Full-Service Little Rock Marketing Agency
For all the interest in content, video, search engines, and social media marketing, traditional publicity continues to play an important role. And it’s not particularly hard to see why; most organizations are often highly local, so implementing a traditional element to your marketing seems like a good way to reach your local market. Ultimately, it all comes down to what best benefits your organization.
iProv is a full service digital marketing agency, and that sometimes means exploring all of the available options–from billboards to television ads.
Types of Traditional Marketing
“Traditional marketing” is any type of marketing activity that happens offline, such as:
- Broadcast and Radio
- Direct Mail Campaigns
- Phone Book Advertising
- Signage
- Billboards
Whether you’re reading the newspaper or picking up your mail, you are exposed to some form of traditional marketing on a daily basis and the methods help reach targeted audiences.
Types of Digital Marketing
On the flip side, digital marketing is every form of advertising that takes place online:
- PPC Advertising
- Social Media Campaigns
- SEO and SEM
- Email Marketing
- Content Marketing
- YouTube B-Roll and other video platform advertising
- Influencer Advertising
- Reputation Management
While traditional marketing has its benefits, digital marketing has evolved with the rise of the internet and the savviness of its users. Usually, it’s a much more cost-effective option than traditional marketing and it’s a much faster way to connect with a wider national and global audience.
The Benefits of Traditional Marketing
While iProv, as an authority on digital marketing in Little Rock, will always advise that your traditional marketing efforts are made in conjunction with a digital marketing strategy, we also recognize that the old ways still hold power. Email campaigns can work hand in hand with direct mail flyers and reminders, billboards can drive traffic to your website and increase brand awareness, and traditional TV commercials can be recycled in online B-roll and video advertising.
Longevity
Traditional marketing has an inherent tangibility that lends itself to longevity. Sending a paper event calendar that can be hung on the fridge can make you an instant household name. Even the less physical forms of traditional marketing like billboards and TV commercials can generally run longer than most digital format ads.
Reach Specific Audiences
While more than 90% of consumers now self-report doing their research before a major purchase online, traditional marketing still holds weight among certain audiences. Much older generations still rely on print marketing and direct mail. And rural communities with lower internet access sometimes depend on non-online sources of information.
The Benefits of Digital Marketing Vs. Traditional Marketing in Little Rock
As much sense as it makes to continue using traditional methods, business owners should consider the benefits of establishing a digital presence. Digital marketing has been replacing and supplementing traditional marketing methods for a number of reasons, including:
Size & Scope
Unless you have a budget of millions, traditional marketing is typically a much more difficult medium through which to access and engage with your audience. Billboards are stationary, making them local by nature, TV spots only reach as far as your media market (unless you can afford a national campaign), and radio stations are all local entities if you’re not using internet services like Sirius XM. By contrast, digital marketing can reach millions of people all over the world as well as in any particular geographic location that you choose to target.
Visibility and Accessibility
Besides being limited in their locations, traditional ads tend to be visible only at specific times. Consumers only see billboards when they’re on the road. TV spots are only visible when they watch the TV shows during which they’re airing. But digital ads are visible 24/7, increasing the chance of catching promising consumers at the right moment. And with the right research, you can target your digital ads to appear at times when your potential customers are most likely to be active online.
Interactivity
Traditional marketing is often referred to as “interruption marketing” for a reason. Your TV or radio experience is interrupted by commercials, billboards interrupt your view, and even direct mail campaigns are crying out for attention that distracts
and interrupts.
Digital marketing is a more comprehensive approach that integrates itself with your audience’s everyday experience. Content marketing and PPC advertising only appear when people are already searching Google or social for answers about your services. Advances in technology mean that customers can leave online reviews; answer quizzes and polls; like, comment, and share engaging messaging; and generally make the advertising experience more interactive and meaningful.
Budget
Besides being limited in their locations, traditional ads tend to be While a combination of traditional and digital marketing can complement and enhance one another, digital marketing is far and away the most cost-effective option. Social campaigns can reach thousands for as little as twenty dollars (although we generally recommend more for long-term campaigns). Compare those numbers to the cost of media like billboards, which can range in the thousands per month.
Should Your Business Use Traditional Marketing or Digital Marketing?
While the benefits of digital marketing far outweigh those of traditional marketing–especially when we’re discussing ROI–we usually recommend a healthy blend of both for our clients. While we’ll always encourage putting the money you would spend on something like a billboard towards video content or a social media campaign, there is still a place for well-done and digitally supported direct mail campaigns and radio ads. The exact budgetary split will depend greatly on your location and target audience.
When thoughtfully strategized and executed, digital and traditional marketing efforts can support and elevate each other’s messaging. The best way to create a cohesive strategy is to run all of your marketing efforts through one team that understands your practice’s unique vision and needs.
Little Rock Ad Agency
iProv is a traditional and digital marketing agency in Little Rock that is committed to helping grow your business’s brand awareness and the services you offer through the forms of marketing that best suit your needs. Contact us for a free consultation!
