As few as 10-15 years ago, the main forms of marketing your product or business were television, radio, direct mail, and magazines. Today it is a totally different ball game and the rules have changed. The money follows the people and the people are on the internet.

In the past couple of years we have witnessed numerous newspapers and magazines shut  down.  Some of these were considered “icons” in the print world.

Why did they shut down?

They shut down because people have turned to the internet for their news and entertainment.  Even television and radio have seen drops in viewers and listeners because much of the same content is available on the internet.  We no longer have to be home at 8pm to catch a television show, because we can record it on our Tivo or Digital Video Recorder (DVR) or watch it online.

Smartphones are everywhere.  The simple cell phone is becoming rare because people want to access their media, emails, and the internet everywhere and all the time. With everyone on the internet via computers, phones, netbooks, gaming consoles, and soon the Apple iPad, it doesn’t make sense to buy expensive TV and radio commercial time, ads in newspapers, and spend lots of money on direct mailing.  The internet is faster, more,effective, and FREE!  The “Return On Investment” can be enormous. You also don’t need a lot of lead time for your advertisement on the internet like you do in traditional print media. The internet is instant!  When the market changes, you can react instantly on the internet.

Instead of placing expensive ads in print media, try using social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace, to let the world know about your product and build brand recognition As you mention your products and services on these sites, make sure you direct them to your website so they can get more information.  Once they arrive on your website, make sure  there is a obvious call to action to BUY your product or your service with a big easy to find link or button.