Like so many, you may be wondering how to best utilize the internet for an effective interactive media campaign. You’ve probably heard that newspaper circulations are on the decline, while DVR (Digital Video Recorder) usage continues to rise, further reducing the time spent viewing TV commercials. Radio is now more compressed than ever, and switching to a new measuring system like PPM (Portable People Meters) in local markets will have a significant impact on how audiences are measured. The evolution of social media and newer technologies like smartphones continues at a breakneck pace, rapidly altering media consumption habits.

Taking that into consideration, and looking at the numerous opportunities available online, including social networking, rich media, interactive video, pay-per-click, streaming, placement targeted banner ads, ad networks, mobile texting and e-mail marketing, where do you begin? For starters, you don’t want to throw out traditional media entirely. Although traditional media is changing rapidly, it still offers some of the most powerful methods available to reach a mass audience.

The biggest advantages to online advertising are that you can engage and interact with your audience on a deeper, more intimate level and get quantified results fast, enabling you to tweak your campaign on the fly. Interactive media excels at niche target marketing. You’ll want go back to basics to evaluate which tactics work best to reach your audience – i.e. age. For a younger audience, consider if mobile texting, or if a MySpace or Facebook presence is appropriate. Think about lifestyle – does your audience get most of their news online at the office during weekdays? Then consider rich media or banner ads from the top local news sites.

An effective media planner/buyer keeps up with the ever-changing media landscape through daily contact with industry leaders, sales reps and managers representing every medium. They will research the best interactive and traditional tactics for you, acquire competitive proposals, and put together a comprehensive strategy incorporating interactive and traditional into a media mix that will help you reach your target audience.