Tradigital

The world is changing -- fast. Just look around next time you sit down for lunch or dinner at a restaurant. How many people do you see spending just as much time talking and eating as they are surfing the web on their mobile devices. In 2017, people spent an average of 69% of all their screen time using a mobile device! That’s why it’s so important to consider the impact of our changing habits when considering an investment in marketing and advertising.

People ask me all the time if they should throw out their “traditional” budget and go all digital. Wait a second, put your cell phone down for a minute and let’s think this through. Traditional broadcast is still king!  

Research shows that key elements of brand identification like trust are still built in cable and local over-the-air TV. Certain local networks and especially cable channels are still able to pull high number of viewers over certain time periods. TV networks are evolving, too. A traditional broadcast buy can now include new avenues like OTT (over-the-top, a fancy way of saying streaming content) streaming where you can reach those coveted HGTV viewers on-air or at a later time.

You need to approach your marketing plan with the idea of a tradigital approach -- or a combination of traditional and digital advertising. It’s important to evaluate the needs of each campaign. Who is your audience? Where do you want to reach them? How will you be most effective? With any marketing, repetition or frequency is key. How often will we drill the message in before it sticks?

And then there’s social media. It’s an important new part of your “tradigital” strategy, too. You’ve got to reach people where they are at. Depending on the type of business or services you provide, platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat can be make or break.

The bottom line is that you must stop and think about your marketing plan and it can’t just be TV, Radio and Newspaper. It should be those things but more. Think about the various platforms and consider your audience. When you craft your plan, make sure you think about who will keep up with each platform. Ask yourself, “Do I have enough staff to update our Facebook?” to keep things current.

If all this sounds like too much for you, we’re here for you. We can walk you through what’s out there and what will work best for you. We’re just a phone call, text or e-mail away.

-Jose Gaona, Red Pixel Marketing.