The internet has significantly shaped our daily lives in ways only dreamed about a few decades ago. The business world specifically has felt a number of shifts thanks to the internet as businesses are able to develop and grow faster than ever before. By the same token, businesses have found the competition to be fiercer than ever; beyond superior service and products there is a marketing team ready to get the word out and help the business do what it does best.
Modern Marketing Strategies
Marketing has changed significantly over the past decade. In the 1990s, television was the primary means of communicating with audiences so it simply made sense to run commercials. Due to the prominence of digital media, television and radio commercials have become more obtrusive thanks to a more demanding customer base and fail to generate the leads of other marketing tactics. Up to 76% of small businesses state that their ideal marketing strategy does not utilize broadcast advertising techniques, but instead is a combination of both print and digital communication methods.
Digital Marketing
The internet is connecting us in more ways than ever, especially so thanks to mobile devices. Mobile devices now represent the majority of world wide internet use, surpassing computer use for the first time just a few years ago. Successful digital marketing all starts with a company website to illustrate your company’s values, products, and services to the world — think of this as your business’ face on the internet. Pairing a main website with social media sites and blogging is a great way to interact with consumers and organically get their attention. When it comes to lead generation however, the most effective strategy is search engine optimization (SEO) where internet users have their spending habits influenced through creative content pages that link back to your company’s website; unlike pay per click advertising or broadcast advertising, SEO does not feel invasive and is pulled by users through the power of an organic search engine, making it the best lead-generation tactic for digital marketers.
Print Marketing
While the internet may render traditional broadcast advertising nearly obsolete, print marketing remains one of the strongest marketing tactics of the 21st century. Statistics show that up to 84% of American consumers will retain the name of a company when they receive a promotional gift with that company’s name or logo digitally printed on it. Pens, coffee cups, and promotional calendars are ideal candidates for digital printing as these are all functional pieces needed for any office. Outdoor advertising is perhaps one of the best uses of digital printing technology as it costs around 80% less than television advertising, 60% less than newspaper advertising, and 50% less than radio advertising while guaranteeing significantly higher figures for viewership. One of the most recent and unique innovations from digital printing companies are custom vinyl car wraps. Car wraps can be customized to perfectly fit any vehicle with your company’s logo and information; think of them like a mobile billboard. Around half of polled consumers believe that vehicle wraps are the most unique advertising medium available with marketing experts suggesting that the mobility of the vehicle wrap makes it the most cost-effective marketing strategy available. By combining elements of both digital and print media, businesses are able to get their word out on the street and on the net.