Does Modern Marketing Mean 100% Digital?

With new digital marketing techniques evolving and adapting to the market demographic, it is difficult for marketers to predict what customers will prefer. As many customer demographics change and interact differently depending on country of origin and lifestyle, marketers have the difficult job of trying to utilize the newest technology, social media, and working devices. But is there always a need to include the newest technology in a company’s marketing strategy? There’s no use in implementing something that isn’t properly understood, implemented, or takes away from current projects. Prematurely using tools is sure to result in decreased performance and poorer outcomes than expected.

DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN DIGITAL AND NON-DIGITAL MARKETING

Marketing in previous years was primarily non-digital, referring to newspapers, flyers, bumper ads, posters, and much more. These methods aren’t used in the current era nearly as often as they used to. Now people prefer to use digital marketing to create advertisements at a fraction of the cost, sharing it with a worldwide audience at the click of a mouse, and not have to over complicate logistics.

However, what if there was a happy medium?

Digital marketing involves the use of digital communication to connect with customers through the internet. It is a method that uses the principles of traditional marketing in combination with new rules to suit the online ecosystem. This amalgamation is often used due to people’s differing reactions to digital and print media.

Surprisingly, TV is often thought of as a traditional marketing strategy. This could be because it targets an older market demographic and is not commonly used for its intended purpose; instead, customers use it as a broadcasting device.

Traditional media is everything involving physical media, such as prints, posters, and billboards, and later included early technologies such as the radio and digitized mail.

These techniques were used before the widespread use of the internet and were a more direct method, often requiring companies to gather an email list, a phone list, or purchase space to place their advertisements. Many of these methods have become less frequent as digital alternatives prove to be more effective; however, there remain some similarities.

WHY MARKETING CAN’T BE 100% DIGITAL?

Looking at The Big Picture

It is easy for a company to choose to solely focus on digital marketing, as it is the easier and cheaper route. Many companies target a younger audience and see digital marketing as the best option. This is mostly true. In recent years, the younger demographic has chosen to cut their screen time and often do not respond well to repeated marketing.

To resolve this, a company can include a blend, including traditional marketing.

Using traditional marketing isn’t only a better way to interact with customers but also lends itself to a wider demographic and invites the older generation, who prefer interacting with print media. This is also the primary demographic for traditional media and will include hobbyists and enthusiasts from other generations.

The Need to Cut Through The Digital Clutter

Many websites utilize any free space to include banners for advertisements, end texts with a call to action, and promote goods and services they think will relate to their customers. This phenomenon isn’t new and is often seen in newspapers, radio, and televised ad breaks. Where content is broken into digestible pieces with advertisements woven in to reach the audience. Video players have implemented this method, choosing to place advertisements before, during, or after videos. This may seem like a good idea, but a Hubspot survey revealed that 43% of American and European viewers do not watch these advertisements, while 64% find them intrusive.

Marketers should aim for a balance where customers are not bombarded with information and calls to purchase goods. This can be discouraging and often leads to customers avoiding advertisements and seeking ad blockers.

There is no point in advocating for digital minimalism. It is unlikely that websites or companies will defer advertising for customer engagement. Instead, companies should aim to incorporate traditional media into their plans. Many traditional mediums outperform their digital counterparts, improving reach, attention, engagement, and trust.

The Thirst for Authenticity

With the bombardment of advertisements, it’s no wonder the youth have begun to distrust marketers, often choosing to purchase goods from endorsements and social media.

As photo and video editing becomes more advanced, customers begin to distrust what is being presented. Text is no different. AI-generated content has become more widespread with the addition of free-to-use tools, which make detection harder. With less personal work being posted online, the rules around “authenticity” have become blurred.

Is the influencer who edits their videos with AI authentic? Is the company that writes their articles using AI authentic?
Even if something does not involve AI, customers distrust large companies, often advocating for the underdog, and prefer to shop local. Sharing brand stories and company milestones can bring a personal perspective to the company. This method is often used by personalities and companies using a mascot or spokesperson. However, even this is being questioned of late.

The Change in Marketing Costs

The initial switch to digital marketing was due to it being a cheaper and faster medium. It made collaboration more efficient and effective, and unlocked a wider range of talent from around the world. Having all of this at a fraction of the cost meant that many companies abandoned traditional marketing altogether.

This shift into the digital space has increased the cost of digital marketing. If a company wants a spot on a website, it will cost more than it used to. Inflation is a reflection of demand and the abundance of choice. Similarly, the cost of traditional marketing is decreasing due to the decrease in demand.

See what is happening?

If companies implement a combination of traditional and digital marketing, it will not only benefit them economically but also reach a wider audience that is more engaged with the content.

The Upcoming Decline of Third-Party Cookies

Marketers gain customer information through cookies provided by third-party providers and by “stalking” their users. By opening a website, it is likely that a page asking for permission to access cookies will appear. This is because through gathering customer information, marketers are able to tailor advertisements to their specific customer demographic and better understand how to influence their buying behavior.

Customers have become more wary of their private information and have taken action to not publicize their data without explicit consent. This has led to many restrictions and regulations surrounding the collection and distribution of data. As gathering customer information becomes more difficult it is no wonder companies have relied on traditional marketing channels to alleviate the change.

BEST PRACTISE

Many tasks done in daily life include technology. From writing while listening to a podcast to doing household chores with a video playing, there is never a relief from the influx of content.

As we saw the rise of digital marketing, we are now seeing the return of traditional marketing. This will bring an opportunity for companies to expand their reach by implementing an omnichannel approach optimized to their specific company and its customers.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Distinguishing between B2B and B2C marketing is a crucial element to understanding how to implement a marketing strategy. The buying behaviors of businesses and customers are completely different.

B2B Marketing

A business will have a generalized or even specific understanding of what they are looking for in a marketer. They consist of an audience with a generally high understanding of the industry and several years of experience. Understanding how to navigate this relationship is pivotal to creating a long-lasting relationship where they might return over multiple years. Creating clearly defined messaging through company branding, images, and content is crucial. It is important to keep the company’s profile aligned with its message and to consistently produce similar results.

Common methods to spread company loyalty and improve branding include implementing a newsletter and website tailored to the brand’s intended messaging. Writing a newsletter is a way to directly interact with customers and provides an avenue by which a company might share exclusive deals and information on the company’s achievements.

A company’s website should be an extension of the company’s branding, often being a customer’s first point of exposure to the brand. Aligning the visual content and the written data is important to directly conveying information but the website layout is what’s commonly overlooked. Making a website overly complicated can make navigating difficult and mean customers will not be able to find the information that they need.

B2C Marketing

Marketing deals with customers usually consist of a short-term contract. The customer agrees to make a payment in return for a product or service. Their decision to purchase an item is often based on personal choice rather than in B2B marketing, where the decision is based on the company as a whole. A marketer can expect a customer to be more emotive and expressive with their thoughts on a product, often choosing to purchase a product based on necessity or emotion.

A company may decide to implement social media as a method to interact with customers and share the company’s ideologies. Each post and comment on the channel will provide customers with more information about what the company represents and who its patrons are. This engagement with customers is often an effective persuasive device, reminding customers why they should choose one product over another.