Substance and Style

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, it’s easy to become enamored with the latest tools and trends. As we race to keep up with the competition and adopt every new technology that comes along, we shouldn’t overlook the importance and value of traditional strategies. The smartest way to approach marketing is to leverage both. Here are some ideas to help you embrace the past and the future in your marketing efforts:

1. Focus on relationships. Traditional marketing tends to focus on building personal connections, earning trust, and nurturing relationships. Technology offers us the ability to target highly specific audiences with tailored messaging. By combining modern technology with traditional priorities, we can make our customers and potential customers feel important and valued while improving our Return On Investment and saving the money associated with campaigning to a wider audience. Segment your audience according to behavior and demographics, and speak to the needs and interests of the people receiving each message. Target those most likely to convert and put some effort into knowing the people behind the names. People care about people who care about them. Don’t just personalize your messaging; humanize it. 

2. Break through with authenticity. One of the drawbacks of modern tech is that the zones are flooded at all times. It’s hard to stand out when so many things are competing for every shred of attention your audience has. That said, most people are nostalgic for the days when they didn’t have so much information coming at them all the time. Sending a handwritten note or a post card by snail mail can really set you apart. It’s an especially good idea for a small group (the cost of mass mailings can be prohibitive, but may also be worth it depending on your audience and goals). Storytelling is another way to break through the noise and authentically connect with your audience. Social media gives you an audience you may not have been able to access in the past, and storytelling on social media can be an effective way to build community and brand loyalty. Make sure you’re responding to questions and comments to really build an online community.

3. Diversify your channels. Embrace the idea of using both old and new channels to get your message out. Use your website, social media, SEO, and digital advertising, but don’t immediately dismiss traditional PR, radio, TV, print ads, and networking. Depending on your audience and goals, any or all of these may boost your bottom line. As always, you want to reach out to your customers where they are rather than try to bring them to you. Well designed and well targeted campaigns in the right place yield better results for most of us than trying to appeal to everyone everywhere. “Everyone everywhere” approaches do work in some cases (Super Bowl ads, for example), but most effective ones are too expensive to be practical. Reaching out to smaller audiences across multiple channels makes a lot more sense. It also gives you the chance to cross-promote and promote your other channels themselves (for example, “if you like this content, follow me on TikTok”). 

4. Analyze with a human touch. One of the most important advances of our lifetime has been the ability to analyze data in real time and adjust our strategies accordingly. Unlike traditional methods, where results might take weeks or months to materialize, digital campaigns provide immediate feedback. This offers newer marketing a significant advantage over old school tactics. Still, it’s best not to abandon tradition altogether. While immediacy is a huge advantage, there is also something to be said for taking time. Slow down enough to truly understand your results before you adjust your strategy. Make sure you understand why something is or isn’t working so your next effort has a better chance of success.