The cost of communications

Last week we read the news (online, probably) that for the first time, the national spend on online advertising had exceeded that on TV advertising. Now, a new piece of research from telecommunications provider ntl suggests that you get a lot more bang for your buck online.

The main purpose of the research was to explore the use of social media by local councils (as previously discussed to some extent on this very blog), but it included this very interesting breakdown of costs:

The cost of interacting with the public via the web cost[s] just 27 pence per visitor, compared to £3.22 per phone call and £6.56 per face-to-face visit.

This makes perfect sense, of course: maintaining a social media presence or even a website is a distinctly cheaper option than employing someone to make calls or visit houses. You may not be trying to run a council, but there is something worth remembering there for all of us.