Traditional vs. Digital – Ah, the beloved and quintessential marketing conversation businesses have when it comes to deciding the best way to engage with their audience. You want customers to know all about what your rental business has to offer, but it can be challenging to figure out how to get in front of their needs. Your business can offer a solution to their problem, but how do you make yourself known? Insert said beloved and quintessential marketing convo here.
There are so many different things to consider when you start your Traditional vs. Digital discussion, but the most common are the 4 P’s: Product, Price, Promotion, and Place. To sell your product or business, you have to know your product and be confident in your price. We’re here to talk about promotion and place, which is learning what types of promotion will get you maximum visibility and exposure while reaching your audience at the right place and the right time.
The following is a breakdown of different traditional and digital marketing, tactics that can be used, and how each style can work for your rental business.
Traditional Marketing
Simply put, traditional marketing is any type of marketing that isn’t online. TV, radio, newspaper, billboard, etc., you typically encounter some type of traditional marketing at least a couple of times a day. Traditional marketing is what most marketers would say is tried and true – it's been around the longest, has the most research surrounding its results, and is often the most trusted when it comes to reaching local audiences.
Direct Mail: Advertising that ends up in your mailbox often at your home address, direct mail can include postcards, flyers, brochures, envelopes, and any other type of mail piece to showcase your business, products, or promotions.
Broadcast: Broadcast marketing utilizes television and radio as the platform for your advertising, and often sells in 15 to 30-second spots where you can promote whatever your business has to offer.
Print: Print advertising is the creation of physical ads that will be printed within newspapers, magazines, or catalogs.
Billboards: These oversized advertisers allow you to get in front of a massive, but not targeted audience, and can stay in place for years. Billboards can help encourage brand recognition and serve as a subtle reminder of your services.
Digital Marketing
Digital marketing, on the other hand, takes place exclusively online, utilizing a variety of digital tools to engage audiences. Digital marketing has become the more popular, trendy option of the two as we see societal and technological shifts all around us. Because nearly everyone we know has some type of smart device on their person at all times, the emails, social media posts, influencers, videos, digital ads, and other digital business promotions can be constantly in the hands of your audience. Digital marketing has also opened the door to audience engagement and a much faster feedback loop.
Email: Email marketing is simple and efficient. With each email address acquired or each subscriber, you can deliver content, promotions, and exclusive information right to their inbox.
Organic & Paid Social Media: Social media has a plethora of different platforms – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn... the list goes on. On nearly every channel, you can post updates to increase organic engagement, or pay for ads and boosted posts to get traction.
Website Optimization: Once you create your business website, it’s paramount to have a positive user experience. This means making sure your site is mobile-friendly, reducing the number of clicks for customers, and making check-out and contact pages smooth experiences.
Display Advertising: Paying for display ads allows you to serve advertisements to those who have already shown interest in your business. Through creating these ads, you can also target your desired audience based on demographics and organic search.
With all the options out there waiting to be utilized, there’s a time and place for both types of marketing. Mixing digital and traditional can often be the best strategy for your business, ensuring that you capture all parts of your audience and reaches them in the ways that are best for their needs.
There isn't usually a one size fits all tactic or a right or wrong answer when it comes to deciding the marketing equation that fits your rental business the best. It takes time, lots of testing, and trial and error. We do know, however, that one right answer is always to pay attention to what your customers respond well to and to keep doing that until they move on to loving something different. It’s critical to adapt to trends and changes in your audiences’ behaviors, so you stay top of mind in the market.
Even though marketing is always changing, and it can seem challenging to keep up, remember that doing something to promote your rental business (even if it’s not perfect) is better than doing nothing. Your audience is waiting for you – find your favorite marketing tools and connect with them today!