Print vs. Online Marketing: Which Is Right For Your Business?
Living in the information age has many advantages, but marketing to specific audiences and niches presents specific challenges. How can we best reach our target audience or attract new customers? Is there a way to bridge the gap between traditional and online marketing?
The simple answer to the latter question is, “yes.” In fact, doing so is no longer a matter of choice; it’s a matter of survival. Successful marketers know when and where to use each.
Online Marketing
relying heavily on online marketing works for businesses that match one of two basic criteria:
- You have a brick-and-mortar company but you do a considerable percentage of your business online
- You only do business online (eg. e-commerce)
In both instances, a strong online marketing presence is critical to success because you are dealing with a customer base that extends beyond a single location or geographic area.
Print Marketing
Using a print-based marketing strategy works if your company does not operate online or only does a small percentage of business online. Your marketing strategy should be weighted toward print if:
- You do most of your business face-to-face with customers or clients
- Your business regularly participates in conventions, trade shows, and other marketing events
- Your business targets a predominantly older demographic
These are, of course, very basic criteria and the needs of your business are likely to vary. To an extent, implementing aspects of both are usually necessary. Let’s take a quick look at a few ways the two work together to maximize the effectiveness of your marketing strategy.
Branding – When distributing printed marketing materials, branding should be consistent with what people see online and vice-versa. The more familiar people are with your brand, the more they trust it.
Content Marketing – Blogging and email are powerful marketing mediums, but so are white papers and case studies. Always have hard copies of your long-form content for customers who prefer more traditional approaches to marketing.
Hybrid Marketing – Include links to your social media channels, website, and other relevant online resources on business cards, fliers, and other promotional materials. Scannable QR codes and the like help bridge the gap between print and digital.
All of the above can help you lay the groundwork for a successful marketing campaign. How to achieve that balance has everything to do with your business and how well you know your customer/client base.
About Joseph Benevento
Joseph “Joey” Benevento is an accomplished former Naval Officer. Having served 12 years, he has learned a to make intelligent and quick decisions in life-threatening situations. His fighting spirit and inherent ability to lead naturally align him with the field of Sales and Marketing.
In the military, being personally driven to succeed is the single most important driver for promotion and Joey has displayed self-motivation from a young age. By playing sports in high school and college, he harnessed a healthy competitiveness that continued to drive him even off the track or field.
While serving in the military, Joey held several different leadership positions. His career was heavily focused in the Naval Special Warfare community, beginning as an officer in charge of a small crew throughout SEAL training. After graduating from SEAL training, he served as an Assistant Platoon Commander at SEAL Team FIVE, then rose through the ranks to become a Platoon Commander. He also served as the Future Operations Officer for Naval Special Warfare Unit THREE and as an Action Officer for Naval Special Warfare Command. Working in the Naval Special Warfare community, constantly having to learn things on-the-go, gave Benevento tough skin, which he knows will be particularly helpful in sales.
The desire to positively impact peoples’ lives and to cultivate trusting relationships is ultimately what drew Joey to Sales and Marketing. He joined the Navy not to prove that he could do great things, but to do something that was bigger than himself; Joey wanted to help others. While seeking a new career field with the same capacity for impact, a friend suggested the Medical Device Sales industry.
He proactively learned as much as he could and after observing several computer-assisted surgical cases in the OR, Benevento knew he wanted to be a Medical Device Sales representative. Wanting to learn even more, he met with several leaders in the field so that he could really get a feel for what skills and knowledge the industry required. This is indicative of his Navy-cultivated skill set permeating his everyday mindset; he goes into every situation with a strong plan, knowing the need to make quick and sound decisions is critical.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
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2 Joint Service Commendation Medals
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Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
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2 Joint Service Achievement Medals
Outside of work, Joey enjoys staying fit and playing sports as he did in high school and college. He completed his first marathon at the Rock n Roll Marathon in Las Vegas in 2016, and likes to swim, lift weights, and take group fitness classes. These days he sticks to shorter runs and the occasional half marathon. Joey currently lives in San Diego, California.