It seems like every project we work on these days has some kind of web component, and I’m sure we are not alone. At the end of the day the internet has allowed for a very cost-effective medium and means to compliment an existing marketing/ promotion strategy while tracking ROI results.

When faced with the online promotion question, we often recommend a social network for web based promotions (in addition to other web marketing iniatives) as an alternative to building a microsite. Social networking is simply defined as a branded forum for friends, business partners, or other individuals to connect using a variety of internet applications like instant messaging, chat and video postings. We are finding that this type of a platform compliments our client’s web strategy rather than works against it. On the other hand, a microsite is its own separate entity and diverts traffic from the main client site, especially when a client’s advertising pushes all traffic to the promo-microsite. Clients often invest huge amounts of money in developing their main site—so why try and re-create a diluted version of the original?

What’s worse than this is a microsite tends to be built for the duration of a promotion—3 to 4 months. All the efforts used to generate this traffic to the new microsite goes to waste once the promotion ends. Your main site and promotional sites should work seamlessly together, not independently. One example of an effective web strategy with an online community is the new Coca-Cola.com.

We are finding that our clients ask us to develop web strategies that extend beyond the limitations of their existing website in order to communicate on a one-to-one level with consumers over the long term, while at the same time allowing promotions to run on their actual website. In some cases we do recommend a microsite, especially when the client has had previous success with this website extension. There is a time and place for microsites, when used properly.

We are confident that social networks are the future—an interactive environment that connects the main brand website, existing customers/ brand advocates and new customers together in order to drive sales. A social network is all about anchoring your brand in the voice and values of your target audience.

Take the automobile industry as an example. Young adults are using the internet more often to determine whether they like a vehicle before heading to the dealership. They are strong supporters of advertisers that provide interactive content, news and product information within the website experience. For many, the car buying process begins with seeing/hearing an advertisement(s) and then checking out the website, automotive blogs and consumer reports before they commit to a test drive. In this case, the addition of a social network to an auto company’s existing web initiative would provide prospects with the positive reinforcement that they desire and seek from consumer reports and automotive blogs, all within the client’s controlled web environment.

An online social network also acts as the platform for future online promotions. It includes the ability to allow participants to submit contact details and content, as well as rank other content in order to win prizes and ultimately gain recognition from peers. All of these functions are perfect for developing a user-generated content contest environment. For example, the Colonies network (one of our recommended social network solutions) provides a place for existing members to express what they love about a brand to fellow members and comment about news and related information. A social network is a promotional, customer acquisition, profiling, research and customer retention strategic tool all in one!

Communities also drive databases by providing a brand with a more significant online presence and a stronger tie to sales or potential prospects. A social network platform is a far more powerful alternative to building a microsite. Some of the Advantages of a social network within your web strategy:

• Building a community and more significant online presence
• Increasing web traffic to existing website
• Connecting with your target audience through integrated content, advertising and promotions
• Generating spill over from the other online connected communities
• Database marketing opportunities
• Creating brand advocates that drive future brand enthusiasts
• Improving upon existing customer retention strategy
• Profiling and Market Research opportunities
• Site administrative responsibilities, security, upgrades and monitoring included

Some clients have numerous brand advocates and/or exciting offline clubs. A social network has the ability to gather offline members to join an online community—an effective way to retain brand enthusiasts and generate new members. A main social network could be created with sub-sites to accommodate existing clubs and brand supporters that are specific to individual products.

If you find that every time you speak with your current interactive agency about web based promotions and they preach microsite, microsite, microsite—it might be time to say good bye to them and call Henderson Robb to come up with a far more effective web strategy.