Should Independent agents integrate traditional advertising into their marketing strategy?

As consumers have adopted new technologies to simplify their lives, marketers have followed suit. Marketing teams have shifted their focus from traditional advertising forms such as mailers and radio ads to digital media like email and social media marketing. However, it would be a mistake to think that traditional forms have become obsolete or ineffectual. In fact, research indicates that a combination of traditional and digital media offers the most comprehensive marketing approach for independent agents who want to drive insurance sales.

The pros and cons of digital marketing

No one would question the value of digital marketing. Your website is a 24-hour employee capable of communicating with anyone around the globe. Digital channels like your website and social media offer invaluable data on consumer habits and make you more competitive in a modern forum.

However, digital marketing has limits. More consumers use ad blocking software to have an ad-free internet experience. Those who don’t quickly become desensitized to ads. Digital fatigue has also begun to set in, causing more consumers to step away from their devices for a break, and any digital channel beyond your website will rely on costly algorithms that limit your expansion.

How traditional advertising supports digital marketing

Despite the rise of Amazon Prime and Netflix, Nielsen shows that Americans still watch nearly 8 hours of television each day. Thought radio was a thing of the past? More American tune into AM/FM radio than any other platform, according to Nielsen, and 93% of U.S. adults 18 and older listen to radio every week. That’s more than those using a smartphone, tablet or PC.

Each channel or station offers programming to appeal to a particular audience segment. Throughout the day, audience segments may vary to reach a broader audience. Smart modern marketers take advantage of the footwork already done by networks and radio stations to deliver their messages via these hyper-targeted traditional media.

If you’ve given up mailers in favor or marketing emails, consider this: direct mail marketing elicits action from 79% of consumers. On the other hand, more than 20% of marketing emails never make it to the subscriber’s inbox. Of those that do, the average open rate is not quite 25%. Why not drive prospects to your website by using a direct mailer to invite them to check out your online offerings?

Sometimes, it may feel like people rely on social media for their news coverage. In fact, a 2016 Pew Research Center study found that around half of newspaper readers in three U.S. metropolitan cities (Denver, Colo., Macon, Ga., and Sioux City, Iowa) rely strictly on print for their current events coverage. There’s no reason to limit your marketing to one or the other. Newspapers ads can function exactly like digital ads, driving prospects to your doorway, website, or social media.