In an end-of-the-year survey, ad:tech and MarketingSherpa asked online marketers what marketing tactics worked for them in 2006 and what they expected to concentrate their time and spending on in the months ahead.
Here is what the online marketers said:
First off, and keeping in mind that the sample consisted of the early-adopter ad:tech audience — not the whole marketing world — so responses were skewed accordingly, the marketers expect overall online spending to rise slightly from 47% of the budget in 2006 to 49% in 2007.
Not much change for a group that has largely already adopted online advertising techniques and strategies.
When the marketers were asked what worked best — and worst — the results were clearer. Search engine optimization (SEM) showed the biggest jump in 2006, while pop-up ads had the largest decline in favor.
In addition, marketers like house e-mail lists, but started shying away from rented e-mail lists.
Those findings were reflected in the answers to the question "Where's the money going in 2007?" Search marketing and e-mail marketing to house lists are in the lead for this year, while e-mailing to third-party lists is only going to be used by 13% of the respondents.
As to new online marketing tactics that marketers are considering, blog, social network and video ads lead the way as emerging tactics in 2007.
For more information on one of the most anticipated new online marketing options, take a look at eMarketer's new Internet Video: Advertising Experiments and Exploding Content report.