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Go figure.

On the one hand, consumers want control over the media messages they receive. On the other, advertisers demand accountability for their investments.

How do you serve those two needs?

One way is to create a centralized hub for your integrated campaign: A microsite with a unique and easy-to-remember URL.

Whether it's stand-alone or part of a larger Web site, a microsite can attract specific audiences and get them to take precise actions, be it subscribing, placing an order, replying to an invitation or simply asking for more information.

When developed as the strategic core of a multichannel campaign, moreover, the microsite can guide and support the entire promotion. Each marketing effort drives its target audience to the site.

Further, this online tool can effortlessly reinforce key messages, special offers and promotions, while providing a user-friendly home for disclaimers, product comparisons or fact sheets.

But the real benefits are realized in tracking and reporting. Tools like LiveStats or WebTrends can facilitate the kind of vigorous traffic analysis you do for traditional sites.

How? Through robust reporting on visitor impressions, clickthroughs and conversions.

Do all that, and you'll have a successful campaign on your hands.

Case in point: CircuitAlert.com, a microsite developed by Gardner Bender for the launch of its hand tool, the Circuit Alert wire stripper.

All advertising, public relations and other marketing done for the product invited prospects to visit the site and “see the tool in action” by viewing a 60-second demonstration video. The target audience? Electric contractors and distributors.

The effort was a success — tens of thousands of units were sold within months of the launch. Regarded as one of Gardner Bender's most successful product intros, the campaign brought more than 25,000 visitors to CircuitAlert.com. And nearly 45% of them were lured to the site's demonstration video and/or how-to-buy pages.

People usually are on a mission when they come to a Web site. If their goal is to buy your product or request more information, you don't want to distract them in any way. Microsites can focus on one main message and prevent the visitor from getting lost or disoriented within a larger Web site.

How do you do it?

Target a specific market and tailor content especially for this group. Provide exclusive offers and offer a secure environment where employees or customers can share or collect information and conduct business.

The sky's the limit for microsites. You can use them to introduce a new product, service or brand, or promote a special sale or promotion. They also can be employed to serve as online self-service information booths, or be a response mechanism to take orders, generate registrations, build opt-in e-mail lists or collect entries for a sweepstakes or survey. If you're looking to expand your work force, they're also good for recruiting qualified job candidates.

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GRANT A. JOHNSON (grantj@johnsondirect.com) is CEO of Johnson Direct in Brookfield, WI.

Here's how a microsite can boost your company's multichannel marketing efforts.

• Efficiency

  Microsites are easy and relatively inexpensive to create and reuse.

• Tracking

  Monitor how users arrive at your microsite and where they click on the page(s).

• Customized URLs

  Track targeted users for each campaign.

• Control

  Customized content shows visitors what you want them to see.

• Data

  Recent research has indicated microsite visitors share more about themselves than visitors to regular Web sites.

• Leverage content

  Editorial can be repackaged from other sites and media.

• Savings

  Using a microsite as a response mechanism is more cost-effective than telephone, mail or fax.

• Make money

  Sell products and attract advertisers to the microsite.

• Enhance e-mailings

  Give life to non-HTML-compatible e-mail by adding clickthroughs to microsites.

• Highly testable

  A huge opportunity, since currently only about 10% of microsites are tested or properly measured.
  — GAJ

For more articles on integration, go to
http://directmag.com/disciplines/integration/.