According to a new report from IPG’s Mediabrands’ Magna Global, online advertising will climb

The Shift to Digital according to Datran Media's 4th Annual Marketing Survey. In 2010, what percentage of your company's overall multi-channel advertising campaign will be allocated to digital marketing channels?*

12.4% in 2010 to $61.0 billion. Plus, it will grow 64% from there to over $100 billion in five years.  That’s certainly good news for the industry as a whole, especially considering the gloomy forecasts that were being predicted just over a year ago.  So what does this mean for you?  It means the online marketplace is going to get increasingly crowded with your competitors; and unless you have smart plan to reach your ideal audience, you’re going to get lost in the crowd.

As more and more advertisers move their media budgets online, consumers are going to be inundated with more choices from more brands.  That means you’re going to need to tailor your messages to be relevant to your perfect audience.  The problem most marketers are unsure who their ideal customer really is.  Do you know the composition of your audience?  DO you know who is really engaging with your campaigns?  What metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) matter most to you when measuring campaigns?

More than ever, measurement is going to be crucial part of your success in the digital space. Audience measurement may be a nebulous term, especially in digital media where there is both linear and non-linear communication with your audience, and the ability for that audience to receive and reciprocate communication through multiple channel lines at once. As a result, there are a variety of dimensions that can be measured as it pertains to the audience; composition, awareness, engagement, social influence, and path preference to name a few. But regardless of the definition, what you measure needs to provide the opportunity for insight while furthering the quest to understand the value that is delivered for both you and your audience.

Measurement is ineffective unless it provides insight into delivered value. Therefore, advertisers have to define the value they seek to create before determining effectiveness.  Those that do it correctly will prosper; those that do not will have little to show other than wasted media budgets.