The days when television viewers picked up their phones to dial toll-free numbers while viewing infomercials could be numbered or, at least, slowly dwindling in favor of other response mechanisms. The economy, a lack of available credit for shoppers, and changing consumer habits are all taking their toll on the venerable DRTV cornerstone known as the infomercial.

Today’s consumers want a cohesive shopping experience. They want to know that the products, colors, sizes and prices they see on television match those that are being sold on the Web, on the shelves of their favorite retail stores and in the print magazine ads that they read while sitting in the doctor’s office. They also want to know that when they visit a company’s Facebook or Twitter page, or view an online video product demonstration, that they’re learning more about the product than they saw on television.

You’d be hard pressed to find a marketer who hasn’t used popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Ning to stretch its advertising dollars. Whether they are broadcasting 140-character updates on Twitter, posting photos from recent company events on their Facebook walls, or responding to customer comments on Ning, companies across all industries are realizing the value of this broad-reaching, and extremely affordable, channel.

Put some energy in your campaign’s back end and you may be surprised at the results

If you haven’t thought about your campaign’s back-end lately, this may be a good time to give it a good, hard look to figure out if it’s operating up to snuff.

Defined as any product transaction that takes place after your infomercial or short-form commercial does its job, back-end sales go a long way in boosting a campaign’s profitability.

Short form media and production trends that you’ll want to keep an eye on as you plan this year’s campaigns

When business is booming, rarely do companies stop to think about where every dollar is being spent. Times are good, customers are plentiful and sales are on target, so why take the time to fix what’s not broken, right? Weathering and thriving through economic recessions requires a more tactical approach, as companies have learned during the past few years. Throwing money down the drain is no longer an option, particularly when it comes to nebulous expenses like advertising.

Long form media and production trends that you'll want to keep an eye on as you plan this year's campaigns

Mixing traditional advertising agencies with DRTV specialists can be a lot like pouring oil into water. While the two substances can exist in the same container without much problem, they never truly combine into one homogeneous mixture. And while there’s no question of DRTV’s value in a brand’s overall marketing strategy, traditional agencies still tend to view the medium — and the tactics used by producers and media buyers within the space — with a dose of skepticism.