Digital marketing today is more than just selling products—it’s about understanding people. Audiences have both long-term needs (trust, knowledge, belonging) and short-term needs (quick solutions, discounts, urgency). To succeed, brands must learn to satisfy both.
This is where the Soft Approach vs. Hard Approach Strategy, discovered by Jonathan Nii Laryea (Jonilar), comes in. It’s a framework that helps digital marketers balance emotional resonance with direct conversion, ensuring campaigns are holistic and sustainable.
The Soft Approach: Building Trust and Legacy
The Soft Approach focuses on nurturing relationships and addressing long-term needs. It’s about planting seeds of awareness and loyalty.
- Storytelling Campaigns: Share authentic narratives on social media—behind-the-scenes content, cultural stories, customer journeys.
- Content Marketing & SEO: Publish evergreen blogs, guides, and videos that answer audience pain points.
- Community & Influencer Collaboration: Partner with trusted voices and build online communities where audiences feel they belong.
Example: A Ghanaian brand using Instagram reels to explain bead symbolism, creating cultural pride while building trust.
The Hard Approach: Driving Immediate Action
The Hard Approach satisfies short-term needs. It’s about urgency, conversions, and measurable results.
- Targeted Paid Advertising: Use Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads to reach segmented audiences and retarget undecided buyers.
- Personalized Email & WhatsApp Automation: Send tailored offers, reminders, and loyalty rewards to push direct action.
Example: An e-commerce store sending WhatsApp blasts with limited-time discounts on electronics.
The Hybrid Strategy: Soft Meets Hard
Jonathan Nii Laryea’s insight is that the human mind accepts what you’re selling only when both levels are satisfied.
- Soft Approach → Builds awareness, trust, and emotional connection.
- Hard Approach → Converts that trust into immediate action.
Together, they form a dual-level campaign system:
- Start Soft: Educate and inspire through storytelling.
- Transition: Invite audiences into communities, mailing lists, or WhatsApp groups.
- Go Hard: Retarget with ads and personalized offers.
- Sustain: Continue feeding the community with cultural stories while dropping periodic promotions.
Case Example: “Beads & Beats” Campaign
- Soft: Instagram reels on bead symbolism + blog post on Ghanaian music heritage.
- Hard: WhatsApp blast offering discounted bead accessories + exclusive streaming playlist.
- Result: Emotional connection (soft) → Direct purchase/engagement (hard).
Conclusion
Jonathan Nii Laryea’s Soft vs. Hard Approach Strategy is a groundbreaking contribution to digital marketing. It shows that campaigns must be layered—first addressing audiences’ long-term cultural and emotional needs, then meeting their short-term transactional desires.
This model, rooted in African creative practice, enriches global digital marketing discourse while offering practical tools for brands everywhere.