Has your business abandoned traditional marketing strategies? Perhaps you’re a relatively new company that never incorporated traditional advertising, to begin with. If so, you’re not alone. As consumers began to turn to the internet and digital platforms, companies large and small began focusing on building a solid online presence by relying on digital marketing strategies to attract and retain customers. Although a necessary shift, they overlooked the significance of traditional marketing mediums.
What Is Traditional Marketing?
Simply put, traditional marketing is any form of offline advertising. Examples include print materials, promotional products, radio, television commercials, phone calls, direct mail, and OOH media or out-of-home advertising like billboards and park benches. Although these approaches can sometimes be more expensive and detailed than digital marketing concepts, they remain instrumental in acquiring and retaining customers.
Why Is Traditional Marketing Still Relevant?
If digital marketing tends to be more affordable, less time-consuming, and convenient for businesses, why would you concern yourself with traditional marketing? More importantly, if the average customer continues to utilize digital platforms, wouldn’t traditional marketing be a waste? While these are valid questions, you’ll soon learn that eliminating traditional marketing from your campaigns could cost you big time.
- Reach A Broader Audience – Believe it or not, not every consumer is a fan of the internet and digital devices. There is still a large majority of consumers that prefer traditional marketing mediums and in-person experiences. By eliminating traditional marketing, you ultimately miss out on opportunities.
- The Internet Is Flooded – With businesses of all sizes and industries tapping into digital marketing strategies, consumers are overwhelmed with emails, online ads, mobile messages, and commercials. The chances of reaching your audience this way become limited. By incorporating traditional marketing concepts, you reach your audience where they are (in their neighborhoods and communities), increasing your chances of converting to sales.
- Increase Foot Traffic – When someone searches for businesses online, they’re routed to hundreds if not thousands of service providers to choose from. Unfortunately, for brick-and-mortar businesses, this reduces the amount of foot traffic you receive. If you implement traditional marketing strategies, however, you can increase brand awareness in your service area. When local residents know about your establishment, they’re more inclined to shop. If you’re successful in providing a positive shopping experience, they’ll not only return but share their experience with others.
How Can Traditional Advertising Improve Digital Marketing?
So, how can implementing traditional marketing concepts improve your digital marketing plan? Whether you own an eCommerce site, brick-and-mortar location, or both, there are significant advantages to integrating both old and new marketing strategies.
Think about it. It’s easy for a person to opt-out of a subscription, email list, or online registry or skip an online commercial. However, they can’t control what they see and hear when they go in public. If you use outdoor advertising mediums like billboards, street furniture, signage, and flyers, your brand is engraved in their minds. This can encourage them to sign-up for notifications, promotional offers or simply visit your site to learn more.
Emails get lost, ads disappear, and commercials come to an end. However, traditional marketing methods like print materials provide consumers with something tangible Whether they receive a coupon in the mail or a promotional product at a local event, it’s a physical item that can encourage them to check out your business. To investigate further, they can refer to the coupon, postcard, pamphlet, or flyer to retrieve your website or social media handle.
Digital marketing has forever changed the business landscape. It has created an opportunity for brands to reach their target audience on the platforms and devices they use most. Be that as it may, brands are encouraged not to overlook the significance of traditional marketing. These tried and true advertising concepts are relevant and continue to drive sales both online and in stores. If you’ve entirely neglected traditional marketing or never used it in the first place, perhaps it’s time to reevaluate your strategy and find ways to use it to boost your digital marketing efforts.