We have the pleasure of having Emma from Bizzmark blog with us again, as our Guest Blogger.  She is from Sydney and has vast experience in the marketing arena. I feel very fortunate to welcome her again to Tammy’s Office Solutions as shares her marketing expertise with us.

Marketing Strategy Combining Digital and Traditional Methods

The world of marketing is changing at a rapid pace, leaning more and more towards the bustling digital frontier. Indeed, digital channels are hailed as real game-changers, superior tools compared to outdated, and conventional marketing methods. However, despite all the hype, we must acknowledge that tradition is far from an obsolete remnant slowly withering away.

We will demonstrate that digital and traditional tactics are not mutually exclusive. In fact, with a smart approach, they can reinforce and complement each other. An integrated strategy holds immense potential in terms of reaching and engaging a large audience. It allows business organizations to use multiple channels and reap their benefits while offsetting their shortcomings.

Channeling maximum power

You want to be able to cover all your bases and reach as many people as you can. The right decision is always the one that is rooted in facts and figures acquired during the market research stage. Namely, it is of the utmost importance to discover who your potential customer is. To do this, you have to dig deeper into demographics and data on people’s habits, purchase history, wants, preferences, and needs.

Here, we must be aware that people are exposed to different kinds of media and they also have their inclinations. The younger population tends to be more tech-savvy and embraces channels like social media. However, older generations are less eager to utilize digital tools on a daily basis. Their attention could be drawn by billboards and print media, not Facebook ads.

Bridging the gap

In order to combine the two and achieve set objectives, one should understand their main differences, similarities, pros, and cons.

It also does not have the incredible reach of digital channels that capitalize on the fact that most people are online every day. However, there is a way to overcome this limitation by building bridges between two concepts.

For instance, print ads, used primarily to disseminate information, may include a link to a website or a particular call-to-action. “Share a Coke” campaign is a nice example how the synergy of physical products, online bonuses and hashtags drives engagement far and wide. Here, we see how in practice, digital and traditional work hand in hand. It is also quite interesting that Coca-Cola’s archenemy Pepsi lost quite a bit of money by ditching TV ads for the sake of social media.

Two sides of the same coin

Digital marketing is not exactly the seismic shift many make it out to be. The main reason that social media, emails, and online ads are so popular is that they are significantly less expensive. Tried and true traditional marketing still does the trick, though. Companies across the globe use television ads, radio commercials, print collateral, mailings, and other means that historically have high success rates and provide a high ROI even in this day and age.

Many businesses overlook that they are also more personal and perceived as “deeper” or more palpable.  Hence, it has the power to build meaningful, long-term relationships. You could say that traditional marketing is adapting its role rather than dying out.

Both staple strategies rely on the same fundamentals, although they take place in different environments. Brick-and-mortar businesses put out signs, but also establish social media profiles to boost visabilty and cultivate more word-of-mouth promotion.”

Explore all the avenues

Note that although online shopping and interactions are booming across industry sectors, they have some inherent flaws. A customer cannot taste food or try out a piece of clothing online. This brings us to the point: people adore tangible gifts and promotional merchandise like custom pens, USBs, notepads, T-shirts, coffee mugs, etc. They also like to receive printed media, such as monthly catalogs with handy info such as promotion and sales announcements.

All these conventional methods allow companies to show their warm, human face and delight consumers. And at the end of the day, this is the whole point.

“You have to use whatever tools are at your disposal to spread brand awareness and add some value to people’s lives. “

You must be where they are, be it a major social network or a street corner. So, stay flexible and keep an open mind: attract and covert as many people as possible using a killer marketing combo.

The best of both worlds

Digital is not the be-all and end-all of marketing and traditional methods still have much to say about this. Wherever we look, we can see that the old and the new converge, mix, and match. The two mainstays of marketing actually compensate for each other’s weaknesses and bring complementary benefits. We might be living in the digital era, but not everyone is online nor do they want to be.

Therefore, spread the word across many different channels to get the most bang for your buck. Incorporate both techniques to make your marketing efforts better targeted, more customized, and personal. Otherwise, you could be missing out on great opportunities to foster loyalty, maximize conversion, tap into new markets, and forward your business goals.

Emma is a digital marketer and blogger from Sydney. After getting a marketing degree she started working with Australian startups on business and marketing development. Emma writes for many relevant, industry related online publications and does a job of an Executive Editor at Bizzmark blog and a guest lecturer at Melbourne University. Interested in marketing, startups and latest business trends.

Thank you so much Emma, for your expert article explaining the pros and cons of both digital and traditional marketing in your marketing strategy.  I really appreciate it when you stop by to share great insight into the marketing world.

Thank you to those reading, I truly appreciate you, more than you can know.  I hope you will sign up to receive our blogs and newsletters directly so that you do not miss any.  If my team and I can help you with anything, feel free to reach out to us, via our contact form.  We would love to help you with your business and making you Shine!

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily of Tammy’s Office Solutions.