local and digital marketing

Digital Marketing vs Traditional Marketing

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Digital MarketingLocal Marketing

The world of Marketing is changing

You may have heard it before, but in 2020 this message is more poignant than ever.
Simply put, traditional marketing is no longer the end-all, be-all of sending your message into the world.

Customers research and shop across digital channels, and so dealers must go digital to message to them.

Traditional advertising encompasses formats like billboards, sales brochures, and TV and radio ads.
Digital Marketing includes channels such as websites, email, social media, Google search ads, and mobile messaging.

That’s not to say traditional marketing no longer has a place!

In a study done by neuro-marketing firm TrueImpact, direct mail was tested against email and display ads. They used eye-tracking and EEG brain wave measurements to track the ease of understanding, persuasiveness, and attention paid to each of these ad types.
According to their study, direct mail required about 21% less cognitive effort to process, suggesting it’s easier to understand and more memorable.


However, the downsides to Traditional Marketing includes the difficulty in tracking conversions, being very costly, and having very little direct interaction between the medium used and the customer. It’s great for creating brand awareness, if you have the budget to spend.If you want more bang for your buck, easier tracking of conversions and engagement, and to slot yourself neatly into the world of research-savvy customers who are further down the sales funnel, then Digital is your way to go. 

With Digital Advertising, you can keep your costs lower, target people who are already actively showing interest in or searching for the brands you carry, and you have the opportunity to engage with them directly through instant actions like click-to-call, exploring your website, asking a question, and even saving your location.

With the right targeting and messaging, you know whoever sees your digital ad is already interested in the type of product you sell. Unlike a billboard, where you’re paying for every commuter in the area to see it, even if they’ve never touched a lawn tractor in their life. 

Digital advertising also increases the ease of sharing with friends and coworkers. How often do paper fliers get passed around by friends, compared to folks sending links or pictures? Or tagging a friend in a facebook post that seems like it’d appeal to them?
If you consider that the average Facebook user has around 100-200 friends, with an average of 12% who see their posts in day-to-day browsing – if your post is shared even once, that’s likely 15 new prospects who have essentially been recommended by a friend to check out what you have. This Word-of-Mouth opportunity is why making high-quality, interesting content is so important.
So, which kind of marketing is better?

 Well, both are good. Clearly we’re passionate about digital marketing, because we know that it works, and it has a ton of benefits. But traditional marketing materials also work well, especially if you’re completely new to an area.

 

Rather than taking an all or nothing stance, coordinated multi-channel marketing can leverage the unique benefits of paper, with the convenience and accessibility of digital to create a marketing campaign that spans the entire sales funnel. 

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