The debate continues about which media is better, traditional or digital media. For Personal Injury attorneys, the concern over which is better is real. Advertising dollars are precious and need to produce results. Mistakes need to be avoided at all cost. Many people think traditional media’s days are numbered. However, we have found that a smart blend of both can truly boost results.
Traditional Media
We define traditional media as those trusty sources used before we ever heard the term “Wi-Fi”. They are media channels that have been around for years. Traditional media includes Radio, TV, Print and Outdoor. Many people associate traditional media with branding. And while traditional does a good job of branding, it still successfully functions as a direct response tool.
Digital Media
Digital media, or new media is everything you access through a screen via the Internet. That includes websites, banners, social media, podcasts and streaming video and audio. Digital media is considered to be more tactical because of the ability to granularly target. Because you can buy new media in “bite-sized” packages it can cost less overall than traditional. Unquestionably, digital media is growing faster than traditional. In fact, time spent with digital increased by 8 hours a day while time with traditional hit an all-time low.
Advantages of Traditional
Traditional media still packs a punch, with numerous benefits. One advantage is that it is a great mass reach vehicle. One ad on the Super Bowl can reach over one hundred million people. And many traditional advertising forms have very low cost-per-thousand rates, meaning it is very efficient to reach a large audience.
There is also a tangible experience with traditional. Whether holding a newspaper or magazine or staring at a billboard, there is an experience. Because of how it is distributed traditional outlets can be very local, and have an impact on a community. Traditional channels are viewed as more trustworthy. They have a legacy.
Advantages of Traditional
Digital’s calling card is the ability to target. Using all of the data that is available we can focus on prospects considering their age, gender, geography, behaviors, interests etc. While the cost-per-thousand may be higher, the elimination of waste means your ad dollars are just spent on the audience you desire.
Another advantage of digital is the interactivity. A viewer can click on an ad to get more information. Ads can be liked, shared and commented on. New media is a two-way street.
Advertisers appreciate the immediate feedback of digital. The audience can immediately react to an ad and the advertiser can see that. It allows for on-the-fly modifications of an ad campaign at relatively little expense. And, the ad campaign is completely trackable, creating valuable data for future advertising.
Multi-Platform Success
The magic happens when you combine traditional and digital media. People learn in different ways. Some are more auditory, they “hear what you are saying”. Others are more visual, they “see what you mean”. Similarly, there are folks who only consume traditional media. Others, just like digital media. The majority of us use both. By using both, marketers increase their Reach, the number of unique individuals who come in contact with our messaging.
For Personal Injury attorneys increasing Reach is important. It is very hard to predict who will need your services when. The larger the audience that knows and trusts you, the more likely your messaging will resonate with an individual who is injured. By using a variety of platforms, you will reach people young and old, tech savvy and those less so.
Traditional media is excellent at driving prospects to your digital outlets. Most Personal Injury attorneys find that traffic to their website jumps after they have run TV ads. Outdoor advertising is excellent at planting the firm name in people’s minds and having them search the firm online.
To successfully integrate both, start with a clear objective. Do you want brand awareness, phone calls to your office or both? Craft strategies that work for each medium. Your messaging should be consistent across all outlets. The look and tone need to be the same for all communications whether a print ad or social media post.
How To Use Traditional With Digital
Think about your media mix in terms of how it moves prospects through the sales funnel. You will want media that is great at creating awareness of your firm. Awareness messaging should clearly define what makes your firm different. Move people who are aware of you to the Engagement phase. There you want people to understand how you can solve their problem, demonstrating your expertise. At the same time, be relatable. The potential client needs to become comfortable with you.
To drive conversions, messaging needs a clear call to action. Tell leads what you want them to do and give them a reason. A client testimonial provides a good motivation for an interested party to pick up the phone or fill out a form.
Both Outdoor ads and banner ads are great Awareness media. They are very low cost with regard to their cost-per-thousand and reach large audiences. Each is successful at moving prospects on to Engagement media such as your website or a video. An explainer video is an excellent opportunity to tell future clients how you can solve their problem in a manner they can understand. Retargeting ads, those ads that follow you around the internet are a great conversion tool.
TV & Search
TV and Search are media that can be used throughout the sales funnel. Depending on how messaging is constructed they can start Awareness, create Engagement and drive Conversions. Depending on your strategy TV can be used as a Traditional media (broadcast, cable) or a Digital outlet (streaming, preroll).
Measure
No matter what media you choose measure and tweak. Learn what is working and what’s not. Adjust on the fly. And don’t play favorites. Each media has it’s strengths, leverage them. And remember, analytics are your friend.
We have worked with many Personal injury attorneys over the years, and had success with many forms of advertising. We don’t have a preference for traditional or digital media. PI is a results business, everyone wants to win. And so do we. By utilizing both traditional and digital advertising we are able to reach the most prospects and move them to conversion. If you are not sure how to mix and match traditional or digital media for optimal effectiveness contact us.
