There appears to be a battle in the advertising world between
traditional advertising & new media. For every blog that
states that traditional advertising is old school and expensive,
there is another advocate on the other side of the equation
extolling the virtues of radio, television, outdoor and most all
other forms of traditional advertising. Which side is
right? Are we seeing a major shift in the world of reaching
your target market? Do you need to abandon what has been
effective for your business to date and change with the
times? To really take a detailed look at this, let's consider
the strengths and challenges of both mediums...
Traditional Advertising
This includes the forms of advertising that all Baby Boomers can
relate to as they grew up with it - radio, television, outdoor,
print, etc. The power of these mediums built brands that we
have used for close to half a century. Traditional
advertising is built on the power of
BRANDING. Here's the best
definition of branding I have read.
Your brand is your promise to your
customer. It tells them what they can expect from your
products & services. It differentiates your offering from
that of competitors. It's not your logo which is your
trademark - it's the feeling behind your
logo.
http://www.how-to-branding.com/Branding-Examples.html
Here are some great examples of branding that have stood the
test of time. Kleenex is a brand of
facial tissue, Caterpillar is an earth
mover. A brand of snowmobile is
Ski-Doo. What is
Google? Most people would say a
search engine. True enough, it most definitely is, yet Google
makes the vast majority of its $38 Billion dollars in 2011 from
advertising. Every one of these brands has competitors in
their business category, yet we think of them first, confusing
their brand name for their actual product. This is the power
of branding and traditional advertising is clearly responsible for
this.
Social Media
This is an exciting field of advertising that is still in its
development stage. While it's been around for quite a few
years, most business owners & decision makers are just now
starting to dip their toe into this
field. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Four Square,
Google + are all forms of new media that lay claim to
affordability based on the fact that users have to
personally opt-in to participate.
This is the major advantage of social media as it shows the users'
true interest & desire. Far better for me to proactively
request my interest than to be part of an audience by
default. Social media also has the ability to
track metrics of performance, clearly
showing accountability through tracking and measurement. No
doubt, these are great benefits to anyone spending time, effort
& money in marketing products & services.
http://www.techinasia.com/?p=16911
OK, so which one is better?
Both can be extremely effective
TOGETHER if you use each medium based on
what it's designed to do. Look at the benefits of each.
In regard to search engine optimization, would I rather have you
type in sales training & consulting services into Google or
PROSALESGUY TRAINING?
Until I brand my business name into
your mind proactively, you will
instinctively put my business trade style into a search
engine. There you will see all my competitors and hopefully
find my business if my Search Engine Optimization is high or I have
paid Google for top placement.
This is where the combination of both traditional advertising
& social media makes sense! Do not be lead astray by the
proponents of each media who tell you the other is a waste of time
& money. Look for the agenda of
the person giving you the opinion to see a potential pattern &
think for yourself.
All right, so what's my next step?
There is a strategy that incorporates both traditional
advertising & social media. In my next Blog, I will give
you the education & knowledge that allows you to make sense out
of a confusing advertising world.
I would welcome you to subscribe to this Blog
through email and please offer your comments. Through
interaction, we all become better informed.
Here are upcoming Blog topics...
- Advertising & Marketing
- Communication Skills
- Empowerment & Motivation in Attracting & Retaining Key
Staff
- The Role of Leadership in Business
- Integration of Social Media into your Overall Marketing
Plan
Thanks for reading!
Dave Warawa - PROSALESGUY
TRAINING