Digital vs. Traditional Marketing

How to Merge Two Powerful Marketing Channels

Today we live in a world where almost everything is online, especially after the outbreak of COVID19 in 2020, which sped up digital transformation and innovations. Now that we achieve most tasks using the internet, marketers divert their efforts towards digital marketing campaigns, essential and crucial to any company. However, using traditional marketing techniques to promote products and services to your prospective customers will still be effective in 2021.

In 2019, 79% of households say they read or scan direct mail ads, and in 2021, 70% of consumers say they want direct mail from brands that interest them, so now many brands have already started investing in direct mail marketing campaigns. 56% of customers also find print marketing to be the most trustworthy type of marketing.

A successful marketing campaign combines traditional marketing efforts with digital marketing strategies; merging online and offline marketing methods will allow your business to get the exposure it needs to grow, and here’s what you need to know to succeed.

Choose the Marketing Channel Accordingly

Marketing campaigns, especially traditional ones, will require you to spend money, sometimes a lot. Even though combining traditional and digital marketing channels will get your brand more exposure, you should do it accordingly to see the desired outcomes. Just because you can do something on every channel doesn’t mean you should go ahead and print an ad for your new products in the local newspaper. Before creating a marketing campaign, it’s essential to identify the proper channels for your audiences and coordinate them to work together for the best outcome.

Millennials have already had a significant impact on traditional marketing techniques – they usually don’t respond to traditional marketing tactics, so promoting your product to millennials through traditional ads will not bring any results. Millennials choose their outfits from social media pictures, order groceries straight at their doors, and choose a dining location based on Instagram stories, so your newspaper ad may remain unnoticed to this age group. Less than a quarter of Millennials (22%) are read newspapers compared to 40% of adults overall.

Although they spend a lot of their time on Facebook, Boomers don’t interact with social media ads as much as other generations and are least likely to trust social media ads for recommendations when shopping. They also prefer in-store shopping and spend less time online than millennials. Traditional television and newspaper ads may still work for boomers who are TV fans; 94% of boomers watched television at least once per week in 2018. However, 93% of boomers also read a magazine or newspaper and show more trust in print advertising than online ads.

Currently, 95% of Gen Xers use Facebook, and 72% of them, research businesses online. This generation grew in the world with no internet and spent a lot of time watching TV, so, in traditional advertising, they may be drawn to TV ads. In addition, 48% of Gen Xers still listen to the radio, 62% percent read newspapers, and 85% percent watch traditional television. Because Gen Xers have seen the world with and without the internet and lived in the pre-digital and digital era, combining offline and online marketing techniques will help you reach more customers in this age group.

Finally, the youngest generation spends most of their time online. Traditional marketing methods may not work for promoting products to Gen Z, but what’ll work is influencer marketing. Nearly half of the generation makes purchasing decisions based on social media influencers, so when targeting Gen Z, influencer marketing can bring astonishing results.

Keep Consistency Online and Offline

Although online and offline marketing may seem like two different worlds, keep in mind that many of your prospects are offline and online, and it’s essential to have consistent branding regardless of the channel you use. It means using the same logo, fonts, colors, styles, and designs. Consistency is the key to building trust in your business and allowing your customers to instantly recognize your brand offline or online. 

Invest in Direct Mail Marketing

Direct mail marketing is one of the most effective ways to promote your products, especially after the outbreak of COVID19. 37% of consumers now feel more excited to receive mail today than before the coronavirus outbreak, so it may be an effective channel to use along with your digital marketing campaigns. US advertisers spend an average of $167 per person on direct mail and, in return, earn an average of $2,095 worth of goods sold through direct mail per person. Direct mail response rates are five to nine times higher than any other advertising channel. Very few businesses invest their resources in direct mail marketing, so there’s much less competition than in email marketing. While people have hundreds of unopened emails in their inboxes, there might be just a few letters in their mailboxes. The less competition than other marketing channels will allow you to deliver your message to prospective customers and increase your brand exposure.

Add Digital Information with Traditional Marketing Campaigns

Just because you deliver physical mail to your prospect doesn’t mean they don’t have the internet or aren’t online. Combining digital information with your printed material will allow your prospective customers to access your company’s information online easily. One of the best ways to do so is by including a QR code on the postcard, which will take recipients to your website or one of the social media channels. 

Moreover, you can use traditional marketing to encourage customers to interact with your company online. For instance, you can use direct mail marketing campaign (which has much higher open rates than email marketing) to encourage recipients to sign up for your email list in exchange for a special coupon, discount, or free shipping. 

Encourage User-Generated Content and Brand Endorsement through Direct Mail Campaigns

Direct mail marketing is a powerful traditional marketing method for your business, and it allows you to combine online and offline digital efforts easily. Through direct mail, you can encourage your customers to get involved in your ongoing online campaign and create content such as take pictures and post on social media using specific hashtags. 

Take Online Customers Offline

Although we live in a digital world, some may still prefer in-store shopping or in-person experiences. You can use digital marketing campaigns to take online shoppers to your physical store if you have online and physical stores. You can also offer in-store pick-up options for online purchases and invite customers to your in-person experiences, such as your cooking class, masterclass, exhibition, local charity event, etc.

Merging digital and traditional marketing techniques will allow you to reach wider audiences and increase your company’s revenue. We hope these steps above will help you successfully combine these two powerful channels. If you need help with your digital marketing, contact us at Internet Marketing Geeks. We’re among the best Delaware digital marketing agencies!