Business-to-Business Internet Marketing, Fourth Edition - Lifecycle ...

Integrating Online and Offline Marketing 317
to individuals who registered, said they would attend, and provided
their e-mail addresses. Use fax and telephone confirmations
only when e-mail addresses are not available.
4. Cross-promote the seminar using online advertising and public
relations targeted to your audience rather than traditional advertising.
Appropriate media might include mentions and sponsorships
in e-mail newsletters, promotions on pertinent community
sites, and banners/interstitials placed on targeted Web sites.
Notice in this example that there was a true interrelationship of
online and offline marketing. You did not completely eliminate offline
marketing, instead you used it to push prospects to the Internet. By
using online and offline marketing in this way, you are likely to have a
significant impact on your marketing ROI as you take advantage of the
growing dependence on, and preference for, the Internet. The bottom
line is this:
1. You reduce the cost of your direct mail seminar invitation by
making it less elaborate and driving response to the Web—where
prospects get full seminar details. You provide additional helpful
service to prospects by acknowledging their registrations instantly
online and by offering exact seminar locations with maps.
2. Overall response to the promotion could increase because you
have facilitated response by adding a Web response path. This
will probably become the preferred method of response in the
future for most b-to-b audiences. On the Web, they can get more
information about the seminar without the need to speak to anyone,
and they can easily register online.
3. Online registrants will likely be higher-quality prospects because
they take the time to visit the URL, review detailed information,
and complete the registration form.
4. Using a series of e-mail confirmations and reminders, which you
send prior to the event, could significantly reduce your “no-show”
rate (which is typically 50 to 60% for live seminars). E-mail is
much less expensive than telephone calls and even faxes. It goes
directly to the recipient and is likely to be read.