Is your business benefitting from the convergence of digital and traditional marketing? If not, it’s something you will need to consider before too long. Digital marketing is slowly becoming a dirty term, as more information comes out about the ineffectiveness of social media and the massive amount of fraud that takes place with display advertising.
While digital won’t be going away, it does need to start cleaning up its act. One of the ways forward-thinking businesses are starting to do this is to converge their digital output with more traditional methods. Here’s a quick rundown of all the things you might be able to try out for your business.
Focus on ‘marketing.’
Is it time to quit using the term ‘digital marketing’ altogether? It might not seem much, but when you think about it, it could have a dramatic impact on your business, for one simple reason. Far too many companies out there have a marketing team, and also a digital marketing team.
No common, overarching strategy binds them together, so results will often be independent of each other. By just removing the term ‘digital,’ firms will – hopefully – begin to understand that marketing is marketing, and both outputs can contribute to the same clear goals.
Digital billboards
If you have been walking around the streets of London or another major city in the past couple of years, you will have noticed some of the incredible ways tech is improving billboard advertising.
There have been some stunning campaigns, mixing the latest technology with the traditional poster and billboard advertising that has a much bigger impact than the norm. Is this something your business could use to improve its market reach?
Digital information
When you think about the many traditional marketing materials you see on the street, it’s simple stuff. Paper flyers, glossy brochures, wristbands for events or raising awareness of a cause – they are all still common. These days, however, many companies are using new technology to improve their marketing materials.
QR code is an obvious example – all consumers have to do is scan a barcode, and they can access a whole host of information. NFC Tags for Android and other devices are another example – you can find them on business cards, promotional materials, or even stuck onto the shelves of retail outlets.
Retail cross streams
You can sell anything online, as they say. But is this an accurate statement? The simple fact is that while many people like to browse online, they often want to see the physical characteristics of a product up close and personal.
Books, DVDs, computer games – they are all perfect for online sales. But retailers of items like clothing or artwork know how important it is to get people in their bricks and mortar stores. With this in mind, your website should be used as a primer as well as a sales outlet. Encouraging people to cross the streams – find out about your product and the visit in person to buy – is essential.
Is technology converging your digital and traditional marketing? Let me know about it in the comments section below.