Digital Vs Physical Marketing

Strategy

Strategy should guide every part of your marketing and serve as the starting point for your decisions. Begin by looking closely at your audience.

Digital marketing

Gen X and Millennials tend to be highly responsive to ads. Gen Z is often more cautious and more thorough before making decisions. When you understand your audience, you can use that insight to your advantage. Be clear about what you offer, and stay authentic and transparent.

Digital marketing may include social media posts, email marketing, text campaigns, a personal website, news coverage, blogs, or similar online touchpoints.

Physical collateral

Although newspaper readership is declining, physical PR is not dead. There is something memorable about giving clients something tangible. Some people will keep your business card on their fridge, save a flyer for later, or remember the embossed detail on a sample you gave them.

Physical marketing may include EDDM mailers, targeted mailers, flyers, samples, PR packages, billboards, posters, and more.

This can extend beyond targeted marketing. Consider samples you can bring to discovery calls, since these items provide passive physical marketing that goes beyond a standard website or resume.

Passive marketing

Passive marketing allows potential clients to discover and research you on their own terms. Examples include a portfolio website, casual personal content on social media, or a Google ad that describes your services. These pieces are usually not targeted to specific groups and often do not include a clear call to action.

Active marketing

Active marketing involves intentionally reaching out to leads. In this case, you are trying to convert them into clients. Examples include paid ads aimed at specific audiences, promotional social posts, or physical mailers designed for particular groups.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

I talked about marketing strategies with my creative director at AR Marketing, and he brought up Customer Acquisition Cost. HubSpot explains that CAC is the amount of money you invest in acquiring a new customer. This could be money you pay for a referral lead, or money you spend on marketing efforts that result in a new client.

Measuring your CAC allows you to estimate your return on investment, or ROI. It helps you understand which marketing tactics work best for you and where you should invest more in the future.

Read more about measuring CAC in the additional resources link in the header.

Valadez, Ashley. “Confused about Customer Acquisition Cost? I Asked Experts about CAC to Help [+ Benchmarks and Formulas].” HubSpot Blog, blog.hubspot.com/service/what-does-cac-stand-for. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.