The dispute between traditional and digital marketing has been going on for a long time and does not stop. Ultimately, it all comes down to which one your company needs. If you’re trying to choose between traditional and digital marketing in form of a digital marketing agency or a traditional agency, why not take a look at both?
What is traditional marketing?
This is a specific approach that various marketers use, using techniques in which the consumer will be able to see, hear and interact with ads offline.
The term “traditional” refers to any type of marketing that is not done online. This is interaction with the target audience through printed materials, video broadcasts, direct mail, telephony, and outdoor advertising. This marketing method also includes the media, from newspapers to radio.
Many marketers lean towards this type of marketing because it is tried and true. After all, this is one of the studied areas of business.
Every person comes into contact with traditional marketing in their daily lives, whether it be receiving mailing lists or daily newspapers.
Traditional marketing plays an important role in attracting an audience. If only because there is an audience that is easier to reach with traditional marketing than digital.
Digital marketing – what is it?
This is any kind of marketing that is on the Internet.
Paid social media advertising, online mailing lists, Twitter promotion, and influencer blog posts are all examples of digital marketing and its widespread use.
Thanks to technological, cultural, and social changes, digital marketing has become very popular.
The world is increasingly immersed in the digital realm, and marketing methods are also evolving. Digital marketing is often more cost effective than traditional marketing and provides more direct ways to connect with target audiences around the world.
Digital marketing solutions are essential for business today. It has become commonplace for consumers to do research and shop online.
What kind of marketing is right for your company?
Traditional marketing has some disadvantages. First, companies rarely interact in real time with the people they sell their products to. When you hear an advertisement on the radio, you can’t send a message on the radio and ask if white kitchen towels are on sale today.
Second, many marketers find traditional marketing uncomfortable. Once a print ad has been published, it cannot be edited. If you enter the wrong price in a promotional video, you will not be able to change it.
Third, traditional marketing is often more expensive. For example, print ads can cost between $2,000 and $160,000.
Fourth, limited customization options. Do you want to target customers from a specific industry and age group? Traditional marketing will not help you with this, it is not able to reach specific customers. Yes, traditional marketing methods can be used to promote a specific segment, but you won’t be able to reach your target customers. When using online advertising, you have the opportunity not only to reach the right customers but also to show them offers designed specifically for them.
Fifth, poor company measurement.
When implementing a traditional marketing strategy, it is important to know how effective it is in order not to invest in the wrong direction. Unfortunately, the results obtained through traditional marketing cannot be easily and effectively measured. However, by running an online marketing campaign, you can easily spot what you’re doing wrong, whether it’s successful or not. This alone makes digital marketing much more effective than its traditional counterpart.
Even so, traditional marketing is still an important way to market for some companies. But now digital marketing has come to the fore.
Recently, 50% of marketers said they believe digital marketing has an edge over traditional marketing in terms of customer acquisition.
Companies can control the growth of their audience and see the results of every aspect of promotion such as results from SEO services in real time. Also, with the help of inbound marketing, consumers themselves find a business and not vice versa.
But digital technologies also have disadvantages. And the most important thing is the dependence on technology. Because when the sites stop working and the marketer has the plan to promote, the only thing he can do is wait.
Another downside is security. After the Facebook scandal that leaked personal information from 87 million profiles, other platforms have taken strict measures to ensure the privacy of user information. But the companies themselves must remember the legality and not violate the law and the rules of the communities.
Each update of the social platform is a new training for developers and marketers. New knowledge and strategies require enough time.
Many companies find it difficult to find the right “marketing” decisions, although their impact on the bottom line is huge.
A clear understanding of digital marketing will help businesses better understand which marketing method, digital or traditional, is more appropriate and how it should be applied.
But with all this, digital marketing can answer all the disadvantages of traditional one.
First, a higher level of interaction with customers
Traditional marketing does not allow direct interaction with customers, whereas digital marketing offers a higher level of engagement. Whether it’s social media comments or email marketing, you can instantly connect with your target audience through various digital marketing channels.
Your brand can also easily build stronger, longer-term relationships with customers by engaging with them through videos, surveys, or webinars. A business operates more efficiently if it operates in accordance with customer requirements. And digital marketing allows you to do this because you can interact with customers and solve their problems without wasting time.
Second, the ease of measuring results
Unlike traditional marketing, digital marketing allows you to measure results. This allows you to be astute and not play blind marketing games.
You have access to an array of information about potential clients and actual clients and this will help you understand where you are going. How many people visit/leave your site and what percentage of them become your customers?
Thirdly, a large audience coverage.
Using digital marketing, you can create a personalized campaign and expand your reach beyond cities or countries.
Fourth, cheaper and more efficient
When it comes to investing in marketing, your bottom line is the deciding factor as it determines the success of your entire business. Unsurprisingly, digital marketing offers the best ROI because it is cheaper than traditional marketing, and advertising is promoted in multiple ways.
In the end, I want to say that running a successful business is not just choosing a niche or having a quality product. It’s also about using the right marketing strategies to reach your target audience and turn them into potential or actual customers.
But even if you understand the need for effective marketing, comparing digital and traditional marketing can be confusing. The reason for this confusion is that the scope of digital marketing is steadily growing, despite the fact that most of the marketing activities are still carried out in the traditional way.
We hope that with the help of these data and facts, we have convinced you that digital marketing is a more profitable way to advertise for small businesses. If you’ve tried traditional marketing before but didn’t get the results you want, try to contact a digital marketing agency. It entails little risk and is able to give you more.
