Online Aggregators: Friend or Foe?

So, you’re thinking to yourself, “Wouldn’t it be great if someone figured out all this technology stuff and created a turn-key solution that I could tap into as needed?” Voila! There are many Web sites that do just that.

But what’s the catch? Why isn’t everyone flocking to technology templates that allow them to set up on online promotion in a matter of minutes?

The truth is, many are. If you’ve ever had to get an online promotion up and running quickly, you know the value of not having to reinvent the wheel. When the program is “down and dirty,” speed counts, and a promotional template will often do the trick. What’s more, online promotion aggregators have done their best to make price points appealing — they’re often a fraction of the cost of an online promotion built to spec.

The challenge with a template is that, at the end of the day, it’s a template. In the hands of the right marketing expert, the end result will not be so obvious. However, the right marketing expert is rarely the one filling out the template. Often, it’s the marketing person who’s been asked to throw together “a quick online promotion” as part of some separate initiative, and the template provides just enough information to be dangerous.

Official rules, for example, are one component that should never be part of a template. While promotions of a similar nature would appear to have the same rules requirements, no two promotions are identical. And even if they were, legislation affecting promotions is constantly evolving via new regulations or different interpretations.

Here are other points to consider:

— Will available online promotion templates satisfy your marketing objective? In other words, does the template solution provide a fit for your specific needs? In some cases, the answer will undoubtedly be “yes.” In others, you may be trying to force-feed your objectives into available turn-key solutions, and may end up wasting money and eventually having to start all over again.

— Who is providing the strategy for the promotion? If it’s you, great. But if you’ve been handed an assignment to “get it done” without a moment to think about the problem you’re trying to solve, then you may be grasping for a turn-key solution that doesn’t exist. The best online promotions often have never been done before, or require a new way of doing things that will not fit a standard template.

— Is there enough flexibility in the template to incorporate your branding requirements? The word “template” means you have standards from which you must work. In many cases, these standards will allow you to sufficiently incorporate your own look and feel. But when the template does not allow you to add your brand equity, is it really providing what you need?

— Can the existing server farm handle the projected traffic? This depends on which aggregator you’re using and how much you’re willing to spend. Many of the larger aggregators charge on a cost-per-entry basis, and will guarantee whatever bandwidth you require prior to launch. As long as the aggregator knows the volume you’re predicting, it can usually make it work. But don’t make assumptions. Be sure to share your projections and get an agreement ahead of time.

— Does the template’s reporting structure satisfy your requirements? This component tends to be less flexible, since it requires additional scripting and/or database work to make significant changes. If the standard reporting procedures work, great. If not, you may have to “deal with it” or come up with your own reporting work-around.

— How difficult will database integration be when the promotion has ended? This usually is more a function of your own database requirements. Aggregators usually can provide you with a tab-delimited text file of all data collected. However, problems can arise when you attempt to import into your own marketing database, and you may need to create a program that “scrubs” the data to your standard format.

— What follow-up marketing efforts do you have planned? Before you spend a dime on collecting names through an online promotion, you need to think about what you will do with them. Aggregators generally cannot help you with this piece of the puzzle. That’s where your marketing partners come into play.

When all is said and done, an online promotion aggregator can be quite helpful — if the template solution fits the problem. Just remember that old phrase, “When you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” In the promotions industry, one size does not fit all. If you can identify when you need custom solutions and when off-the-shelf programs will suffice, then online aggregators can be your friends.

Bill Carmody is chief marketing officer at San Francisco-based Seismicom and author of Online Promotions: Winning Strategies and Tactics. Reach him at [email protected].