When was the last time you actually bothered to listen to the advertisements peppering your favorite TV show. If you’re like most of us, you probably mute the TV as soon as the ads come on and jump up to get a soda or a snack during this small break. Even while the TV’s on mute, you’re probably wondering why they keep playing the same advertisements over and over. And you’re counting the seconds until your show begins again.

How Traditional Advertising Breaks Your Concentration

Many people have even started downloading their favorite shows from the internet because they like to watch them without any interruption. Some of us watch TV only on Netflix because it also gives you that option. The truth is that TV advertisements really break your concentration. You turn on your TV for entertainment but you’re forced to also watch advertisements, most of which probably have no interest for you.

The same goes for print advertising. Let’s say you’re reading an article in a magazine. You can get pretty engrossed in following what you’re reading. And then you turn the page and find something completely incongruous. Maybe you were reading about the advantages of breastfeeding and then, you’re faced with a photo of a Victoria’s Secret model. Not only does this take undue advantage of your body issues, it’s completely unrelated to what you’re reading.

Coercion vs. Freedom

Traditional advertising doesn't work because it's constantly bombarding us from all sides. It's trying to get us to stop doing what we’re doing and focus on it instead. Sometimes, it may even succeed in doing so. After all, which woman can resist the sight of the latest Calvin Klein hunk in undies plastered all over a billboard on her way to work. Still, it doesn't always leave us with a pleasant feeling later. Many of us feel like we’re being coerced into purchasing certain things because we see and hear about them all the time. We’re not given the freedom to make our own choices.

In contrast, if we hear about an interesting product or service and look it up ourselves, we get the sense that we have control over what we buy. This is the reason why many firms have turned to inbound marketing, the idea behind which is to be prepared when your customer reaches out to you. The initial decision about looking you up is in the hands of the customer but when they reach out to you, you need to be prepared with all the information they might need via your website, blog, social media pages etc. Since inbound marketing is more informational rather than promotional, it’s a lot less intrusive.

Contact us for more information on setting up the perfect inbound marketing strategy for your needs.