With an audience reach in the UK now well over 32 million individuals, the internet has become an essential consideration in any marketer’s media planning.

Online media planning is very different to traditional planning because the scope for channels and eventual delivery vastly exceeds those offered by the likes of TV. It is possible to buy 'off the shelf' formats but the true richness of the medium is at its strongest when a plan is centred around the creative idea and what will best engage the audience.

Anti-Tobacco campaign for COI Case Study from Dare Digital

The challenge the COI gave Dare was that the 17-30 year audience tend not to be swayed by the long-term effects of smoking and have overlooked messages based on death. The solution they came to was to focus on the dangers of impotence from smoking. The resulting work was an excellent example of how a creative idea infomed the media plan. Dare illustrated the claim that smoking impacts sexual performance by making the advertising formats flop, droop and shrink.

• Visit our Rich Media Roadshow to see the work in action and to learn the results

Connecting with your consumers: choosing the right channels

Internet marketing allows you to engage consumers at every stage of the consideration process. Unlike most other media, the internet can be influential at both the point of interest in a product and the point of purchase. Online can build awareness, provide detailed information, gain registrations, build a customer base and, of course, display products. What online tools will best engage achieve your objectives?

From raising awareness through rich and engaging display advertising, to responding to their initial enquiry through a search engine, to offering them more information on a website, to listening and responding to their views through online discussion forums, to providing expert insight through a podcast- the internet allows a constant dialogue with the consumer.

In order to choose the ways in which to engage your potential customers it is important to establish who you are talking to and the profile of your audience. Online behaviour differs markedly depending on age. For example, 25-34 urban professionals rely heavily on the web for work, communication and planning their social lives. However, 34-45 women with families are more likely to be managing the home, banking and sourcing information on hobbies and interest (Panlogic). Read more about Consumer planning

Working with the right partner

Online media planning is largely serviced by four types of internet marketing companies:

• Traditional media agency with a digital offering Agencies that have for years planned and booked TV, Print..etc and have recognised the need to expand or even re-engineered their processes around digital
  
• Online specialists that are experts in online media planing
  
• Online full service agencies that offer both media planning and creative services
  
• Niche specialists such as search agencies and affiliate marketing agencies

• Visit our Membership Directory to contact these internet marketing companies

Measurement

Make sure you agree relevant metrics from the outset. The internet is so accountable, it’s often too accountable: if you try and measure everything you will be drowning in a sea of data in no time! Pick two or three relevant metrics that are linked to your objectives. It will then be clear which formats and sites are working for you and you can optimise each element according to its performance.