In a social media-centric world, traditional marketing might seem obsolete. Television and radio advertisements don’t appear to have the reach they use to. Posters, business cards, and brochures just seem like a waste of paper.
But don’t get rid of your ink just yet. Even though digital marketing has made its impact, there are still benefits to using traditional marketing methods and stocking up on printer ink. Read on to learn how you use both approaches to effectively reach your audience.
Before you consider whether to create a social media account or a commercial for your business, this is practical advice for all aspects of running a business. You should know what kind of products or services your audience is looking for and what they expect from your company.
Understand Your Audience
Understanding your audience is important because it helps you figure out the best way to reach them. Consider factors such as:
- Online presence – How often do your customers use the Internet to search for products such as yours? How long do they stay on your website, and what other pages are they looking at?
- Reachability – When will your audience most likely come in contact with your marketing campaigns? Will they see advertisements during their workday, or when they are relaxing in the evening?
- Spending habits – What is your audience willing to spend on a product like yours? Where do they normally make purchases: in store or online?
After analysing these factors, you’ll likely find that the best way to market is through a combination of both traditional and digital methods. You can use the data collected to determine which specific tactics you should place most of your focus on.
Example of Combining Marketing Techniques
Say you own a company that sells children’s bicycles. You might put out a TV commercial that shows how much fun the bikes are. Kids that see the commercial might then ask their parents for the bike as a Christmas or birthday present.
In addition to the TV commercial, you also run a PPC campaign. Parents that tend to do their shopping online might see the ad and be compelled to buy the bike for their child.
These two kinds of marketing campaigns obviously take a different approach. The TV commercial is colourful, fun, and designed to capture a child’s attention. The PPC campaign, on the other hand, is encouraging parents to make a purchase.
Even though they are different in design, these two techniques work together to achieve the same goal – selling more bikes.
Do What Everyone Else Isn’t Doing
The fact that many businesses today overlook traditional marketing can be advantageous. If local businesses in your area are neglecting TV commercials/print materials, you can fill that vacuum. With a proper online presence AND advertisements plastered around your area, you can get the word out to as many people as possible.
Perhaps most importantly, mixing these methods allows you to reach customers at the ideal time and place. Over the Internet, conversions and purchases happen that lead to increased sales. Offline, customers engage with your brand and often end up spreading the word. If you were to just stick to one method of marketing, you could be limiting the potential of your company’s reach.
One Can Benefit from the Other
If you invest into both traditional and digital marketing, you’ll find that both methods can benefit each other. A link listed on a business card or poster can drive traffic to your website. Conversely, a customer that sees an ad for your business online and then on a billboard the next day will be reminded twice about you and what you sell.
So before you neglect traditional marketing completely, remember these reasons why traditional marketing won’t ever be disadvantageous.
