Getting the right balance between traditional and digital marketing
Many people think digital marketing has taken over and that traditional marking is dead. But this is simply not true thanks to the continued use of magazines, newspapers and television as marketing channels. However, as either business owners or marketers you need to be fully aware of aware of the marketing strategies and possible results of both before adopting a marketing plan.
Many people think digital marketing has taken over and that traditional marking is dead. But this is simply not true thanks to the continued use of magazines, newspapers and television as marketing channels. However, as either business owners or marketers you need to be fully aware of aware of the marketing strategies and possible results of both before adopting a marketing plan.Whilst both traditional and digital share similar goals – attracting qualified customers and building brand awareness in your market, getting the right mix of both is better than the sum of its parts. Some businesses think of digital and traditional marketing as being at odds with each other, but in fact they can complement each other to meet goals and get the best possible results.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Traditional Marketing
Because of its longevity, people are accustomed to traditional marketing. Finding ads in magazines and newspapers, or reading billboards are still familiar activities and people still do them all the time. Most of the time, traditional marketing is reaching only a local audience even though it is not limited to one. One of the primary disadvantages of traditional marketing is that the results are not easily measured, and in many cases cannot be measured at all. In most cases, traditional marketing is also more costly than digital marketing. And perhaps the biggest disadvantage today is that traditional marketing is static which means there is no way to interact with the audience. It’s more like you are throwing information in front of people and hoping that they decide to take action.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Digital Marketing
One benefit to using digital marketing is that the results are much easier to measure; and another is that a digital campaign can reach an infinite audience. It is also possible to tailor a digital campaign to reach a local audience but it can also be used on the web and reach the entire globe when appropriate. Digital marketing is also a very interactive means of reaching an audience since it makes use of social outlets. There can be plenty of direct contact between the audience and the business which means that the business can get some very valuable consumer feedback. One of the disadvantages to using digital media marketing strategies is that it can take some time to realise measurable success due to a delay in successful relationship building.
Getting a Realistic Balance
The world has transitioned into a very digital environment. Not only are magazines and television going digital, but thanks to online banking and e-readers, some of our daily tasks are now undertaken online too. So it kind of makes sense to invest in digital if that’s where your target audience is. But remember that some people still like the tangibility of print and flicking through something paper based and then filing it somewhere for future use - so never underestimate the power of traditional marketing either.
But, instead of thinking the decision is an “either-or” situation, you should look to capitalize on the strengths of both online and traditional marketing. It is important to note that, although the communication channels and monitoring methods may differ, marketing is marketing regardless of whether it happens online or not. And as marketers we still need to think up great ways to market our client’s products and services, and invest time and effort into turning those ideas into workable plans. So with the lines between digital and traditional marketing becoming more blurred as TV and radio continue to evolve to meet the demands of their users, you must learn to adapt your marketing practices to this new era.