When you first start a business, the first question that comes to your mind is what marketing strategy you should adopt to boost your business. As the world evolves, marketing strategies also evolve. Without a marketing plan, your business will not be as successful as you want it to be. If you want your company to be successful, you must develop a winning market strategy.
Many business owners find it difficult to choose between traditional marketing and digital marketing strategies to present their business to their customers. Traditional marketing tends to use older and more traditional strategies, while digital marketing tends to use new strategies that incorporate social media platforms and digital ads to capture your audience’s attention. Now the question is, which one is better?
This blog covers topics that will give you a clear understanding of the difference between digital marketing and traditional marketing strategies.
What is traditional marketing?
Traditional marketing involves marketing methods that are not based on the Internet. These strategies have been around for decades.
Traditional marketing methods include:
- TV commercials
- Magazine and newspaper advertisements
- Radio advertising
- billboards
- Flyers
- Postcards, information packages and vouchers sent directly.
We all have seen the above type of advertisement many times in our lives. Even though these methods are now outdated and many companies no longer find them useful, they are still an effective way to grab your audience’s attention.
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing is a relatively new way of marketing your business. As the world today is heavily dependent on the internet and smartphones, companies are trying to channel their resources into digital marketing where they reach out to the target audience through social media platforms and other internet-based methods.
Common digital marketing methods include:
- SEO
- Website content
- Clickable ads
- Social media posts
- Email marketing
Due to the use of the Internet and smartphones, the above-mentioned marketing methods are now more popular. According to Satista, there are 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide. With numbers like that, marketing online and via social media makes perfect sense. These methods are not as old as traditional methods but are very effective.
The Pros and Cons of Traditional Marketing
After the introduction of digital marketing, traditional marketing was often viewed as outdated or insignificant. Nevertheless, many of his methods are effective.
Here are some pros and cons of traditional marketing to help you decide whether it is better for your business.
Advantages
- If your target audience includes older people, traditional marketing will be effective for your business. Most older people spend much of their time watching television and reading newspapers. So it would be easy to get their attention through TV commercials and newspaper advertisements.
- If you want to build a large local audience, traditional marketing is best for your business. If you run a small business, it is better to grab your audience’s attention through billboards and flyers.
- TV and radio commercials cannot be skipped; Advertisements play over and over again, reminding your audience of your business.
Disadvantages
- It can take months or years for traditional marketing methods to become successful. It is a slow process that requires a lot of time and patience.
- Sending postcards and coupons costs you a lot of money and there is no guarantee that the recipient will be interested in your business.
Advantages and disadvantages of digital marketing
Digital marketing strategies change every day. There are areas where digital marketing is unprecedented and others where it is commonplace.
Advantages
- You can market your business internationally. You can capture the attention of your local audience as well as an international audience.
- It’s easy to track your audience and get their data. You can then use this data to create content that your audience wants to see and is interested in.
- Digital marketing strategies are much more cost-effective. You can save a lot of money by sending emails instead of printing postcards and sending them to others.
Disadvantages
- People can block or skip advertisements on the Internet; This is a disadvantage of digital marketing.
- Digital marketing strategies are constantly changing. You need to evolve quickly with the changes. Additionally, the strategies you use should be business specific. To ensure that all the marketing strategies you use for your business work, you can hire a professional digital marketing agency.
Which one is better?
The answer is; it depends on your company. However, for many businesses, digital marketing is the best option. If you want to reach people around the world while keeping costs low, hire experienced digital marketing experts. However, if your target audience is the locals of a particular region, you should opt for traditional marketing.
About Reach First
Reach First is one of the leading providers of digital marketing services. We offer a full range of online marketing services in Edmonton, Calgary and other cities across Alberta. Some additional services we offer include: SEM (Social Engine Marketing), SMM (Social Media Marketing) and comprehensive website development including graphics and branding. Contact us today for more information.