TRADITIONAL ADVERTISING IN A DIGITAL AGE

“Print is dead” – the cry of digital marketers everywhere. In a world where every aspect of your life can be managed through your mobile phone, from shopping and dating, to job applications and banking, it’s easy to see why the focus of marketing has shifted online.

But don’t give up on ‘traditional’ approaches to marketing your business – take a fresh look at how it can work for you:

Print

If your inbox is permanently clogged and your default action is DELETE rather than READ, then a piece of well-designed and written printed mail landing on your desk or through your letterbox can be a refreshing change.

For professional services, print advertising could be associated with a thought leadership editorial piece in an industry magazine, an invitation to an industry event or promoting a special offer in a local ‘Up your Street’ magazine. Does the publication have an online version, meaning your advert would have greater reach? You can also use traditional print to reinforce your digital media by including hashtags and social media handles.

Radio

We live in an increasingly ad-avoidance world, for example, preferring to SKIP the adverts before watching YouTube videos or watching TV series on demand to reduce the number of adverts served. But did you know that people are less likely to switch radio stations during an ad break?

Your radio advert can reach listeners at key points during their day – lunch break or the school run – and can have a regional or national focus. Don’t forget that many people listen to radio through their mobile phone, computer and now increasingly through smart speakers, so clickable banners that appear when your adverts are aired can encourage listeners to visit your website, social media or start a conversation online.

With stiff competition from the digital marketing channels for limited marketing budgets, the cost of radio advertising is generally becoming more affordable and in turn now an option for some businesses that had never considered it.

Television

The recent Christmas campaigns saw all the major supermarkets competing for our attention. With lovable characters, memorable stories and catchy music, the adverts entertain us and give us something to talk about with colleagues and family.

Given the range of channels now available to such a wide demographic, it has also become increasingly easier to target the right audience with the right message, a benefit that social media has always had over TV advertising. TV adverts have been shown to be more memorable than online adverts and given that, as a nation, we still watch a lot of TV, they remain a great way for businesses to reach a new audience.

As with radio, the cost of TV advertising is also becoming more affordable in response to digital marketing challengers, so again becoming a viable option for some businesses. As with radio and print, TV advertising can attract the target audience to your digital channels too.

Traditional versus digital – which is best?

Of course, there isn’t a simple answer – it depends on your business, your budget and your aims! But an integrated mixture of online and offline often works best. Many businesses are looking at social media advertising – such as Facebook or LinkedIn – to target their ideal client in a cost-effective way. And others are investing a significant proportion of the marketing budget on Pay Per Click advertising through the likes of Google.

Podcast – the new kid on the block

Podcast advertising has really taken off in recent years, due to a proliferation of new podcasts from celebrities, sports personalities and businesses. Most people listen through their smartphone, for example, whilst commuting or at the gym, or in their car and again through the increasing use of smart speakers. A real benefit of podcast advertising is that you can target your ads to an appropriate audience, more than you can with radio or TV adverts.

Next steps

Marketing your business needn’t be complicated or expensive, but it pays to take stock of what tools are out there, both traditional and emerging. Cal Partners is a marketing and digital marketing agency, working exclusively with professional services firm, to find the right marketing mix to give your business the competitive edge.