The Best of Both Worlds: Traditional Marketing in the Digital Age
We’ve seen many articles over the past several decades asking readers to embrace the changes that come with the passing of time. (Heck, we’re guilty of writing some along those lines ourselves!)
It’s only natural that, as time progresses and new ways to tackle old tasks continue to present themselves, individuals are going to look for the best ways to complete the mundane jobs of their day.
This is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s this type of innovative thinking that led to the advanced society we find ourselves living in today.
We agree, progress is definitely good.
… But, it must be said, there is a valid “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” argument to be made that validates the decisions made by those who decide to follow more traditional routes.
After all, new doesn’t automatically mean better.
Naturally, as a digital marketing agency, we followed this train of thought directly to our own field.
Looking at the differences between traditional and progressive marketing strategies in the digital age, we couldn’t help asking ourselves why we were being forced to choose!
… And then we realized we didn’t have to.
Today, let’s look at the ways you can optimize your digital marketing strategy by combining it with traditional methods to better compete in the 21st century.
Using Traditional Sensibilities in Your Digital Marketing
We live in a digital world. That’s no secret. This is just as true in marketing as it is in our everyday lives.
According to a 2022 CMO survey, digital marketing accounts for 57.1% of all funds spent on marketing efforts and that number is expected to increase by 16.2% in the near future.
Those are pretty big numbers.
It should be no surprise to you then to find out that, as a direct result, traditional marketing expenses have been in continuous decline for decades. (That is until recently.)
Reversing decades long budget declines, the traditional marketing field took a turn for the better recently and is expected to increase by nearly 3% in the not-too-distant future.
Though clearly not as high as the numbers we’re seeing in the digital sector, this is definitely promising news for those who still hold onto the values of the past and reiterates our belief that there are still those out there who prefer the traditional methods of advertising.
What so many businesses need to realize, however, is that we’ve now reached a point in our field where digital marketing tools can actually be combined with traditional marketing tools to help to ensure their strategies reach as many prospects as possible.
This can be done by taking the platforms of the past and using them in conjunction or revamping them to better meet the sensibilities of today.
Think of highway billboards or print media. All of these are what we would consider “traditional” venues for marketing campaigns.
Today, often looked upon as outdated when compared to digital banners and websites, these venues still hold some value.
Don’t get us wrong… there is no substitute for the power of digital advertising!
After all, the last time you were looking for a lawyer, did you head to Google or start browsing highway billboards?
No, ultimately, there is no substitution for good digital marketing today. But that doesn’t mean you can’t utilize the ideologies of the past to allow your message to reach a larger audience!
It just takes a bit of creativity to bring those “old fashioned” ideas into the now!
As an example, we mentioned highway billboards. Did you know you can now pair a billboard message with a driver’s mobile device via geotargeting and send them banner ads as they speed by?
Not only does this allow a business to follow traditional advertising methods to reach what will most likely be an older demographic who does not rely as heavily on their cell phones as today’s youth, but since that very youth drove by and missed your billboard because they were too busy looking at their phone, your message will now be able to come to them directly!
What a great way to bring a traditional method of promotion into the 21st century!
What about print media?
True, there are fewer physical newspaper and magazine readers out there today than there used to be. But that doesn’t mean these companies are going anywhere. In fact, as physical print media has declined, these companies’ online presence has soared.
Though you may not see the value in promoting your business in a print newspaper or magazine, don’t forget about these platform’s online presence as well, which, unlike physical media, now has the power to reach people across the globe at much less the cost!
These are only a couple of the many alternative routes an advertiser can take to stay true to the promotional methods of the past while better suiting a 21st century audience.
The Wrap Up
Folks, if we forget the past, we are likely to repeat our mistakes in the future.
It would be a mistake to put traditional advertising values aside for the mere fact that they are traditional.
Remember, new does not automatically mean better.
Though there is no competing with digital marketing in today’s world, we feel there is still in those traditional methods of promotion that brought us to where we are today.
… And by keeping the past in mind while planning your future, you are more likely to produce a product that will be farther reaching and, therefore, produce better results.
P.S. If you’d like to learn more ways you can better reach today’s consumer, give the team at Rain Digital a call.
Our years of combined marketing experience could be just what you need to turn your business into the 21st century success story you’ve always dreamt it could be!
