The primary aim of ads is to solicit for the
business. It is in the way that they attempt to perform this function
that the various mediums differ. When Online Advertising started around
1997, it initially continued the tradition of the media that preceded
it. Up it went on the podium with a drum around its neck and a scroll
primary divided into two parts: the USP of the business and a call to
buy! Thankfully, the newer and broader opportunities of the medium were
soon seen and realized. The most prominent change was the change of
tone. With the Online Medium, Advertisements are no longer mere calls of
action but extended greetings for building conversations that may lead
to relations, associations and conversions.

Reasons for the Change

Conventional advertising had reached a saturation point in the late
twentieth century. In spite of the manifold attempts of advertisers and
publishers, the audiences had largely learnt to stop bothering about
them. They served as menus only when the consumers were hungry. The
ability to charm new consumers was lost by the media in general. Online
Advertising brought in new opportunities of reviving that charm. Soon,
the one-way communication of Advertising changed into a two-way process
with the internet users being able to reply in response to
Advertisements. The inflow of feedbacks was seen as the beginning of a
new dimension. Then, with the social media activating the buttons of
like and share, the power of Online Advertising to start a conversation
has reached trendsetting proportions.

Advantages

The most important advantage of starting a communication, rather than
persuading, is the development of a base for long term relationships.
Persuading might work for the initial few times but there are only a
certain number of times that you can persuade someone to buy the same
product or service. Non-committed, short-term consumers are the best
that can be achieved by persuasion. A conversation, on the other hand,
leads to more than just one entry of sales. It leads to a long term
customer relationship. Any management knows that retaining an existing
customer is far easier and lower on cost than chasing new leads.

It is much easier to convince a consumer with whom you have interacted
before than convincing someone with whom you are talking for the first
time. Companies that know the worth of a loyal consumer have very active
customer care departments. Online Advertising initiates that relation
with the consumer right from the first contact.

An established communication line helps solve a problem with promptness which can do wonders for enhancing brand reputation.

Constant and fluent communication provides opportunities for real time
monitoring of the impact of the ads among users. When necessary, changes
can be done (sometimes even before they become necessary) at a speed
that is the trademark of Online Advertising.

Disadvantages

An open-ended communication line may create a very tedious task for the
ones monitoring the influx of comments, opinions, queries, etc. It
requires intelligent strategies to be able to manage the additional
tasks like these that are created along with the opportunities by Online
Advertising.

In all fairness, there cannot be many
disadvantages of being in active communication with the consumers. The
only care that needs to be taken is a successful monitoring of the
reactions to the ads. This can be easily achieved by any worthy Online
Advertising Agency.