5 Tips For Blending Your Physical and Digital Marketing Strategies

5 Tips For Blending Your Physical and Digital Marketing Strategies

Physical marketing has been ruling the roost before even Don Draper landed his first account. Banners, billboards, flashing neon signs,  and other above the line strategies give businesses peace of mind because they have a tangible product, a return on investment, a foolproof measure. Or do they?

Digital, the dynamic and agile adversary, is a grey area for many business owners, who know how much they have to pour in, but when it comes to whether their customers will see it – they are not sure. The simple fact is that a business that has not embraced digital is a business that will stall, or not reach their intended customer.Neither physical or digital on their own will garner a complete result, a good marketing mix is one that incorporates both.

1. Brand consistency

One the biggest challenges businesses face is creating a brand that customers can identify with. One sure way to achieve this is to build brand consistency. What this effectively means is ensuring that no matter what you do, whether it be digital or physical marketing, that all your materials have the same look and feel.

A great way to reinforce your brand consistency is by utilizing promotional product advertising. There are an abundance of places to find promotional products in Australia, and customers love nothing more than receiving those novelty USB’s, bottle openers or notepads. By reinforcing your brand’s look and feel in everything you do, from billboards, banner ads, promoted posts to branded merchandise you can ensure that your marketing mix is blended to perfection.

2. A/B Testing

In today’s world of promoted posts, banner advertising and social influencers, it can be hard to determine whether your digital marketing is achieving the results you want. Additionally, without asking your customers directly what brought them to your business, you can’t really be sure if your physical marketing is working. A great way to blend both physical and digital marketing to achieve your business goals is by utilising A/B testing.

This strategy works by utilising an almost identical message in both channels, except for one finite difference. For example, on your billboard ask customers to quote a hashtag or change the landing page when a customer clicks on your digital banners. By making these subtle changes you not only blend your physical and digital marketing through consistent messages but you also allow yourself to better track which channel is working best. The best part is that your customer won’t even understand the insights they are offering your business.

3. Content marketing

In marketing, content is everything!

There is no use trying to promote a message if your brand doesn’t have the strength required to be memorable. Content is an excellent way to blend your physical and digital marketing. By utilising content marketing such as blog posts or social media posts you can generate organic interest in your brand. Then, by utilising a consistent brand message across your physical marketing, you can further drive traffic to your business.

The advantage of content marketing is that consumers don’t necessarily understand that the brand or business is behind the blog or behind the social media post. Which means when they impacted by the physical marketing it seems almost opportunistic to the consumer. Little do they know it was a specific strategy and an excellent use of blended marketing.

4. Connect with all consumers

Different consumers like to receive messages in different ways. This is arguably the biggest evolution in marketing over the past 10 years. Personalised service is all the rage in marketing. Understanding that your consumers like to receive messages in different ways is a businesses best asset. For example the Gen Y consumer may not even blink at the sight of a 6x8m billboard staring them right in the face as they wait for the train. But just watch them try and scroll past your promoted post in their Facebook feed.

In complete contrast, the Gen X consumer may receive your message in the complete opposite way. The important point to remember is that in order to reach and connect with all consumers possible, you need to blend your marketing mix. Blending digital channels like social media, online and content marketing with your traditional physical executions such as billboards, radio and television will allow you to target and connect with all consumers.

5. Brand Awareness

Brand awareness is crucial in the ultimate stage of a customer’s lifecycle; the purchase decision. When presented with a number of options, if your brand isn’t strong enough in the consumer’s mind they will be just as likely to take a competitor’s product. Even if your advertising is what drove them to the point of purchase; by only utilising either physical marketing or digital marketing on their own, you run the risk of not creating a strong enough connection between your brand and customers.

A blended marketing mix will ensure that your brand awareness is higher at the point of purchase. Utilising both digital and physical marketing you create multiple touch points. Meaning at the point of purchase your brand recollection is at it highest potential.

Physical channels will always have their place in a strategic marketing mix, they raise awareness and deliver messages to a large audience. Blend these physical channels with a low cost, adaptable and constantly evolving channel such as digital and you will set your brand up to become a constant and vigilant choice in your target market’s mind.