In today’s fast-paced world of technology, it’s easy to assume traditional marketing will soon become a thing of the past. But maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to discount it. 93% of business marketers are still using direct mail. Eight in 10 marketers deem it effective in delivering revenue and results for their businesses, according to a recent survey from Marketing Charts. Indeed, traditional marketing can reach customers in ways digital marketing can’t. In fact, the smartest marketing strategy involves mixing both traditional and digital marketing to achieve business growth.
The advantage of print advertising
Print advertising may not be as common as it once was, but it’s still a valuable marketing method: three-quarters of US households read or scanned advertising mail in 2017, according to Marketing Charts. Printing promotional materials offer different advantages than digital marketing, as brochures, leaflets, or print magazines provide a real, physical and memorable experience. These print marketing materials can be kept by potential customers and used as a point of reference into the future. They’re best at creating a long-lasting memory in the mind of the customer concerning the advertised product or service — unlike online advertising, which may be forgotten or quickly overshadowed.
The far-reaching powers of digital marketing
With digital marketing, business owners can reach far more people than they can offline alone. An optimized website and SEO strategy can help businesses target specific consumer markets with greater accuracy. Digital marketing also lets marketers collect and analyze customer information to better understand customer behavior. Real-time statistics are taken from multiple sources, such as Google analytics, built-in website platform analytics tools and email management reports, to then improve marketing communication with customers. Moreover, social media marketing is an invaluable tool, especially since one in four social media users follow brands from which they may make a purchase.
Integrating traditional and digital marketing
Balancing both traditional and digital marketing forms a cohesive marketing method which results in maximum brand awareness. For example, print media advertisements increasingly feature barcodes or QR codes which link to the relevant business’s website or social media page. Anyone browsing a print magazine or newspaper simply scans the code with their smartphone, which boosts site traffic and sales. Additionally, including social media accounts on printed ads (like billboards, magazines, or flyers) gives customers opportunity to look up business straight away on their smartphones. One in four business owners also consider TV ads to be their primary focus for advertising. But these need to work alongside digital advertising; if someone sees a product or offer on TV, they’ll usually trying looking it up online to verify and share it. The TV ad must therefore highlight the webpage to visit for more information.
Many businesses are used to sticking with either traditional or digital marketing. But doing so can mean missing out on potential customers and sales. Mixing the two methods is becoming increasingly common and a surefire way to achieve bigger and better results than using just one alone.
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