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'Major new research has revealed that over 50 per cent of an average marketer's budget is now spent online. According to the research, over 70 per cent of companies use Search Engine Optimisation, Paid Search and e-mail marketing to in-house lists. The same research shows the use of offline marketing methods has largely decreased, with only press and television advertising growing, and that over 90 per cent of marketers see Online Lead Generation as a growth area - up from 82 per cent last year.
The research, which was carried out for Clash Media by research firm, e-Consultancy, revealed that 75 per cent of respondents now see Online Lead Generation as its own distinct area of online marketing and that 60 per cent of organisations still feel that they are not effectively exploiting it as a marketing method. Many companies use passive Search Engine Optimisation methods, which rely on a prospect actively searching for their product or service as opposed to Proactive Online Lead Generation, which uses the web to seek out potential prospects and deliver fully qualified leads for interested buyers.
"The increased use of online marketing methods shows how the market is changing," commented Luke Pursey, UK Managing Director, Clash-Media. "Organisations have lessened their use of marketing methods such as postal, telephone and radio, in favour of online methods. The most encouraging difference from last year's report is that now marketers are finally beginning to recognise Proactive Online Lead Generation as its own area of online marketing and not as a sub-division of affiliate marketing. The disconnect now is not getting people to understand what Online Lead Generation is, but helping them to make the most of it and maximise its potential as an extremely effective online marketing tool.
"It is interesting to note that the only two offline marketing methods which have increased in use are press and television," Luke Pursey continued. "These are the two offline methods which can be most easily linked to online marketing channels such as Search Engine Optimisation and Proactive Online Lead Generation. Companies are increasingly taking an integrated approach to their advertising, which is good because no one marketing tool will ever be 100 per cent efficient. The way to achieve the best results is to realise that many methods have their own individual benefits - with Online Lead Generation this is that it's not only very effective on its own, it can also fully support other campaigns in your marketing mix. Creating a really effective mix will help organisations to form a genuinely holistic marketing campaign."'
