Startup Guides > Traditional Marketing And Content Marketing: Can They Co-Exist?

As content marketing continues to grow in popularity, a question being asked more and more is "should I replace my traditional marketing with content marketing?" The short answer is no.

It's easy to pile onto the idea that print, radio, and even TV are on their way out as marketing platforms - but if they are effective, you shouldn't give them up. Instead, rephrase that question to ask "how can I integrate content marketing into what I'm already doing?"

Content marketing is a philosophy, not a platform. It is a belief that you should educate and help your customers, and by doing so, they will reward you with their business. Content marketing should synch with your existing marketing, not replace it. If that marketing happens to be through traditional channels, so be it. Of course, it can also integrate nicely within your current online marketing too.


First, let's understand the difference between the two. For the sake of this discussion, let's put traditional marketing in the category of paid promotion - a newspaper ad, radio or TV spot. Paid promotion should drive more immediate traffic whereas content marketing will compound over time.

Whether that promotion is through online means like pay-per-click and social media, or traditional means like radio and newspaper ads - the content that you are creating often needs to be promoted to ensure that enough of the right audience is seeing it.

Instead of advertising your list of features in your next radio or newspaper campaign, consider promoting a free guide that your prospects can download from your website. This guide can be a culmination of answers to all of the questions that your prospects have on your industry, service or product. If that guide has enough value, you may be able to leverage it to capture the prospects name and email address. These are two important pieces of information that you can use as part of a lead nurture campaign.

Given the fragmentation of media and constant evolution of technology, few doubt the need to be evaluating your marketing mix on a regular basis. Regardless of the medium, however, nobody can doubt that quality content with the exposure to the right audience is a winning formula. So, before you abandon your traditional marketing altogether, first consider how you can integrate content marketing with your existing plan.

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