The information age has dramatically affected the marketing industry, and determining the most appropriate marketing mix has become more important than ever.

When determining which tools will be the most effective for you, it’s important to allow fundamental marketing principles to guide you. Keep in mind your marketing strategy, objectives and key messages. Think of digital media tools as tactics, which should align with your overall strategies, and a mix of online & offline tactics can be used in tandem to achieve the same result.  Online mediums can drive traffic on-site, and in-store advertising can directing customers back to your website.

Do I need to develop my brand for mobile web?
In 2010, more mobile devices were purchased in North America than desktops and laptops. By 2015, Comscore predicts that more people will surf the web from their mobile devices than from their desktops. Do you need to rethink your business and your online presence to be mobile-friendly? Without a doubt.

Do we need to be involved in social media?
Your brand needs a profile on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn at a minimum.  With over half a billion users on Facebook, and 175 million on Twitter, and 90 million on LinkedIn, these social networking site are here to stay. Using social media is a quick and easy way to share your company’s news and stimulate discussion about topics that are important to your industry. Social media monitoring also offers an abundant source of information about what’s happening in your market if you are actively listening.

Can we afford to produce web videos?
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, next to Google, and reaches all major age groups online (Comscore), not to mention that video is much more effective for product demonstration. So the real question is, can you afford not to have a video presence? Every brand should have a short promotional video to explain the core of your business can be used as a feature on your website, YouTube channel, Facebook page, and anywhere else that video can be shared.

Creating a series of web videos has become much more simple, affordable with declining prices and increased quality of video recording equipment. Distribution is a breeze with syndication programs such as TubeMogul. Content should be created in a way that is easily reproducible, you can provide how-to’s, insight, reviews or even conduct interviews – whatever makes the most sense for you.

Should we be advertising online?
Online advertising is an effective way of communicating your brand message to a large audience. The benefit of online advertising is the ability to laser-target into the deepest niches, and to tweak your program along the way to get the best results. So you can purchase an ad with Google that can reach people searching for the topic or phrases that you decide are most valuable. Facebook ads are also very similar, and can be purchased to reach people by demographic information or by the things that they “like” on Facebook. In 2010, 27.7% of online ad impressions in Canada were happening on social media sites and blogs (ComScore). Every online ad host offers instructional videos on how to use them effectively, or if you’re able to, many agencies employ specialists in online ad spend who can really help you get bang for your buck.

Are location based services useful?
What could be more valuable than reaching your audience when they are physically closest to the point of purchase? Facebook Places, Foursquare, Gowalla and even Google Maps allow opportunities for your business to promote specials to users on their mobile devices.

Why develop online games?
Online games can add some excitement and engagement to your promotions, where you may have previously offered a coupon or an enter to win contest.  Providing a fun way for your audience to become involved will not only increase the time they spend with your brand, but also increases the likelihood of your message being shared among friends.

Summary
2011 will be another year of online innovation, and marketers who are not willing to consider the possibilities will be left behind. Other popular trends to watch for are e-commerce and group buying sites, which highlight even more the tie between online habits driving in-store purchases.

Use the strengths that your team members bring to the table, and ensure that your entire team is aware of your objectives, so that they can work in tandem using their own areas of expertise to help the cause.