How Will Search Fit Into The Media Mix In 2011?

A recent Jupiter Research report projects that by 2011 online advertising budgets will be 9% of the overall advertising budget. The important aspect of this projection is to try to explain exactly what is meant by “online” advertising.

Why? Most of the traditional mediums have moved into an online – or digital format – in one way or another. TV programs now play (and even premier) on computers and iPods, radio stations are now streamed right to your desktop or via satellite, and you can read news almost anywhere as long as your bring along a cell phone, PDA or laptop.

The future of advertising lies in the connection of all of these digitized mediums. Tracking what a person watches on TV, reads in the news, searches for, and ultimately buys will reward marketing campaigns with the highest ROI, while companies stuck in the past wondering if their print campaign is having a positive effect will be left scratching their heads and explaining to their bosses and/or clients.

The future all digital marketing can be targeted to the consumer based on a long list of variables, including their location, interests and behaviors. Someone who may searching online for a new home in San Diego can later in the day be delivered targeted TV ads from Pardee or Shea Homes talking about their new developments. Later in the week on Saturday while driving though a few local neighborhoods the same person may receive a text message about an open house a few blocks away that matches the specs of the house he is looking for. This concept is illustrated in John Battellle’s book The Search where all behavior that is collected through a digitized medium can be collected and used to better target each marketing campaign.

Search Marketing, which in the last five years has grown at a pace unmatched by most other industries, will ultimately continue to be an integral part of marketing in the future five. Its purpose of connecting consumers with information on which to base future purchases will only strengthen the effectiveness of other advertising mediums we all will be plugged into.