Is Outbound Advertising Killing Your Brand?

Outbound advertising, however

traditional, is getting quite stale.

Today’s most effective advertising

methods aren’t the same as they

have been. Have you considered

updating your methods?

Today’s techniques are much more accepted and trusted more than these traditional forms of media and advertising.

Here are some reasons why the top outbound marketing tools are out-dated:

According to research, 90 percent of people skip pre-roll video advertisements.

Pre-video advertisements may be required to play, but they’re being

skipped over more and more often. Whether they’re played online

or on television, the advent of ad-blockers, DVRs, and other

distractions keep people from paying attention, watching, or

remembering advertisements that play before the feature

presentation.

According to the same research (link provided in brief),

“Millennials, more than

any other generation,

prefer less disruptive

forms of advertising in lieu

of traditional

commercials.”

Ad-Block is an extremely popular tool.

According to research by PageFair, as of 2015, 198 million people

were actively using Adblock software. In case you aren’t one of

those millions of people, the

software blocks advertisements

from displaying on your screen

while you’re browsing the internet.

According to the same research, more than 400 million people were

using brokers on mobile devices that automatically blocked

advertisements. This means that in order to reach their target

audience, it’s important for brand ambassadors to find more

effective and innovative ways to market their products and

services.

Outbound marketing isn’t personalised, it’s created for the masses.

Not only is outbound marketing looked down on for being much less personal, but it’s much less effective for the same reason. Marketing campaigns that rely on television commercials, billboards posted outdoors, newspaper advertisements, and magazine postings are designed to attract the attention of anyone driving by, rather than a specific person.

More efficient advertising plans are targeted toward a specific

audience, and rather than being out there for everyone to see,

they’re carefully placed in the way of the industry’s target

audience.

Traditional advertising is no longer trusted by the masses.

According to a study in the U.K., most traditional forms of

advertising have seen a decline in trust in the last few years,

especially editorial content, emails, and newspaper and radio

advertisements. However, mobile ads, text ads on mobile devices, and

advertisements on social networks have gone up in trust.

So, what does this mean for advertisers?

It’s time to make the switch from traditional advertising methods

to modern ones. The most trusted form of advertising, according to

the same report, is personal recommendations! It’s the only form of

advertising trusted by more than 60 percent of those surveyed.

Traditional advertising is too expensive.

Because of the nature of traditional advertising and that it relies on services that cost money and are run by other businesses, such as a billboard owner, a television station, a radio station or a newspaper, the advertiser is making money and trying to run a business off of advertisement revenue.

But, when you look at the cost of advertising, the terms of the ad campaign and the audience reach, newer kinds of advertising and communication are much more cost effective than the more traditional ones!

According to one cost comparison chart, 30 seconds of advertising

time on Network Television can range from $4,000 to $600,000,

cable TV can cost between $5,000 and $8,000 and 60 seconds on

radio can cost between $200 and $1000. These ads can last for a set

amount of time, be purchased throughout the year and the

audience reach can vary, depending on the station and its reach.

The same chart places magazine and newspaper advertisements between $50 and $1,000, depending on the size of the advertisement and the publication itself. Reach is typically very low for these kinds of ads.

For more modern search engine optimization, the cost is typically between $15,000 and $75,000 per year, and the response rate

is generally very high, because the

audience is all targeted.

Consumers want to be engaged.

According to an article printed in Forbes, “62 percent of millennials say

that if a brand engages with them on social networks, they are more likely to

become a loyal customer. They expect brands to not only be on social

networks, but to engage them”.

Engaging your audience doesn’t have to be a challenge, just keep the

following in mind:

● Communicate - When someone comments or posts on your social media page, we know you see it! A simple reply is all it takes.

● Be open - The more transparent you can be, the more likely they are to trust you.

● Provide relevant information - Your consumers want to relate to you and the product you’re providing.

● Engage with negative commentary - This doesn’t mean that you should argue online, but show that you can provide an answer to your consumer’s problems.

The evolution of marketing and sales…

Consumers are much more educated than they once were.

As a result of the invention of new communication technology, the consumer has changed, the consumer buying process has changed, and in turn, the sales must change. In the past, sales were made through cold calls, direct mail and short pitches in person. These methods, however, relied on the idea that the consumer had a problem that only the sales person or advertising business knew how to fix!

Traditional advertising is disruptive.

These interruptions are much less effective on today’s educated, curious and

mistrusting consumers.

In addition to being annoying, these traditional kinds of

advertisements aren’t nearly as effective as more modern ones.

We know they don’t translate to as many sales as modern

advertising methods.

We can’t track traditional methods of advertising as well as we can track more modern ones.

It’s impossible to know exactly how effective traditional methods

are because there is no way to track who is watching or listening

through traditional television, print and radio ads.

Online, when users are logged into

their accounts, it’s much more

likely that advertisers can find

useful data, and target their ads to

the audience they’re looking for.

For more tips, download our free ebook, “Building Brand

Awareness: The Guide For 2017.”