Okay, so the internet is an amazing creation with so many different uses that we as a human race are discovering new things every few years. In the past it was just a cool thing to have, then we started sharing videos, playing games and even working on the internet. Now with fast connections we can stream high definition videos and even upload videos from our phones directly to social media.
But however much we praise the internet and digital marketing, we can’t forget the simple platforms that we used to use such as newspaper, television and so on. Traditional advertising isn’t dead and quite frankly will never be dead. It will always co-exist alongside digital advertising and here are a just a couple of reasons why you shouldn’t completely abandon the old ways.
Many people still don’t use digital services
If you’re reading this article then you’ve probably grown up in a world surrounded by technological advances. The idea of falling behind with recent technology is a scary one because not only are you hindering your own work and ability to learn more, you’re also falling out of the loop. As a result, we keep up with technology and learn all about the latest gadgets and gizmos so that we can utilise them in our daily lives.
However, roughly 13% of Americans don’t actually use the internet in any shape or form and 10% don’t use smartphones. When you consider the population of America, that’s a staggering number. You also need to consider the audience you are targeting. For instance, seniors typically read newspapers and watch television unless they have tech-savvy family members who are patient enough to teach them how to use a computer and use Google to find things.
There are more opportunities for traditional marketing
In the digital realm, there is no real concept of distance so “local” audiences don’t really exist. However, when you use something like newspaper advertisements or telemarketing, you can specifically target people in a local area. For instance, targeted business mailing lists can reach people all around your business premises, pinpointing your customer location and marketing your products or services to people who are local to you.
While the internet can target advertising based on the location you access the internet from, you have to compete with many other businesses who are also after the attention of online users. This makes it incredibly difficult to get noticed and it widens the audience you’re advertising to, making it less likely for you to get customers who are interested.
Traditional lives alongside digital
Far too many people are trying to phase out traditional marketing and push it away. However, what they don’t realise is that traditional and digital can share the same space and work alongside each other.
One of the best examples is QR codes. Traditional advertising such as posters, leaflets and newspapers can have QR codes added to them, enabling smartphone users to capture the code and load the relevant website on their phone. This harmony of digital and traditional is a fantastic way to bridge the advertising gap, and with new advances in augmented reality coming up, we might see even more fusions of traditional and digital promotion.