In a modern, digital world that currently revolves around the use of tablets, smartphones and laptops, it’s very challenging to think in an offline sense. Both traditional and offline marketing still have their clear advantages, but the method of choice for your business always needs to depend on the identity of your brand, the specific type of industry you are working in plus how your target customer behaves.
For certain industries, completely relying on digital marketing is just natural and it suits the vision of the company completely. However, there are still many that prefer traditional marketing when reaching their target audience. There are several advantages that each method offers. At the same time, it is still very important to discover other ways in which your business can potentially benefit by combining the two.
Traditional Marketing Methods
When we talk about traditional marketing methods, we immediately think of advertising through magazines, newspapers, radio, telephone books and TV. These marketing strategies are generally placed with a fee which depends on the size of the ad, as well as the type of medium in which they are published.
Things are rapidly changing these days, however. People are now opting to read news online instead of through newspapers. At the same time, a lot of people no longer use telephone books because looking up numbers online is a whole lot easier. Even magazines which used to be popular have already become prey to the so-called Internet age. A lot of these magazines no longer produce the same number that they used to. They have also been forced to adjust to the changing world that technology has introduced.
The Timeless Value of Traditional Marketing
These days, speakers, marketers, consultants, authors and many others have this tendency to compare the so called ‘traditional’ form of marketing to the ‘modern’ options now. While there are still some who resist understanding the overall capacity of the digital world, it is still obvious that things are not the way they used to be. As a matter of fact, according to a recent survey conducted by Forbes, more brands are now shifting their attention to, and investing their money in, digital marketing. Does digital really showcase the future of marketing?
If we take a look back at traditional marketing books dating back to the 1960s up to the present, the four P’s in the world of marketing are taught: product, place, price and promotion. Businessmen and entrepreneurs were taught to understand each of these P’s in order to understand the products they offered and accordingly to plan a very effective marketing strategy. This has remained timeless. The only difference is that it is now focused on mass marketing as its main perspective.
In the 90’s, we were introduced to the four C’s: cost, consumer, convenience and communication. This is a concept that is more consumer-focused, shifting from the mass marketing appeal to a niche marketing perspective, which is more applicable to the increasingly personalized and digital marketing landscape today.
These days, modern models are seen incorporating the use of social media as well as the traditional customer interaction. As a matter of fact, there is a current debate going on identifying whether traditional marketing is still relevant in this modern, digital world. The mix of marketing may actually be different depending on the industry, but the traditional concept still works in our digital world.
How to Be Successful in Incorporating the Two
In order to be successful in incorporating traditional marketing in the digital world, there are two keys that you need to pay attention to:
- Identify your target customers. The best message for marketing will not resonate if it is not delivered to the right group of customers. For instance, if you are offering plastic surgery services and are targeting middle aged women, you surely would not post an advertisement on ESPN.
- Make sure that you prepare a compelling unique selling proposition (USP) and offer. Such offers need to stand out, and you need to make sure the message is unique and clear. It should include information regarding the specifics of what you are selling and other added value that you offer.
Why Traditional Marketing Still Applies
Traditional marketing is still relevant in this digital world in these three aspects:
- Traditional marketing is often considered passive while digital is active in involving the target audience. These two techniques can actually complement each other and work together in order to achieve the intended objectives of the company. While traditional methods such as print and television ads are practical in information dissemination, they can still create a “call to action” in which customers can look for further information online.
- Using traditional marketing in this digital world enables the message of your company to spread throughout several different channels. Depending on your target market, there are certain media outlets that work better compared to others. Even though everybody is exposed to different media types, the younger audience is more likely to choose the digital options.
- Traditional marketing is also a very effective way in reaching a broader consumer base. However, digital media targets a particular audience group. Thus, the digital world makes it possible to establish relationships with consumers that are more relevant.
The fact remains that traditional marketing still applies for modern businesses of all sizes. The strategies are still reliable for making sure your business stays in the public eye. While there are still a lot of people who think that investing in digital strategies means having to leave the so-called tried and tested traditional marketing behind, combining both traditional and digital techniques is actually the most effective method used in marketing now. Traditional marketing should still be used in order to complement the rest of the digital strategies in the current and developing digital world.