In the day and age of internet metrics, it is becoming increasingly difficult to discard any spend for sales, with a proven conversion rate, calculated margin etc.
And whilst the internet is cementing itself as a fully accountable and measurable medium, advertisers still struggle to calculate the effect of offline campaigns.
Given the current economic crisis, it still makes total sense to throw the budget in search, where you know exactly how much you will get back. Small businesses cannot afford to throw away marketing money to radio or small ads in high circulation mags as these could, or could not work out.
Proof of this is that budgets for direct marketing are not decreasing but increasing further. As other forms of expensive or experimental marketing are being put on hold, search and direct internet marketing seem the likely winners of 2008.
Crunching numbers yet and if so where are you throwing your budget?
