Upstream released a survey in February 2012 revealing two-thirds of online consumers in the US say they are receiving a digital ad overload and are beginning to show their disapproval.

Two-thirds of these same online consumers say they would discontinue being on a company’s email list and one in five US consumers would cease from using that company’s products or services if they felt bombarded by too many of the company’s promotional email messages consistently.

There are three main reasons a Small Business gets caught up in digital ad overload:

1. Lack of focus. When a company loses focus on their goals and objectives, they tend to operate from a "Bottom Line" mentality. All of their marketing efforts are focused on "getting the sale," so everything you send out is a promotion for your business. Online consumers are getting tired of this "digital ad overload" approach. Therefore, it is imperative that you focus on your customer’s needs and not your bank account.

2. Lack of strategy. There are a lot of new internet toys to play with these days; social media, smart phones, SMS, mobile ready websites, just to name a few. With all these new gadgets, if you don’t have a strategy in place for your particular business, then you’re still playing the digital ad overload game which is not good.

3. Lack of knowledge. Most small businesses are not aware or familiar with the current and future marketing trends being used on the internet. They are still using old marketing techniques and are losing a lot of potential customers daily.

28% of the US consumers surveyed said they would display their disapproval of digital ad overload to future messages from that company, and approximately 1 out of 10 would complain about their discontent on social media sites. This is serious because a lot of negative feedback can severely damage your reputation, diminish your online presence and lower the overall ranking of your website.

One of the best ways to avoid digital ad overload is to focus your marketing strategy toward your customer’s needs instead of always promoting your company and the services you provide. Your website should attract viewers by giving them valuable information they can use immediately. In addition, it should provide an interactive experience for them. If your website is focused entirely on your customers, it should ultimately provide you with potential leads.

In conclusion, if your marketing strategy targets the 18-24-year old population, 31% of them don’t mind receiving messages once or twice a week. But on the average, 55% of the adults in the US would rather receive messages no more than once a month. If you remember this in you marketing efforts, you will avoid the dreaded digital ad overload.