Bridging the Gap: Traditional Advertising & Social Media Marketing
Traditional advertising and social media marketing, the leaders and buzz generators in advertising and marketing arenas. Traditional advertising is reaching the masses in and outside of their home through targeted messages where you tell them how you will solve their problem and how your product or service will increase their quality of life. This is very effective when reaching your target and they are convinced that they need what you are selling. Social media is creating a presence online, finding your target, and letting them know you are there. Sort of a little nod of the head from the other side of the room so they know you are there. Those that see you, trust you or do know you, become a follower or a fan and have welcomed you into their community. They have opened the door to interact and build a relationship with them.
The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people
If you have insight on Marketing to share with our audience, contact us about being a Guest GBA Blogger. Or learn more about GBA and our video production prowess!
Traditional advertising and social media marketing have been treated as two separate communities: on and off line. And, they are, but these inbound and outbound distant cousins need to come closer together for an effective overall advertising and marketing strategy. Social media is still too new for many companies and as they are attempting to wrap their arms around it, the thought of integrating their social media efforts with their traditional advertising is too much of a risk. Failing to take this risk will negatively impact their overall marketing efforts in the long run. The two way communication that is afforded in social media provides great insight into how consumers feel and react to your brand. Ultimately you want to drive sales, and traditional media is a fast driver of sales. Social media is slower. It is more of an indirect form of sales. By hearing what your consumers want and expect from your brand, you listen more than you talk in social media. Traditional advertising is an all out effort to say buy me, because you need me.
How should you bridge the gap between traditional advertising and social media marketing?
- Branded Message: Stay consistent across all forms of your advertising; whether traditional or online. Live up to the promise that you make in your ads and in you conversations on line. Monitor what people are saying, answer their questions, and solve their problems.
- Business Cards: Add profiles to the platforms that you are most active on. Invite your offline community online. Let them know where you are so they can find you online.
- Print Ads: Once again add your social media profiles to your print ads to drive readers to your profiles. Let them see how they will benefit from interacting with you online.
- Broadcast: Tag your spots (easier done with TV than radio) with your profiles to further emphasize your online presence.
Traditional advertising and social media marketing will continue to play a vital role in 2010. Although utilizing different methods of implementation, they also need to work closely together. Bring those offline to your online world to learn more about them and further engage them. Consumers expect more from the brands that they are loyal to. The online interaction keeps them engaged, and you top of mind. Consumers need to have a feeling that they know you/your brand. If it is not you they are talking to, it will be your competitor.
Suzanne Vara is Managing Director of Kherize5 Advertising & Marketing, a Las Vegas based advertising & marketing agency specializing in social media marketing, website development and search engine optimization for small to mid-sized businesses.
Related posts you might also like:
This is a well written piece illustrating the value of combining traditional advertising and social media marketing to achieve results. They are two entirely different channels and serve different purposes, however, when used together I believe a business can realize optimum results . Traditional marketers, from my view, are somewhat intimidated by social media, not sure of how to use it and what to do with it and new age social media experts don’t really understand the value of traditional advertising. Some I know simply dismiss traditional advertising all together! You have provided a sound case for utilization of both in this article and I want to congratulate you for that.