The difference between digital and traditional marketing, and which should you use? The age-old question in every marketer’s mind is how to choose the right marketing type. Everything you need to know is right here.
What is Digital and Traditional Marketing
Digital marketing is the use of digital channels for marketing communication, such as websites and social media. If you use social media, you’re probably familiar with the advertisements that appear in your feed—this is Internet marketing.
Traditional marketing, on the other hand, makes use of traditional channels such as billboards and print media. Consider Shah rukh khan from DDLJ, Don2 & Raees, etc brainstorming TV commercial copy and ideas for Byjus & Pan Masala. Traditional marketing was virtually the only type of marketing available prior to the development of the Internet in the 1990s.
What is the difference between digital and traditional marketing?
The primary distinction between digital and traditional marketing is the medium through which a marketing message is delivered to an audience. Traditional marketing employs traditional media such as magazines and newspapers, whereas digital marketing employs digital media such as social media or websites.
Of course, traditional marketing does not imply it is out of date. With the ever-increasing need to step away from the digital world, but between digital and traditional marketing, traditional marketing continues to play an important role in people’s lives.
Because of their long-lasting effects on your memory, the immersive experience of an impactful TV commercial and the tactile nature of a copy of Rolling Stone magazine are as important today as they were 20 years ago. Subconsciously, you emotionally attach yourself to their brand, which means they will remain at the forefront of your mind.
Similarly, digital marketing is as important as traditional marketing, if not more so. To reach you, digital marketing uses every touchpoint of your daily internet use.
Using the internet for several hours per day is a routine part of most people’s lives. Digital marketing simply takes advantage of this by cleverly weaving marketing communications into every digital channel.
Which marketing strategy should you employ between digital and traditional marketing?
The key to a successful marketing campaign is striking the right balance between digital and traditional marketing. Digital marketing is the yin to traditional marketing’s yang in 2022. Both are important components of a marketing strategy, but they are enhanced when used in tandem.
Take, for example, Guinness. Their TV commercials are famous for their distinct and powerful cinematography. Guinness’ classic 1999 ‘Surfer’ campaign is still one of the best TV commercials of all time, even after 20 years. Even with this legendary status, Guinness must keep up with the times and incorporate digital marketing into its strategy to avoid missing out on some huge marketing opportunities.
Guinness recently expanded their digital marketing horizons by creating video content specifically for Facebook and Instagram in order to reach a broader and younger audience. Rather than simply redesigning their TV commercials, they shot their campaigns as social-first videos, composing the shots specifically for Facebook and Instagram. The videos were intended for a specific audience according to the target audiences
As a result, a visually stunning and powerful social media campaign about Compton cowboys caring for their horses in California was created. Instagram fodder is both trendy and shareable.
Let’s get into the specifics and define the differences between digital and traditional marketing, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
Traditional marketing: advantages and disadvantages
Traditional marketing is frequently undervalued by marketers due to the rise of social media. Traditional marketing, on the other hand, has a place in a consumer’s daily life. If you have the resources to promote your campaigns in magazines and on prime-time television, your money may be well spent.
Outdoor advertising (billboards, bus/taxi wraps, posters, etc.) is a traditional marketing channel.
- Transmission (TV, Radio, etc)
- Create a printout (Magazines, newspapers, etc)
- Direct Marketing (catalogs etc)
- Telecommunications marketing (Phone, text message)
- Signs and window displays
Pros:
Effective and simple to grasp
A visually appealing billboard or a captivating TV commercial is a common occurrence in most people’s daily lives. They’re simple to understand and frequently entertaining.
Printed marketing materials last longer.
If you place an advertisement in The New York Times, it will remain until the magazine is recycled. This is great if the customer is a collector.
More Memorable
Seeing something in person rather than on your phone increases the likelihood of remembering it. The anticipation of new Super Bowl ads or a beautiful and impressive window display is more likely to stick with you than an Instagram ad that you’ll likely scroll past in seconds.
Cons:
Campaigns are more difficult to measure.
Traditional marketing campaigns can be measured using tools such as brand trackers, but they are nowhere near as detailed or intelligent as the tools available for digital marketing.
Frequently costly
If you’re a new brand, chances are you don’t have the budget for a four-page spread in Vogue. Many types of traditional marketing will cost you a lot of money.
There is no direct interaction with the consumer.
Unlike social media marketing, you have little idea how your audience will react to your marketing efforts.
The benefits and drawbacks of digital marketing
Regardless of how effective traditional marketing is, we must remember that we are now living in the Internet age. “Internet users now account for 57 percent of the global population,” according to ClickZ. People spend an average of 6 hours and 42 minutes per day online. By 2021, mobile is expected to account for 73% of all e-commerce sales.”
That is an incredible amount of time and opportunity to engage in some clever digital marketing. If you need help developing a successful digital marketing strategy, consult the Digitalcrave Marketing team for Small or big Businesses.
Channels of digital marketing include:
- Social networking sites (Facebook, Instagram, etc)
- Website Content Promotion
- Affiliate promotion
- Outbound marketing
- Email promotion
- Pay-per-click (PPC)
- SEM (Search engine marketing)
Advantages:
More engagement options
You can physically see what your audience thinks of your brand and marketing efforts through channels such as social media. If your marketing has been shared, liked, and received numerous positive comments, you know you’re on the right track.
Your campaigns can be easily measured.
In contrast to traditional marketing, the specifics of digital marketing tracking are extremely detailed. This clarifies your learnings for your next round of marketing efforts.
Allows for more precise targeting
If you have the tools to target a 29-year-old female writer who enjoys Lizzo and Guinness, can’t you also create perfectly tailored content?
Cons:
Digital advertisements can be annoying.
Consider the following scenario: you’re scrolling through your Facebook homepage and all you want to know is what your old-school friends are up to these days. Then you get the dreaded sponsored ad for something related to an embarrassing medical condition you looked up the night before. It’s almost certain to make you dislike the brand doing clever targeting.
Less long-term
Digital marketing efforts such as Google ads, banners, promotional emails, and social media ads can have a fleeting, transient nature. They are intangible and easily overlooked. Your ad will be removed from their screen if they continue to scroll or click to the next page.
It is constantly changing.
There is a lot to learn in order to get the most out of your digital marketing efforts. Each channel, from search engine marketing to social media, usually requires its own specialist to get the most bang for your buck. A grassroots social media marketing strategy, on the other hand, is a great place to start. For some ideas, check out our digital marketing strategy guide.
Discover what works best for you.
Finally, both types of marketing have advantages and disadvantages, but the key is to understand your specific marketing needs, budget constraints, and target audience. The moral of the story is that both digital and traditional marketing can be effective if you know what your target audience wants.