Nowadays, the marketing world is divided between traditional marketing and digital marketing. Technology has changed marketing and the way campaigns and strategies are being developed. In addition, technology shifted marketing from traditional means of advertizing to new platforms such as social media, emails, websites and blogs. Digital marketing offers countless opportunities for developing more personalized content and delivering specialized offers to specific individuals online.
However, old school marketing is still standing strong and marketers still use traditional means, such as direct mail, printed ads, TV ads, billboards and radio advertisement to capture the hearts and minds of customers. Still, one question bothers marketers and that is which one is better - digital or traditional marketing? Let's have a look at pros and cons of both methods.
Advantages of Traditional Marketing
Traditional marketing has that personal touch that makes a lot of difference when engaging customers. It helps improve customer service and experience, because customers are actually talking to a real person over the phone or face-to-face, instead of an automated chatbot. If you need ways to improve your customer service you can consult with companies such as The Pipeline marketing group that will help you out. Here are a few more advantages of traditional marketing:
Reach offline audience - Some people prefer to take it easy with social media and the Internet. Traditional means, such as billboards, printed brochures or TV advertisements are more effective for reaching those people.
Up close and personal - Traditional marketing is more personal when it comes to phone-call-based customer service or talking to customers in person on a social event.
Higher success rate - Traditional marketing has been tested throughout the years and has proven successful in attracting and retaining customers.
Disadvantages of Traditional Marketing
There is no magic formula in the marketing world and every method has its flaws. Here are some disadvantages of traditional marketing efforts.
High costs - Traditional marketing is quite expensive and demands a hefty investment. For instance, TV ads can cost millions depending on the content, length and airing time, while with printed promo material you'll have to pay for the design, printing and distribution via mail.
Unable to target audience - Traditional methods have difficulties targeting the right audience. Printed ads may be read by anyone. You can't know for sure if your ads are reaching the right or wrong audiences.
Impossible to track - You can print a billboard ad, newspaper ad or you can invest in a TV ad, but it's impossible to tell just how many people have seen it. All you can do is wait and hope for the best.
Advantages of Digital Marketing
Technology has changed the marketing world. With everything and everyone being online, marketers are forced to step up their game. Here are the advantages of digital marketing.
Real-time data collection - Marketers can leverage technology to gather data about their customers and the latest trends in real-time. This helps them create spot-on personalized promotions and campaigns.
Target audience - Digital marketers can identify their target audience more easily and tailor promotions and advertisements accordingly over social media and email.
Measurable results - Marketers are able to measure the result of their efforts. You can see how the audience received your message and how engaged they are.
Open communication - Digital marketing allows for an open communication with your target audience. People can discuss almost anything with companies and exchange feedback.
Disadvantages of Digital Marketing
With all the benefits that technology brought to digital marketing, there are also a few downsides.
Difficult to be heard - You're not the only one trying to get their message heard in the digital world. Thousands of different companies are bombarding news feeds and inboxes of customers making it hard for people to hear everyone.
Time-consuming - Technology has made the life of marketers easier, but digital marketing still demands a lot of time to create content, design campaigns and tailor promotions the right way.
Open for criticism - News spread like plague over social media. If a customer isn't happy with your product or service, they'll publicly shame you and you'll experience an avalanche of bad press.
Neither one of these two methods is flawless. Each of them is effective, but both have their set of disadvantages. However, marketing isn't about choosing one over another, but it's about combining the advantages of both in an attempt to create the most effective marketing campaigns.
Guest Author
David Webb is a Sydney based business consultant and online marketing analyst. With six years of experience and a degree in online business strategy, he is driven to help the people in better understanding of this new digital age. In free time, David enjoys writing, travelling and occasional night out with his friends.