered. Kim & McMillan, (2008) believe that the internet is allowing companies to engage with consumers in a more interactive and personalized manner, which is why we see companies employing online mechanisms heavily for consumer related advertising. So how are companies exactly reaching out to customers via the internet is the question. Online promotion can take different shapes and forms, with firm’s using a combination of methods according to what they perceive is the best way to approach their target audience. Web marketing is one such method, whereby a corporation creates its own websites to inform customers of its products and services, places adverts on search engines or other relevant pages of affiliate websites to increase awareness, or makes its own page available to users who search for it using such search engines (Manchanda, et al., 2006). Email marketing is another technique whereby a firm sends promotional messages, newsletters, product updates etc. to the personal ema il accounts of its customers (Saeed, Hwang, & Grover, 2003). In some cases, potential customers who form the target audience are also included for wider reach if they subscribe to the service (Saeed, Hwang, & Grover, 2003). The third and perhaps the most powerful approach is social media marketing (Kim & McMillan, 2008). The internet has set up social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and GooglePlus which hosts large swathes of the world population. Firms have used this facility to their advantage by setting up their own company pages which not