The Traditional and Nontraditional Media Relationship

Traditional and Nontraditional Media Synergies

When it comes to traditional and nontraditional media there is no magical formula or one-size-fits-all approach. Think of social media and traditional media as different types of boats both navigating their way towards a destination. Think of the destination as the consumer purchase decision. Both boat classes use GPS to stay on course and help guide consumers in the direction to make the right buying decisions. Envision traditional media as the steady cruiser that stays on course, motoring towards its destination.  Social media is a sailboat sailing at a 45-degree angle, tacking and jibing to get to their destination as the winds changes direction. While they may have different means to move forward, both boats will arrive to their destination, one from a steady straight-forward approach and other by navigating through creative and engaging content and personal referrals. A focused plan and the right mix of both traditional and nontraditional media is what will bring customers to your shore.

Traditional and Nontraditional Media- Monologue or Dialog?

While most nontraditional media is designed for mass consumption, social media involves targeted two-way communication. This means the message should be conversational and addressed to targeted individual users. You have a golden opportunity to communicate one-to-one with your audience and create a dialog through social media. The question is will a customer love you enough to give you their personal stamp of approval and share your content with their peers? Businesses need and want prospective buyers input.  Traditional media, on the other hand, is directly in the face of the consumer. It can be big like a billboard, loud like an announcer’s voice or redundant like a radio advertisement. Its purpose is to grab attention and get your brand noticed. Social Media differs as it hangs around waiting for those to frequent and stay awhile. It’s like the cool bar where friends congregate.  They visit regularly and they know they’ll meet other friends there. They have come to rely on it as the place to hang. It’s the place where they can make buying decisions with ease and confidence without ever feeling sold.

Now that you got their Attention-Consumers will do their Research

Just because a commercial airs every fifteen minutes does not mean prospective buyers will run out and buy the latest and greatest thing. People no longer see a TV commercial and think to themselves, “wow that product is exactly what I have been waiting for, “I gotta have it now!” and go out any buy it. If the commercial did a good job of captivating the subject and has the right marketing message the prospective buyers will do their research next. They’ll go online and seek out customer reviews and side by side comparisons to help them evaluate their options and make an informed buying decision.

One profound difference between social media and traditional media is that social media puts the consumer in control. Social media involves customer and company communicating directly and taking action in real time.  This says a lot about how we’ve evolved as buyers. It says even more about how companies need to be marketing themselves these days.

Consequently, in the past, traditional marketing was the only way to spread the marketing message.  But now consumers are much more savvy and know they have choices. They formulate their buying criteria based on many factors. They seek to find answers and persuasive reasons to buy a product or service, not just because the cute girl or funny guy said so. Cute or funny, when executed correctly, traditional and nontraditional media can be two effective and synergistic strategies. Now that prospects are ready to buy, being top choice on their mental ladder is key.  Learn about bundled media services here:  https://lighthousemarketing.media/bundle-media-services/