I hear it time and time again from clients, “Just take our magazine ad and re-size it for the banner ad.”  UGH!

If you are not going to speak to your consumer in the manner in which they are listening, why do it at all?  They probably won’t hear you. And if they don’t hear you, they aren’t going to do what you want them to do. And isn’t whether or not they do what you want them to do how you calculate, say it with me, ROI?

Yes, magazines are a great way to reach an audience with specific interests, incomes and tastes.  But because of that, the magazine reader is in a very receptive mode to the content and messages being shared within the publication.

It’s just not the same with an online consumer.  They’ve got lots of things going on not only in their mind, because they are looking for something specific, but also because there is a lot of noise.  Slapping up a static magazine-type of ad just isn’t going to work.

Here’s some things to think about when it comes to online marketing:

• Banner Ads:

Make your message dynamic & interesting by incorporating rich media, in-banner questionnaires, etc. Something, ANYTHING, to grab their attention. Check out this funny banner ad by Pringles.

Send your consumer directly to the place where they can find the information and create custom landing pages to test your messaging.

• Email:

Whether you use an interest list or a purchased list, these consumers have said, “Yes, please let me know about your offerings.”  Don’t send them junk that doesn’t apply.  You want them to click through, be engaged & even spread the word – not unsubscribe!

• Social Media:

This is not your personal Facebook page where you constantly talk about yourself.  You’ve got to have a strategy to get your fans engaged.  Creating a page and uploading an ad or two does you no good.  If you’re not going to do it right, don’t do it at all.

So what do you think?  Can an ad designed for print work in an online application? What other best practices can you recommend for online marketing?