If you are an entrepreneur, you surely know that the business industry can offer you lots of ways to grow and improve. Take traditional marketing and digital marketing as examples of these strategies. You can explore both ends to see what could be the best choice for your business. But before you can decide, you need to consider a few more things to get you moving. Read on to see the difference between traditional marketing and digital marketing.
Different Types of Traditional Marketing
With the absence of advanced technology decades ago, traditional marketing saved a lot of businesses. But how did they make it? Take a look at the different types of traditional marketing.
- Printed materials like newspapers, magazines, brochures, and flyers
- Outdoor displays like posters, billboards, and taxi or bus wraps
- Broadcasting like television and radio
- Direct mails like catalogs
- Telemarketing like text messages
- Window signs
As you can notice, traditional marketing covers almost all tangible, physical, and concrete marketing evidence. Although entrepreneurs still use technology (like printing and broadcasting media) in traditional marketing, it’s not that advanced and digital as today.
Different Types of Digital Marketing
Digital marketing offers a more advanced, convenient, and flexible way of reaching a wider audience. These includes:
- Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn
- Websites
- Affiliate marketing
- Content marketing
- Email marketing
- Pay per click or PPC
- Search Engine Marketing or SEM
In digital marketing, it’s obvious that it’s fully online and electronic. It also uses various software and tools essential in carrying out marketing tasks. Likewise, digital marketing demands a high level of digital skills for a campaign to succeed. These skills are typically found in established digital marketing agencies that are well-versed in this type of marketing.
Pros and Cons of Traditional and Digital Marketing
Traditional Marketing
Pros
- The visuals seen on televisions, billboards, and other materials are easy to comprehend and entertaining
- The printed materials used in marketing are permanent and tangible
- Real-life ads and commercials that are seen on television heard on radios, and observed on billboards are more impactful and memorable for people
Cons
- It is difficult to measure, monitor, and analyze the results of traditional campaigns
- Getting featured on a network or magazine is undeniably expensive
Digital Marketing
Pros
- You can increase brand awareness and generate engagement with less physical effort
- You can easily measure, monitor, and analyze your marketing campaigns because of the tools and software
- You can easily target your specific audience because of digital technology
Cons
- Excessive digital ads may annoy users
- Since it is digital, it is less permanent
- There are continuous and constant changes and trends that you need to adhere to
The Verdict
You can’t deny that both marketing types have their winning sides and downfalls. After all, there is no such thing as perfect marketing, but to lead you to the right decision, you need to first consider a few things. You might want to consider your marketing budget, needs, and most importantly, your audience. If your target audience is the Baby Boomers and Gen X people, then go for traditional marketing. However, if your audience is more likely to be Gen Z, digital marketing would be the best choice. Both can work for your brand, you just need to know what your target audience wants.
