Progress. That’s what some people call it. But is it?

I’m talking about the newfangled buzzwords in marketing. You’ve heard them: Blogging, Web 2.0, Pay Per Click, Mobile Marketing, etc. But will 21st century marketing really do anything more for business than 20th century marketing did?

Well, I suppose it depends on who you talk to. Some of us are saying Yes. Others, like Gene Marks, is saying No. But who’s right?

I don’t think it’s a matter of either/or. Personally, I think it’s more a matter of what will work. If you run an online business then traditional marketing practices likely won’t help you. Unless you’re Google or Ask.com and you advertise on TV. If you are a traditional small business serving a local market then you might be tempted to believe that the old ways of marketing are still good. And you’d be right.

You don’t have to abandon direct mail, telemarketing, and traditional methods of marketing to take advantage of the new 21st century marketing tools. You can use them together. In a lot of ways you’ll be reaching different markets by doing so. In other ways you’ll be reaching the same market through different avenues. Both ways are viable. The key is to do what works for you. And to do that, you have to do some testing.