Welcome to the new-age debate: digital marketing vs traditional marketing.
Businesses on either side of the spectrum argue that their method is the best one. Many statistics prove each side is right.
Perhaps it’s due to the fact that no business is the same. Each one has a different brand, products, and audience. So, it makes sense that digital may work best for some and traditional may work best for others.
But which one is best for your business?
To answer that, you first need to understand what each marketing technique has to offer. Keep reading to find out what approach will get you the most return on investment.
The Principles of Marketing
We have to take you back to school before getting into which method is better.
If you don’t have a minimal understanding of marketing, such as the four Ps, you may be in trouble. Luckily, that’s something we can bring you up to speed on. If you already know the four Ps, let this serve as a reminder.
Basically, the four Ps are the focal points to consider when sharing your product or service with your target audience. Here they are.
1. Product
Your product can actually be a service.
Whether it’s tangible or intangible, your audience should know what you’re trying to sell them. This emphasizes the importance of clarity when marketing.
2. Price
We, of course, can’t deny the importance of price for every consumer.
Understanding your price range helps you understand your target audience more. Then, you can choose a marketing method that best reaches your target audience.
3. Promotion
Promotion essentially is the method of informing your customer of your product or services.
This can be through a variety of ways such as marketing, advertising, and public relations. We’re focusing on marketing in the rest of this article.
4. Place
Finally, the place of contention — the place where you reach your audience. Is it physically at their home, in their mailbox? Or is it on their smartphone?
If you don’t choose the right place, then the other three Ps don’t matter because you’re not reaching your audience.
So, let’s figure out which place is the best for your business to promote. Does it include digital marketing, or traditional?
Digital Marketing Vs Traditional Marketing
Digital marketing basically means marketing online. This includes websites, social media, and search engines.
There are more than 4.39 billion internet users. As this number increases every year, it’s easy to understand why we’re seeing many companies shift to a digital approach.
The benefits of digital marketing over traditional include the fact that your audience can interact with your business, you have a wider range of an audience, it’s cost-efficient, and it’s easier to measure ROI.
Anyone can take part in digital marketing, regardless of their business size. Even if a business doesn’t have the time or the understanding of the internet to market on it, they can hire a company to do their digital marketing.
Traditional marketing, on the other hand, involves reaching a smaller audience with offline promotional methods. This includes broadcast, mail, outdoor ads, print, and telephone.
The benefit of traditional marketing over digital is that it may be easier to convey your message more clearly without the clutter of other businesses online. Some people also say traditional methods have a better success rate, but measuring the ROI on traditional tends to be difficult.
Overall, it seems that digital marketing combats the drawbacks of traditional marketing. Traditional tends to lack feedback, experience lower conversion ratios, and costs more money.
It Varies Case-By-Case
The answer to the digital marketing vs traditional marketing debate depends on your businesses’ particular situation.
If your audience is older and less likely to get online, traditional methods may be better. The reverse goes for younger audiences.
Regardless, you need to understand the four Ps and the pros and cons of each marketing method.
It’s also important to keep in mind that you don’t have to choose one method or the other. You should have a mixed marketing plan specific to your company and brand.
Keep reading our blog to learn more about how to do just that. And maybe consider outsourcing marketing to someone who’s well-studied in it.