Interactive Marketing

Interactive Marketing.  Interactive Marketing refers to the ability to have a potential customer interact with the advertising medium.  Interactive Marketing can be performed online or offline. For example, both direct mail and email surveys are considered Interactive Marketing because they both cause the potential customer to "interact".  Organizations can use the information gained from the interaction to cater their products/services to their target audience as seen in a good post-click marketing campaign.

Interactive Marketing encompasses many Online Marketing mediums but should not be considered synonymous.  Search Engine Optimization (SEO) falls under the Online Marketing (specifically pre-click marketing) classification, but should not be considered Interactive Marketing because optimization does not require customer interaction.  However, Interactive Marketing can improve Online Marketing strategies so the two should be integrated in your overall internet marketing plan.

Interactive Marketing is not just about using Social Networks or some other interactive medium to promote your product/service, you must capitalize on this interaction.  Learning how your customers interact with your company allows you to maximize your ROI.  This is why your interactive strategy must not be isolated from your overall internet marketing strategy.