In marketing and public relations, it's crucial to be mindful of trends and to understand where your target audience is. And it's easy to focus more on the likes of Tik Tok and Snapchat and less on the 'old guard' platforms of mainstream media. But is this really a wise strategy? It all depends what your goals are and who you're targeting. 

It cannot be denied that print media, newspapers in particular, have experienced a slow decline in reach over the years. For instance, according to Statista, UK newspaper expenditure has dropped from £9.9 billion in 2005 to little more than £3 billion as of 2021. Meanwhile, traditional television channels have also seen their numbers decrease greatly over time. No doubt, the digital revolution has contributed to people finding other ways to consume information, and with that comes opportunity. 

But are the likes of social media and smartphone apps really the way to go for anyone who has a product or service to market? The numbers seem to suggest so: according to Cybercrew, 19.05 million people in the UK had an active Twitter profile as of October 2021.  

However, statistics alone don't ensure success. The content of your messaging is what matters the most to your target audience. Just because an organisation has shunned a newspaper advert for a promoted post on Instagram doesn't mean that the money will roll in. Social media and streaming platforms on smartphones have a challenge of their own making: the extremely short attention span, whereby a user will scroll and scroll and scroll until something catches their eye. Your Twitter ad may have received thousands of impressions, but your actual engagement rate could be in the 1%-3%. And that would actually be an admirable achievement! 

Those who suggest that newspapers, radio stations and traditional TV advertising are a thing of the past are missing out on what remain the primary platforms of entertainment and information consumption. Even if sales, listeners and views are down significantly from their heyday, there are still millions of users who are open to something that captures their attention. And let's not underestimate just how many people simply don't want to use Facebook or YouTube or anything remotely digital, instead preferring the simpler platforms that reward those who take their time to understand what's going on in the world, especially when it comes to serious communication. 

Which isn't to say that you should avoid social media, apps and streaming sites; far from it. There's a huge market out there that is only growing as time rolls on. But you need to make sure that you have all the boxes ticked to provide content that is engaging, thought-provoking, entertaining and unique. If you want your message to go viral, you have to go somewhere that has yet to be ventured. It's tremendous if you can make that happen, but if not, you may wish to keep your options open for marketing. And that's why, in 2023, the mainstream media still has a very significant role to play in marketing. How much of a role that plays for your industry depends on who you're targeting, what you're marketing, and how effective you are at conveying your messaging. 

Steele Public Relations could help your organisation to reach its intended audience no matter the platform; just click here to find out what we can do for you!