Supplement Your Online Campaign with Traditional Marketing

Traditional or offline, marketing concentrates on “past” communications media such as radio, TV, print, and direct mail. In other words, it encompasses virtually everything beside digital (or online) marketing.

This separation between traditional and digital marketing often leads us to the conclusion that these marketing channels stand against one another, and if you invest in one, you should cut the budget for another. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Traditional marketing can effectively supplement your online marketing efforts to make your overall marketing strategy even more powerful. Such a combination of both approaches can extend your reach (especially to the offline audience), build brand awareness, boost your visibility and bring in more leads.

In this article, we will explore four different ways of integrating elements from both digital and traditional marketing in order to maximize their impact.

Billboards

Billboards are an excellent way to reach the optimum amount of people with your advertising message. They can maximize your reach, as the best billboards are usually located next to busy highways and main roads coming into towns – a guarantee for bringing in a high number of inquiries.

Such exposure is also cost-effective when compared to other types of marketing. You can use two types of billboards – traditional boards and state-of-the-art digital displays that effectively catch the attention of your audience. The only thing you need is the right design to place your message into the memories of thousands who pass by them daily.

The crucial component of billboard advertising is placing your ad on the right location. Presumably, one where there are no other advertisements nearby, in order to capture the sole attention of all passers-by.

Flyers

As most marketers today focus on their online efforts, there exists a large communication gap in this area that you can use to your advantage through flyers and other “old school” methods. A flyer is nothing other than your printed ad. Your flyers should include the following:

• Compelling offer

• CTA – call to action

• Exciting headline

Flyers and other types of promotional printing have been around since the beginning of marketing, and have remained one of the more popular advertising tools. For instance, a well-designed flyer can be used as a leave-behind – you can give it to prospects you’ve met during cold calling.

Flyers that contain a special offer, particularly one which is time-sensitive, will serve as a reminder to your prospects and can keep you in their minds as you continue to follow up. Digital flyers can also be utilized as an email attachment when you follow up with a prospect who has already entered your sales funnel, either via personal contact with you or by entering their email address on your website when they request more information.

Brochures

Brochures can have many different forms, from simple, cheap tri-fold to multi-page full-color designs. Choosing the one that suit you most depends on various factors, such as your target audience, your overall marketing efforts, and your budget. For instance, you can design a series of low-cost brochures, each one with a different offer, and implement them in your direct mail advertising, while a beautiful overview brochure can be used for your most serious prospects.

Its purpose is to complete the selling job. When you’re creating a brochure, ask yourself these questions:

• Is the headline interesting and catchy?

• Is the presentation suited to the offered products?

• Is the design of the brochure customer-centric?

• What is the basic idea of the brochure?

Radio and TV ads

Broadcast media such as radio and television are also very effective for advertising to a huge audience, albeit not very cheap. As a matter of fact, they are the most expensive type of advertising available today.

The key difference between them and digital marketing lies in the fact that digital marketing allows for a targeted approach, while these channels have a “mass broadcast” approach that may reach your targets, but it will also reach a lot of people who are definitely not your target audience.

You can circumvent this by picking particular time slots for your commercials. For instance, if your target is business people who listen to the radio while they go to work, choose the 7-8 AM time period for your radio ads.

Just because they’re different, it doesn’t mean that they stand on opposite sides. Supplement your digital marketing with offline efforts, and you will be surprised at how much more successful your advertising will become.