The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article:
February 2006, Volume 5, Issue 2

Online Vs. Offline: Address These Audiences Differently

by Jason Damas, Algorithmic Search Analyst, iProspect

Like many in the white collar working world, I spend 8 hours a day staring at a computer screen. I’m what JupiterResearch would call an intensive media user – someone who spends a large chunk of my time with media in general. After my brief hiatus from the computer during my evening commute, I’m at home and again back in front of the glowing screen, catching up on news and emails that I missed during my 45-minute trek up the interstate. As the evening wears on, I may trade my computer screen for a television screen. If I don’t, there’s a good chance I’ll pull a magazine off my towering unread pile.

I’m not alone in my media-consuming habits. According to the findings of the 2005 U.S. Entertainment and Media Consumer Survey by JupiterResearch, the most intensive media consumers have strong relationships with more than one type of media, with an especially large overlap (42%) between intensive consumers of TV and online. The most intensive online users are spending 50 percent more time online than they spend watching TV.

Newspapers Understand

The newspaper industry is an example of one that has caught on to this shift by tailoring their Web presence to a completely different readership than their hard copy audience. The JupiterResearch study found that with more than any other media, consumers are taking an either/or approach to newspapers and the Internet, with younger consumers in particular heavily favoring online media. Newspapers are having to address two distinct audiences – one online and one offline.

They can’t provide the same content, presented in the same way, to these two very different groups of people. Similarly, they can’t use their traditional promotions model to advertise their website: a print ad on page 3 of the sports section won’t work if your prospective readers never pick it up in the first place. Many newspapers have responded by introducing bloggers to replace or augment their columnists, by introducing message boards and other interactive features, or by offering entire sections of content online that aren’t available offline. Newspapers get it, and they have responded.

But Many Other Businesses Don’t

Other types of businesses, unfortunately, have been somewhat slower to act. Retailers and other ecommerce sites in particular seem hesitant about offering unique products or unique content online, or (in some cases) offering any Web content at all, thinking that it will distract from their site’s sales goals. The mistake they’re making is twofold: they’re wrongly assuming their online audience is the same as their offline audience (and so wouldn’t have unique product or content needs/preferences), and they’re missing an opportunity to utilize quality, persuasive content to help their sites achieve good rankings on the keywords they want to target. And according to the numbers from JupiterResearch, there’s a good chance that website visitors are more experienced media consumers in general, and as such, they’re arriving with a higher set of expectations.

Surprisingly, the Jupiter survey found that those expectations don’t include a lot of fancy Web wizardry like RSS feeds, podcasts, or mobile media – at least not yet. What these users DO want is something much simpler: an experience that speaks to them in a way that your offline presence does not. They want to be told about your products, about your industry, and about your history. For most companies, this means creating a website that may have different goals than your offline business. These users want more informative, educational content and a more interactive experience. They want to have all of their questions answered and they want it to be easy to do business with you. If not, they’ll bolt for one of your competitors, bringing their money with them.

Traditional media may still be an effective way to push your company’s brand in front of the eyes of prospects. It’s an entirely different story, however, when they come to you online: these are different users, with different desires, who make decisions in a different way. They’re there because they want something that they can’t get from your offline offering. Your job is to give it to them.

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The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article: February 2006, Volume 5, Issue 2

Online Vs. Offline: Address These Audiences Differently

The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article:
February 2006, Volume 5, Issue 2