When advertising, companies have a big choice to make; do you use storefront ads or take the risk of using the constantly expanding digital advertising world? There are advantages in both of them, yet by knowing the difference and having the correct balance, you can optimize your brand reach and influence.
Storefront advertisements are not new. These are the billboards, posters, and banners, the ones you pass in the streets, or outside the malls or beside your favorite coffee shop. One thing is common in them, they are tangible. People are able to see them, touch them and even pass through them in some instances. However, do they operate in a smartphone, social media and online shopping dominated world?
On the other side, digital ads are the catchy, flashy ads you see when scrolling your social feed, browsing the web, or hunting down that pair of shoes you just can’t find in real life. They appear to be on top of what you require before you even know it. They know what you want, like the sixth sense. But do they really work in the same way a real life advertising can make people halt in their tracks?
The Old and the New
Storefront ads. The old method of advertising continues to have a grip in some markets. Storefront advertisements catch the eye whether it be a neon light in a busy street or an eye-catching poster at a local event. Humans are aesthetic beings, and they tend to be drawn to bright colors and big and eye catching messages. They can affect instant purchasing processes particularly when individuals are physically close to the shop or occasion.
But here the important thing is place. A physical shopfront advertising that is located in a busy location can change a game. Imagine it as where someone looks at you when it is the right place at the right time. You can guess what we are talking about, especially when you have made an impulse purchase when walking past a shop window.
However, with the growth of the digital age, it becomes more difficult to shine when you are relying on storefront ads only. The rivalry is intense and the coverage is confined to choice geographical locations. Moreover, as more people move online and online shopping as well as online spaces, there is a risk of missing a bigger audience who only looks at digital advertisements.
The Digital Revolution
Get into digital advertisements: the glittering, vibrant juggernaut that swept the advertisement chain. Digital advertisements appear anywhere, whether it is through Facebook advertisements or Google search results. The brilliance of digital adverts is that, with the help of browsing history, demographics and even real time behavior they can be specifically used to target certain audiences. Such accuracy enables the brands to launch targeted campaigns, so that the appropriate people will see their message at the appropriate time.
The reach of digital ads is considered one of the biggest assets of digital ads. Someone in the other side of the world might just have to click on your advertisement, buy your product and become a customer life long. Local foot traffic is not an issue anymore, global visibility is. The location disappears with the existence of such platforms as Google and social media sites.
However, there’s a flip side. It may seem like the internet is an advertising frenzy as more and more businesses roll onto the digital bandwagon. At times, it is difficult to cut the noise. People get ad fatigue. They bypass advertisements, block them out or simply stop their ears. Besides, there is the constant danger of not feeling the physical touch of the digital advertisements, as the storefront advertisement can impress a human mind, and the impression can be felt long.
Finding the Balance
Now you may be asking yourself: And can I have the best of both worlds? Absolutely! It is essential to find a balance between physical or storefront advertisements and online advertisements to carry out an effective campaign. They both possess advantages and disadvantages and the art is to know which one to apply when.
To take an example, suppose that you have a brick-and-mortar store. The location of a store front advertisement that attracts the attention of the people who pass by is important in the creation of foot traffic. However, at the same time, you can roll out an intensive social media promotion to draw in people who may not have passed through your store that day. Imagine it as a broad net that would net attention online as well as offline.
In case you are a business that is entirely online, you will be selling digital ads. Do not, however, underrate physical promotions. Given a pop-up event or a partnership with local stores that will bring physical presence and buzz. Such a basic thing as a branded giveaway in one of the local events will draw the attention to your online business. It’s all about integration.
