Does Traditional Advertising Still Work – Part 5
The average consumer has options when it comes to how they research product information. The accessibility of the internet means people can now:
- Visit review sites like CNET if they’re looking to make a software or technical purchase
- Do comparisons on different vendor websites to determine who has the best price for the best product
- Hop onto different social media sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to see what other people are saying
So, if you’re still investing in expensive TV commercials and newspaper ads, how are you tracking whether or not you’re getting a return on investment?
In fact, the better question here is…
Where is your marketing budget going?
If people can SKIP television commercials by watching shows through a Hulu subscription, downloads, or recordings, how many of those viewers are actually seeing your ads? Probably not as many as the network promised you when you first bought air time.
iTunes and online music apps also remove the need to listen to radio commercials. Not to mention that trusted recommendations from social media networks water down the need for heavy sales pitches in print catalogues and brochures.
Print, radio and television are still fantastic ways to reach your target audience. But, perhaps it’s also a good idea to look into online marketing and advertising as a means to decrease your overhead while still capturing a massive segment of your client base — for just a fraction of the cost. Food for thought.