Boost Your Online Traffic with Effective Digital Marketing Strategies
Developing an air-tight marketing strategy is essential for the success of your business.
Whether your contracting business serves a small local community or is one of several firms in a big city, marketing will help convert your target audience into customers.
Learning the differences between content marketing and traditional marketing strategies will help you deploy an effective campaign.
What Is a Content Marketing Campaign?
Content marketing is an inbound marketing technique that drives online traffic toward your website, product listings, and sign-up forms.
Through content marketing, you provide relevant information to potential customers already seeking contracting services to encourage them to choose you over the competition.
For this technique to work, you must create a steady stream of engaging, high-quality content—typically in the form of blog posts, videos, social media, or landing pages.
Unlike traditional marketing campaigns, you don’t need to pitch your brand directly. Instead, content marketing entices customers to look into your business independently.
Some examples of content marketing techniques include:
- Short-form videos
- Newsletters
- Blog posts and articles
- Social media posts
- Website pages
What Is a Traditional Marketing Campaign?
Traditional marketing methods have been around much longer than content marketing, which appeared during the early days of the internet.
Traditional marketing strategies attempt to reach a broad audience through billboards, radio, ads, etc.
Like content marketing, you can deploy traditional marketing techniques via the internet. For instance, social media platforms like Facebook and Youtube allow you to push outbound marketing through digital advertisements.
The Differences Between Content Marketing and Traditional Marketing
Let’s analyze the differences between these two types of marketing further:
Broad vs. Detailed Content
A traditional marketing campaign’s aim is to make your brand visible to as many potential clients as possible. This strategy requires broad information that creates emotional responses and a sense of urgency in your audience.
In contrast, content marketing provides detailed information about a specific product or service you offer.
It’s still important to sell your brand through your content. However, you must subtly pitch products and services in the context of your content’s larger subject matter. Marketers call this technique soft-selling.
Example of a Content Marketing Strategy
Suppose you manage an HVAC company, and your target customer is someone who needs air conditioning repairs. You can write blogs discussing common problems with air conditioners, how to prevent damage, or which new systems are worth installing.
This type of content will boost your company’s authority on the subject and encourage customers to hire your services.
Example of a Traditional Marketing Strategy
Now imagine the same scenario with a traditional marketing approach. You may list advertisements in the local newspaper with a headline like:
“Stay Out of the Summer Heat! Call Us for Quality Air Conditioning Repairs!”
This information pitches your service as an HVAC repair company. However, it doesn’t provide educational content to promote further interest in your brand.
Appealing to All vs. Appealing to Few
Content marketing may take more planning to execute than traditional marketing. For a successful campaign, you must consistently produce content that zeros in on your target demographic’s pain points and concerns.
The idea behind this type of marketing is to tailor your content with SEO so that your target audience feels like you wrote the information just for them.
Conversely, traditional marketing targets a wider audience with unique selling propositions that appeal to multiple market demographics.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Leads
Traditional marketing often results in short-term leads—quick conversions for people at the bottom of your marketing funnel.
In contrast, content marketing encourages your audience to continue reading your articles and viewing your graphics even after their conversion. It may take longer to nurture these leads, but the benefits are well worth your effort.
Spending Less and Earning More
Content marketing may take more time to develop but requires significantly fewer resources.
You can create a comprehensive content marketing campaign with just a couple of writers and internet access.
Traditional marketing may cost your company over twice as much as content marketing. Expenses could include advertising costs, printed materials, and more.
The Perks of Choosing Content Marketing Over Traditional Marketing
Let’s cover some benefits of content marketing vs. traditional marketing:
Content Marketing Is Less Invasive
Content marketing allows you to pitch your products or services to those seeking them without appearing too pushy—growing your brand reputation.
Traditional marketing is more “in your face.” Sometimes, confrontational marketing strategies can be off-putting to your potential customers and turn them away.
Content Marketing Promotes Brand Loyalty
High-quality content demonstrates to your customers that you understand their needs and will provide practical solutions. Consequently, content marketing may promote higher customer retention rates.
Content Marketing Is Engaging
Engaging content can improve your company’s ranking in the search engine.
Well-written articles can increase your site traffic and impressions, extend the time spent on your web pages, and boost your rankings on Google.
On the other hand, traditional marketing encourages short bursts of interest from your target audience, which may or may not end in a sale.
Combining Both Approaches: Content Marketing and Traditional Marketing Strategies
Content marketing and traditional marketing strategies both have distinct advantages. Using them together during your next campaign lets you take advantage of both benefits.
For instance, you could use traditional marketing to push potential customers to a short-term offer. Simultaneously you can use content (articles, videos, and infographics) to drive traffic to your website and build trust with your audience.
Get Help with Your Marketing
Choosing the right marketing strategy for your business doesn’t need to be a hassle.
At Contractor Growth Network, we help contractors like you boost brand outreach with cost-efficient content marketing solutions. Our expert team can track your marketing and SEO analytics and make adjustments where necessary.
We will work tirelessly to achieve a high ROI on your marketing. As a veteran-owned and -operated business, we won’t cut corners on your strategy.
Contact us to learn more about content marketing. Fill out our contact form or call Contactor Growth Network in Charlotte, NC, at (980) 449-4384 to schedule a consultation.
