Traditional Marketing vs. Digital Marketing: Which Is Best for Your Business?

As a business owner, a key facet of creating a customer base is the marketing of your service or product; however, choosing the best option for your needs can be difficult, especially with the advent of digital marketing methods such as social media campaigns and e-mail newsletters. This is a helpful guide to the pros and cons of both traditional and digital marketing, and which method is best for your business.

Traditional Marketing: Basic Info, Pros and Cons

Traditional marketing methods include any ad you might encounter in your daily life, including:

-Print (magazines, newspapers, etc.)

-Broadcast (TV, radio, etc.)

-Direct mail (catalogues, postcards, etc.)

-Telephone (telemarketing, SMS marketing, etc.)

-Outdoor (billboards, fliers, etc.)

-Promotional items (t-shirts, mugs, etc.)

Pros of Traditional Marketing

–Easier to Understand: useful for marketing towards older customers or those without Internet access

–Easy to Keep and Pass Along: paper advertisements such as fliers, brochures and business cards can be kept by your customers for future reference

–Reach a Local Audience: spread news of your business through word of mouth in your area

–More Personal: face-to-face marketing techniques have been proven to leave a longer lasting impression in the customer’s mind

–Variety of Options: hundreds of different items available for promotional use

Cons of Traditional Marketing

–More Costly: designing, printing, and distribution can be expensive

–Little Interaction: in most cases, direct interaction with the customer is non-existent

–Harder to Track Success: gauging precisely how well your campaign is performing is extremely difficult

When Should You Use Traditional Marketing Methods?

-When advertising to older audiences, in a more rural area, or in an area where access to the Internet is low

-When trying to reach a smaller, more local audience

-If you have a larger budget to dedicate to designing, printing/filming, and distribution of your advertisements

 

Digital Marketing: Basic Info, Pros and Cons

Digital marketing methods are those that utilize electronic devices and/or the Internet, such as:

-Search engines (through the use of Search Engine Optimization)

-Email newsletters, promotions, etc.

-Business websites

-Social media campaigns on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

Pros of Digital Marketing

–Affordable: cost-effective for businesses on a budget

–Easy to Track: advertising programs allow you to see the exact amount of engagement with your advertisements

–Precise Targeting: allows you to choose the exact audience you want to market to

–More Interactive: clever use of social media platforms can help to catch and keep your audience’s attention

–Builds Your Reputation: memorable and interactive marketing can strengthen your customer’s loyalty to your brand

Cons of Digital Marketing

–Dependent On Technology: campaigns can be compromised due to technical problems

–Security and Privacy Issues: due to the nature of the Internet, there is always a possibility that the customer or the business’s information could be compromised

–Highly Competitive: with many businesses taking their advertising ventures to the digital front, digital marketing is rife with competition

When Should You Use Digital Marketing Methods?

-When trying to expand your customer base or reach a wider audience

-When marketing towards a niche audience

-When working with a smaller budget