Why Traditional Advertising Still Matters

When you rotate the dial on the radio on your way home from work, turn on your television to watch the local news in the morning, or open your local paper to scope out the yard sales in town over the weekend, you’re bound to be exposed to traditional advertising.

These advertisements are an integral part of your daily routine. The average person listens to 112 minutes of radio and watches nearly 5 hours of television per day. About half of those same consumers use video streaming like Netflix and online radio like Spotify. The ways in which we listen, watch, and read are changing, but in many ways, they’re still the same.

That’s why it’s important to combine traditional advertising methods, such as print, radio, and television, with the digital advertising that defines our world today.

So how do you include these traditional methods as part of your marketing strategy?

1. Over half of all newspapers are print only, but to accommodate varying tastes, newspapers put content on websites as well. This is important to remember when you’re building a relationship with the press. Your media relations strategy may be to contact your local media outlets with a press release sent by email as part of your media relations strategy. Your press releases should have all the details of your event while being short enough to keep readers engaged. To learn more about the role of a relationship with the press in your public relations strategy, check out 10 Steps to Writing a Successful Public Relations Plan.

At Pulse, we are proud of our positive relationship with the press. Our local newspaper, The Maine Edge, has even turned our blogs into a column called “The Marketing Edge.”

2. Despite the rising popularity of online and satellite radio services, over 90% of Americans still listen to traditional AM/FM radio – and advertisers have noticed. Depending on the industry, every dollar put towards radio advertising has the potential to generate up to $17 of revenue. Placing these ads at the right time is the key to their success. Most radio listeners tune in before school or work in the morning.

3. A video is video, right? Not really. Over 60% of consumers surveyed said they trust television advertisements more than online video advertisements. This doesn’t mean you should abandon your online video marketing strategies. Television advertisements are more expensive than online paid advertising, but if you can afford it, you should include them as part of your overall video marketing. The content of these advertisements can also be used on other video platforms and social media.

Considering how much viewers trust television advertisements, they are the perfect venue for public service announcements. Last year, Pulse created two anti-vaping television PSAs for Bangor Public Health that were shared on their website, Facebook, and YouTube accounts. We’ve included one of the videos below for you to watch.

Combining traditional and digital advertising can help your marketing strategy reach a wider audience. No matter which venues you choose, the most successful advertisements are those that are the most relevant to your target audience.