Seen as you’re reading this, I’m sure you know how effective and prevalent various digital marketing channels are for the modern business arena. Digital marketing has opened up a whole new platform for customers to have their say, and allowed business owners greater insight and accessibility to their respective industries. While digital marketing has certainly changed the game, traditional marketing strategies such as TV ads, customized door hanger advertisements, etc. aren’t quite dead. Here are some of the ways in which the two niches come together.
Passive or Active?
Generally, traditional marketing is considered to be passive, as opposed to digital tactics which actively involve a given target market. Despite how it may seem, this distinction doesn’t totally separate digital and traditional marketing, and in fact allows the two to work in concord. TV, print, and the ads you’ll find on a digital totem, can all incorporate calls to action, prompting people to search for more information on a digital channel, thereby moving them onto the next stage in the buying process. One prime example is Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign. This prompted customers to find their names and the names of friends on bottle labels, which also included hashtags, encouraging people to share photos of the targeted product on Twitter.
Outreach to Diverse Audiences
One of the great things about fusing both digital and traditional marketing is that it allows brands to spread their message across several different channels. Different target markets will respond better to different channels of communication. Younger audiences, for example, are more digitally savvy, and will respond better to marketing tactics that are centred around smartphones, tablets, and ones that allow them to interact with the brand in some way. Older generations, on the other hand, will respond better to print advertisements, billboards, and the like. A combination of the two is most prevalent in large, well-established brands, selling a product that appeals to a wide range of audiences. McDonald’s, for example, maintains their hold on billboards and paper coupons, all the while keeping a strong online presence, which customers are regularly encouraged to interact with. If you’re trying to target a fairly diverse audience, then a good balance of traditional and digital materials can really take you places. Services like Epsilon can help with people marketing strategies.
Making it Personal
While traditional marketing has its place in the modern business sphere, it’s essential that you follow it up with digital efforts as well. Traditional marketing can get you seen by a lot of people, but digital marketing is essential for building relationships that are deeper, and more relevant to a specific market. Let’s say you were running a clothing company. You can keep up the traditional marketing tactic of sending out monthly catalogues, but should make sure they all point back to your website. Have clear instructions on how to reach your online channels and order a product that a customer may be interested in. For younger customers, you can present your products through an active Instagram account, where you can post pictures of your range and interact directly with your target market. This is just one of the great ways businesses can fuse the two branches of marketing, and give their customers a more personal experience.
