Everything About Digital Marketing Vs Traditional Marketing

To some people, marketing is the backbone that supports the business and can control the company direction. A lot of companies spend a lot of money on their marketing budget. However, not a lot of companies understand the true essence of a marketing campaign.

There are two types of marketing in general that differentiate how the company approaches its customers. They are traditional marketing and digital marketing. They may look alike, and some savvy strategists interchange each tricks to suit their purpose.

A common mistake is that people don’t understand whether they should do digital marketing or the traditional one. They tend to spend a lot on a marketing team that will promote their product with minimum research—ending in chaos and even profit losses for the company.

It is important to understand which method is best applied to the company. But first, let’s understand the differences between traditional marketing and digital ones. Get to know what they have to offer as well as knowing what can be the hindrances in the future.

What is Digital Marketing

This day, the world revolves around the digital land. There are so many social media platforms that seem to require constant attention on an almost hourly basis. The term digital marketing refers to the act of using the available digital channels to promote a product or service.

There are many examples of digital marketing. Any advertisement on a website, both that invite you to click or just there as an ad. SEO or Search Engine Optimization is also one. Affiliate links and endorsing a social media celebrity also count as part of it.

Digital marketing is on the rise primarily because of the massive usage of digital platforms. Many people prefer to read and watch on their smartphones instead of watching TV or reading a magazine. 

Many pieces of research show how it works great these days with the increase of people that more aware of the technology advancement. By using Artificial Intelligence to calculate the revenue and quickly adapt to any new upcoming strategies.

With the help of digital marketing, you can measure how much impact the advert has generated. Among many questions you aimed to have the answers for, you can see how much the public appreciates the products and which platform that garner more attention.

A lot of people using buzzwords to generate interest. In digital marketing, this works to push the product forward. Making it more known to the public and have them familiarize themselves with the issue.

What about Traditional Marketing

This is the method that has been used since before the internet era. Traditional marketing covers many tried and tested techniques that include several platforms. Think about cold calls, sending out flyers, advertisements in the magazines and newspapers, putting up billboards, and commercials on TV and radio stations.

The demographic for this marketing is not as diverse as the digital one. Most of the time, the marketing team targets people who were known to be the customers of similar products. They could be their previous patrons too.

This marketing strategy works for companies that already established their brands and want to reinforce their existence to the public. It also works for a new or a local company to generate more sales. A lot of locally-owned stores use this marketing technique to support their businesses.

Before television, companies been relying on traveling salesmen. That is a group of people who travel all over the country, knocking on people’s door to offer their products. Soon the traveling salesmen were replaced by telemarketers that spend all day calling people, persuading them to buy something. 

The history of traditional marketing may have started from the very first time people start trading. And even when it has evolved to match the media and customers’ preferences, it will always be a more expensive one since the company has to foot all the bills.

The best parts of each strategy

Both traditional and digital marketing have their advantages. Each has its segments and target audience as well as reasons on why they have the edge over the other. In some cases, the differences are not as stark as many have thought.

1. The best parts of Traditional Marketing 

In the long run, the result of traditional marketing is more memorable and held more value. This method is indeed very costly, but it works for a long time. There are a lot of advertisements, both printed and on TV, that still memorable even after decades later.

The longevity means that your brand name is guaranteed to be around for many years to come. It also means that people will be quick to associate a product with your brand name. Levi’s have many other jeans line, but everyone associates any pair of jeans with their 501 series.

Being memorable is not the only reason why the traditional way is a great marketing method. But it also ensures the product’s longevity. For the years to come, you are expected to have the product in stock. If it’s an event you were promoting, then the customers are expecting a similar event next year.

Longevity is one thing that digital marketing lacks but traditional has. To some companies, this can be in line with their values and became the reason why they prefer traditional marketing instead of digital ones.

2. What you get when maximized Digital Marketing

Digital marketing done right can be very beneficial to the company. It is best used when the company wants to reach a bigger audience to promote a special event or product. Having more exposure on the digital platforms, the company is gaining interest and may appeal to more audiences. 

This marketing can be very subtle as the targets may not be realized that they are being targeted. The ads and well-placed links, information, as well as products are so smoothly incorporated in their website or social media posts. 

The general public tends to be tolerant of the advertisement they came across in the news or video they’ve been watching. When they are interested, they may click the link and decide later on. After enough exposure to the ad, the interest is guaranteed.

A small start-up that aims to generate organic appeal should employ digital marketing as soon as possible. They could start by having featured in the platform advertisement slot or endorsed a social media celebrity. Being featured in a feed that will be seen by millions of people is exposure with minimum effort. 

Anyway, some platforms work their algorithm based on what was trending in the past 24 hours. It will push trending content to all users. At the same time, some platforms generate advertisements based on the user’s last search. It seems like a good idea, but it can limit the campaign and end up presenting it to the wrong audience.

Understanding the platforms’ algorithm is important in digital marketing since not all platforms work the same way. Therefore, it is essential to tailor the advertisement to suit the platforms and gain maximum exposure. 

Unlike traditional marketing, the company can have a better understanding of their audiences since there is the option to track the channels and the attention generated. This is very beneficial to strategize the next marketing steps. 

However, without expertise, a company might not be able to achieve results. You might need a digital marketing company like newyorkseo.io to maximize your digital marketing strategies. These companies boast expertise across various digital marketing disciplines, from SEO to social media marketing, ensuring that your online campaigns are strategically planned and executed for maximum impact. This expertise saves you time and resources, allowing you to focus on core business activities while professionals handle your online presence.

Secondly, digital marketing companies have access to advanced tools and technologies that streamline processes, analyze data, and optimize campaigns. This access translates into scalable strategies tailored to your business needs, with measurable results that are continuously refined for better ROI.

The struggle to meet the expectations

Anyhow, both digital and traditional marketing are expected to gain more revenue than the advertisement budget. But it’s not like they don’t need to struggle and can easily weave through the platforms. Each method has its difficulties that can’t be taken lightly.

1. Issues with Traditional Marketing

Throughout the years, a lot of people have been listing the issues with traditional marketing. Some of these issues were very specifics and only applicable to several businesses. Below are the three general issues that happen in any traditional marketing method.

1.1. Very expensive
Traditional marketing is known for its expense. This method uses a lot of resources that can be the company’s liability for the next couple of years to come. Hiring employees to do cold calls can be a waste of time and money.

Due to its large budget, the ones that still employ this method are older and bigger companies that can afford the expense. However, some local companies also employ this same technique that will lead us to the next point.

1.2. Targeting locals only
There is a definite limit to what traditional marketing can do. Buying airtime on national TV can cost a lot. Settling in with a local station means that only the locals are aware of what is happening.

Anyhow, having only locals as target audiences can be a good thing. Most of the companies that choose to do the traditional marketing by targeting locals are the small, family-owned businesses that have been there for generations. 

Keep in mind that this method won’t work for a company that aims to have more customers from other cities or even states and countries.

1.3. Difficult to measure success
It is close to impossible to measure how much revenue traditional marketing gave you. The calculation is not as simple as deducing from how much you have spent on the advertisement to how much you have gained during the period.

Just like its digital counterpart, traditional marketing has also been adapting with the technology. They have replaced the direct mail catalog with newsletters and online catalogs that everyone can download.

This adaptation means the numbers are vaguer because there are more expenses to be considered. On top of having no real clue which customers came because of a specific platform.

2. Digital can be Impractical

Just because it works on increasing sales up to 100%, it doesn’t mean that digital marketing is without any flaw. Just like traditional marketing, digital one also has its challenges throughout the years. Digital marketing is forced to adapt along with the people and technology to quickly established what is considered a good campaign.

2.1. Easy to be oversaturated
The public may enjoy being reminded by the advertisements here and there. But having too much of them can annoy the public instead of pleasing them. A lot of platforms offer ad-free premium membership options. And there are adblocker add-ons available for the browsers that can severely limit the marketing reach. 

Strategical placement is the way to tackle this issue, as well as having several different options to make the audiences unaware that they are attracted to the same campaign.

2.2. Can be very expensive
Many people made the mistake of not thinking this through. Compared to traditional marketing, a one-time fee for digital marketing comes as less expensive. But one thing to keep in mind is longevity.

The running time for a digital ad is in days. Most contracts started at one, three, and seven days as their starting point. To have more exposure, then the only option is to air the ads longer.

There will be a time when the sales are low when the advertising is still running at a cost. This is when the company needs to shift its attention to another platform and benefit from there.

Another common mistake is by having exposure to several platforms at once. This is a good strategy, but the cost is very high, and the revenue may not add up during the time the advertisement is on.

2.3. Quickly Replaceable 
The technology is rapidly going on a pace to move forward, and this poses another issue to digital marketing how to adapt and stay above the wave. The sink or swim metaphor is best used to describe the situation.

A company that insists on using only one platform for their digital marketing will not be able to catch up with other company that uses several platforms and has been utilizing them to the maximum.

What was on-trend as the current digital marketing platform may not stay that way next year. That is why it’s important to utilize multiple platforms and able to evolve along with them.

Which Marketing Method is Best for Your Business

In all honesty, all business types should use any available marketing outlets, both digital and traditional marketing. But as each method has its advantages, it is best to strategize your business plan to maximize the marketing with minimum effort.

The main component of marketing is the company’s budget. Many marketing directors work their strategies based on the budget given. However, it doesn’t mean that a bigger budget ensures that they will generate revenue in a short time.

Having a fixed budget means that you can strategize which method will suit your purpose better. Digital marketing could reach a much wider audience and active participation, but traditional marketing has a longer impact and may save your advertising budget in the future.

Of course, there is the option to combine both options. But before employing both methods, here are the things to consider.

1. Understand your target audience

Make your target as specific as possible. Consider the age range and their preferences to build the right marketing strategies. Any demographic information is a good base to cover. 

It doesn’t matter if you use digital marketing or traditional. An understanding of the demographic can take the company a good mile further. Remember, there is no Louis Vuitton advert in the tabloids.

2. Measure the revenue and budget

At the very least, your expense for the advertising must be covered by your revenue. That way, you can measure how much longer you plan to keep the advertisement going. 

Doing it digitally means that you can push the exposure to the maximum. But will it bring enough revenue to cover the budget and still be profitable for the company.

On the other hand, traditional marketing may have a limited audience. But in the long run, it can cost less while bringing the same amount of revenue.

3. Play It Smarter

While it may seem to be a David vs Goliath kind of match, there are ways for start-ups and small businesses to survive among the big names. And that is to play it smarter.

Many people made the mistake of spending more, forgetting that the more they spend on marketing means they are expected to bring in as much revenue.

The key is to find out which method will work best. There is no fixed formula on how to combine marketing strategies. 

Conclusion

To keep up with demands, most companies are utilizing both marketing strategies. The larger brands have the better advantage because they could afford to pay the traditional marketing fee. But they also pay attention to their digital marketing techniques to make sure that their expenses worth it.

While it’s true that they may not be able to measure the impact precisely, the company could still use the digital platforms to keep track of and use the data from their other sources. Anyhow, a successful marketing campaign means more than just bringing in revenues.

Impact on the audiences as well as product longevity are also clues of a successful campaign. Digital marketing and traditional can be very different in application, but both are aiming at the same object. And that is pushing the company forward. 

So, the questions is, which marketing strategy do you prefer? Let us know your comments by writing them in the section below. Have a great day & cheers!