In a digital marketing world, many people believe that traditional marketing is a thing of the past but it still has a place. Surprisingly, there are still many people who don’t like opening emails with promotional content and prefer opening an envelope or brochure when going through their mail. Printed materials containing a company logo, for example, can be easier recognizable than a ‘salesy’ or ‘spammy’ email blast subject line.

The truth is, whether you’re doing traditional or digital marketing, an integrated approach is the best strategy. This way you can ensure a consistent, seamless and multi-dimensional brand experience for your customers. In this article, we look at how you can combine traditional and digital marketing to create a lasting impression.

What Is An Integrated Marketing Approach?

An integrated marketing strategy uses various marketing channels and tactics to achieve business goals. Some channels include the following:

• Traditional advertising – print, TV, radio, billboards
• Social media – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube among others
• Experimental marketing – guerrilla marketing tactics
• Public relations or communications – press releases, event promotions and broadcasting
• Digital marketing includes websites, landing pages, email marketing, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), SEM (Search Engine Marketing), video marketing and PPC

Optimising Performance With Digital Marketing

There are essentially two important activities that determine marketing performance, i.e. driving more traffic to your site and then converting those visitors into customers. This takes time, experience and good analytics which should also include tactics to optimise market performance. To ensure success, your digital marketing department must work closely with other teams including branding, market research and customer services.

Content Marketing Using Newsletters And Online Content

While the dynamics may have changed somewhat in terms of sending weekly e-newsletters, they still have a place. Combining quarterly newsletters via post and online monthly or weekly newsletters may offer better results. You can include links on the newsletter (online or printed) to important content on the company’s website or elsewhere. Some examples of what you can include in this type of content include the following:

• discuss company initiatives
• donate to missions overseas
• company anniversaries or milestones
• surveys with results
• employee stories
• educational blog post
• behind-the-scenes photos of business operations or customers

Here are ‘30 Fun and Fresh Content Ideas For Your Newsletter‘

Collect Contact Information And Use Brochures To Follow Up With Previous Clients

With the right tactic, it is much easier to collect visitors’ contact information online than other methods. Some ideas include a contact us form on the website or a dedicated landing page with information relevant to what they searched for.

This is a sure way to generate new leads but it can also be used to follow up with previous clients. Sending out a company brochure with relevant information on email or to their physical address will keep them top of mind. It lets them know you are still there for them should they need your products or services.

Generate Interest Online And Send Invites To A Conference Or An Event

Generating interest online is essential when you want to maximize the attendance of a particular event. Creating a buzz about it is far more cost-effective online compared to a television advert or billboard. Using SEO, PPC and social media marketing, you could rank higher on Google Search Results for your selected key phrases.

Whether you’re exhibiting your products and services at an expo or advertising a marketing event, think about the headline you’d use. Ranking well for terms like “Top Digital Marketing Conference” or “Industrial Products Trade Show” can generate large numbers.

Add A Touch Of Personalisation

Once you have collected information from your ‘buzz marketing campaign’, you can send out personalised invites to a select few. This type of personalisation creates a sense of importance and can be a huge help. Other people will attend as a result of the interest generated online or because of the event speakers.

Combining SEO With Business Material And Written Proposals Help Close Deals

Considering that most consumers search for businesses online, SEO will drive traffic to your website. However, business materials and written proposals will also help secure deals. Many people want to see physical business materials like new products, pricing and features. In the B2B world, particularly, there may be certain situations where someone needs to sign a confidential contract which requires physical documentation. One way to help close the deal faster is to include a proposal.

While SEO is exceptionally powerful, it is not fast enough in this scenario as sending the right materials will do more to close the deal than a search engine ranking. Using a combination of traditional print marketing and digital marketing is the best way to expand your reach.

The True Value Of Digital Marketing

Digital marketing must not be mistaken for ‘just another channel for advertisements’. As previously mentioned, digital marketing encompasses a host of opportunities including social media, video, blogging, mobile and email marketing among others. Many CMOs (Chief Marketing Officer) believe that digital marketing will account for 75% of marketing budgets over the next five years.

This means it is imperative that you understand why digital is so important in the first place. It is the only way you can set up your business for online success and making a mark for your brand. Read this article for more information on the importance of a good marketing strategy.

Digital Marketing Statistics

Remaining updated on new developments, technologies and tactics can help your brand keep ahead of the curve. One way of doing this is to keep a close eye on marketing statistics and applying your marketing strategy accordingly.  Here are some statistics you might find rather interesting (source: Hubspot):

• Only about 22% of businesses are satisfied with their conversion rates (Econsultancy, 2016)
• Google is responsible for 94% of total organic traffic (Web Presence Solutions, 2017)
• 86% of people look up the location of a business on Google Maps (Junto, 2019)
• By 2021, global retail eCommerce sales will reach $4.5 trillion (Shopify Plus, 2018)
• 61% of mobile searchers are more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile-friendly site (Junto, 2019)

Conclusion

Running a successful business is more than just finding the right market or high quality products and services. In fact, it’s about leveraging the right marketing techniques to reach your intended target audience. Regardless of how you market your business, the end goal is to convert visitors into leads or customers.

While traditional marketing can still play a vital role, digital marketing is undoubtedly the future. Not only does digital marketing accurately track you’re ROI but it also has incredible analytic capabilities. This gives you the chance to enhance your approach and adapt accordingly.

Get in touch with WSI eMarketing if you need any help marketing your brand online or find us social media and join the conversation.