The digital marketing vs traditional marketing debate is age old, and it’s far from over. There are pros and cons to both traditional and digital marketing. With digital marketing the audience can directly interact with ads in a digital space. Whereas with traditional marketing you can convey your message loud and clear. Even if you do acknowledge the need for effective marketing, the whole digital marketing vs traditional marketing debate might stump you. Today we’re going to break down the good and bad sides of each form of marketing.
As a business, it is important to stay one step ahead of your competitors. This means utilizing all the opportunities that are available to you. Technology has developed in such a way that interpersonal communication is easier than ever before. Digital marketing allows you to reach out to your target market, connect with prospects and convert more of them into customers/clients. This form of marketing is crucial because it takes advantage of the internet. Instead of going out to find people, they come to you. This being said an online presence is absolutely essential. The more people that know about your website, brand and products you sell, the more familiar they become with your agenda. The world of digital marketing is ever changing, but some things remain constant. Digital marketing produces a higher level of customer engagement, makes it easier to measure results, reaches more potential customers, and is overall less expensive.
There are some limitations to this form of marketing. If you struggle with technology or have limited access to it, this form of marketing might not be for you as it is dependent on technology and the internet. This can also run this risk of running into security or privacy issues that may have a negative impact. There are also maintenance costs that factor into using technology and different websites. The competition in the digital space is also bigger since your competitors are also on the internet. If this isn’t the path for you then you might want to try traditional marketing.
Traditional marketing has been around for a minute. It is a conventional mode of marketing that helps to reach out to a semi-targeted audience with various offline advertising and promotional methods. Traditional marketing is broken down into five main categories: broadcast, mail, outdoor, telephone and print. Think of the advertisements you see on tv or the billboards you drive past on the highway. Though traditional marketing has evolved over the years, at its core it remains the same. Emphasizing the importance of product, place, price and promotion.
Though still effective in its own way, there have become more and more drawbacks with traditional marketing. This form of marketing tends to be more expensive. The recurring costs with traditional marketing can be a big investment that may have little to no return. There is also little interaction with customers. Traditional marketing also presents very few customization options once aired, printed etc. Even though you can use traditional marketing techniques to market to certain segments, you cannot go after targeted customers.
So which form of marketing is better? Well, that depends on what you’re trying to sell. Successful marketing requires a business to connect to potential customers in the best possible way so that there is an actual return on the investment. These days a large majority of people) are spending their time on the Internet, if it makes sense for you, as a business, to connect to them on it, then I would check out digital marketing.
