There is a lot of hullabaloo about digital marketing these days. It is said to be essential for any new business trying to get recognition among the masses. It is also a necessity for the established businesses so as to maintain their position in the market. While several businesses have shifted to this new way of marketing, many others are still stuck with the traditional marketing methods. This is understandable because changing our ongoing methods and techniques is one of the toughest things to do. If you are sceptical about trying digital marketing and prefer the traditional marketing mediums as they have been doing good to your business since years then this is a must read for you. The article clearly states the difference between digital marketing and traditional marketing methods. It will help you understand as to why more and more businessmen and professionals are bidding adieu to the old marketing methods and shifting to digital marketing.
The information shared here is based on various studies conducted worldwide to assess the effectiveness of digital marketing.
So, let us get started!
Difference between Digital Marketing and Traditional Marketing
1.Mediums of Marketing: Digital Marketing and Traditional Marketing
Mediums of traditional marketing are completely different from that of digital marketing. Platforms such as newspapers, radio, television, direct mail, flyers, pamphlets, telephone and magazines are used for marketing products and services the traditional way.
On the other hand, digital marketing involves the use of internet to promote businesses. This new way of marketing has a wider reach in the current times as the number of internet users is increasing by the day. Digital marketing is done using various digital platforms including social media, email, search engine marketing and pay per click to name a few.
Traditional marketing methods have been used for decades and they most certainly help in familiarising the masses with the brands being promoted. But they do not acquaint them with the brands the way digital marketing does.
2.Provision to Update: Digital Marketing and Traditional Marketing
One of the main differences between digital marketing and traditional marketing is that the latter does not allow you to modify or update information. For instance, if something is printed in a newspaper or magazine or on a flyer, you cannot edit or overwrite it. You have paid for it and it has been created and delivered to you. If you do not like the look of it or in case you have missed out some information or want your message to come out more strongly, you have no option but to come up with a new advertisement. You require going through the whole process again. This is not only time consuming but also hard on the pocket.
On the other hand, when you opt for digital marketing, you can update the information easily and as many times as you want. Even after an advertisement has been published online, you have the option to update/ modify it and broadcast it again. So, you can view how your online banner or campaign or advertisement looks like and the kind of response it is generating and suggest changes based on the same. You do not have to get the whole thing created again if only a part of it requires modification. Besides, you can also add a quick line or two in the existing campaign/ advertisement to update your readers about any new scheme or offer. Whereas, in traditional marketing you will be required to come up with a new advertisement each time you require announcing a new offer.
3.Connecting with the Customers/ Prospects: Digital Marketing and Traditional Marketing
Traditional marketing is a one way street. You spread awareness about your brand through various channels mentioned above and lure the public to give you business. These methods do not allow you to connect directly with the customers. It is just you who is doing the talking. There is no provision to hear back from the other end.
Conversely, digital marketing enables two-way communication. You reach your prospects as well as existing customers through social media platforms, online forums and emails and they can get back to you using the same channels. While you provide them information about your brand, they offer feedback and suggestions on the same. This is a great way to bond with the masses. It helps you understand the customer psyche and get an insight into exactly what they are looking for. Their feedback can help you improvise your products and services and make them more viable. Moreover, connecting with the prospects and staying in regular touch with them helps create trust and goodwill.
4.Reaching the Target Audience: Digital Marketing Vs Traditional Marketing
Traditional marketing does not allow you to target a specific section of people. Your broadcast goes out and loud everywhere alike. You do not have the option to focus on a particular segment. Digital marketing, on the other hand, allows you to target specific audiences.
Social Media Plays a Vital Role:
Different digital platforms can be used to reach different segments of people. For instance, if you are trying to sell something to professionals/ business owners, it is a good idea to promote it on LinkedIn. Statistics reveal that around 94% of B2B marketers are making optimal use of LinkedIn for marketing their products and services.
Similarly, if you are trying to target the youth then social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are great options. Now, in addition to choosing the right platform, it is also essential to understand as to what kind of content would appeal to your target audience and work on various other factors to device audience specific marketing campaign. It has been observed that 90% of B2C businesses use social media for reaching their customers as well as prospects as it proves to be an effective tool.
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Email Marketing/ Direct Messages: An Effective Way to Reach Out
Email marketing is another effective way of reaching your target audience. This channel gives you the option to customise the content further and make it more specific for the users. Research reveals that email marketing has a far greater impact than other platforms such as social media, paid search, etc.
As per a recent finding, more than two billion messages are exchanged between users and brands every month. Businesses make use of direct messaging methods to engage with their customers and offer them a better pre as well as post sales experience.
Reaching specific target is undoubtedly an effective marketing technique which is why more and more companies are investing in it. The process begins by studying the browsing pattern of the potential buyers as well as the things that grab their attentions. Thereafter, this information is used to reach out to them. As per Forbes Insights report, around 43% organizations around the world are investing more than 50% of their budget in reaching specific target. 84% of companies are expected to increase this investment amount in future.
After all, effective marketing is all about targeting the right audience at the right time.
5.Return on Investment: Digital Marketing Vs Traditional Marketing:
We are all aware about the huge cost involved in the traditional marketing methods. Be it an advertisement in the newspaper or a billboard or a television commercial – you need to invest a good chunk of money for each of these. So, you end up spending a substantial amount of money in marketing when you use the traditional marketing methods.
But this is not the case when you opt for digital marketing. This new method of marketing is quite cost-effective. Besides, the return on investment is great. Studies show that SEO drives a whopping 14.6% conversion rate as opposed to the traditional marketing methods like direct mail and cold calling that result in a conversion rate of merely 1.7% on an average.
6.Measuring the Results: Digital Marketing and Traditional Marketing
Measuring the impact of your marketing campaigns is difficult in traditional marketing. For instance, you cannot find out as to how many people are listening to your radio commercials or reading the ads printed in magazines. However, when it comes to digital marketing, you can check exactly how many people are viewing your promotional campaigns, engaging with them and taking action based on the same. This can be done easily using certain tools. For instance, you have the option to check the traffic your website pulls every day. You can get a further bifurcation of this data to check as to which hour of the day your prospects are most active online. So, you can strategize your online campaigns accordingly to ensure greater views. You also get to know whether your visitors are coming from organic search or referrals or elsewhere.
Besides, you can get report about the amount of time a reader spends on your site and as to where he/ she lost interest and disconnected. This gives a fair idea about how appealing your content is. You can also find out the number of conversions made on your website. Likewise, you get reports about various other activities your audience engage in on your site as well as your social media handles. This includes the number of downloads, number of likes/ dislikes, click through rate and more.
So, you get a clear picture of what fetches the audience’s attention and what goes unnoticed. It gives you a chance to alter your marketing strategies and device new ones, if need be.
7.Value Addition: Digital Marketing Vs Traditional Marketing
Although the ultimate aim of any kind of marketing is to drive sales however, digital marketing allows you to do so in a subtle way. On the other hand, traditional marketing seems a bit too hard pressed on selling the products to generate business. Traditional marketing campaigns mainly talk about the brand, the schemes and offers. They somehow seem to push people to buy the product which can be a put off. People do not want to be pushed to purchase stuff. They like taking buying decisions after assessing the product at different levels. Traditional marketing does not give them any valuable information. And so, they are left to do all the research on their own.
When it comes to digital marketing, you can play it subtle. You do not have to make an out and out sales pitch to your readers. In fact, around 40% of the respondents have revealed that they despise emails and posts that are promotional and less informative. Digital marketing allows you to connect with the customers, make them aware about your brand, provide them a general insight into the industry, give tips and useful information related to the products and services being offered and reply to their queries rather than merely talking about your brand. For instance, if you are selling cosmetics and hair care products, you can provide make-up and hair care tips in addition to sharing details about your products and offers. Similarly, if you are selling health care products then you can share health related articles to help people cope up with their ailments. Many companies these days are using this strategy. This shows that you aren’t just interested in selling your products but are genuinely concerned about your audiences’ needs. Sharing such information boosts your credibility and helps the users take better buying decisions at the same time. It is thus a true value addition.
So, now you know how digital marketing can help promote your business far and wide and yet be light on your pocket. If you have already started looking for a digital marketing agency in Pune to handle this work for you then let us make your task easier. TT Digitals has been offering digital marketing services in Pune since the last three years. Its services are reliable as well as cost-effective. The company has a team of highly creative, knowledgeable and experienced digital marketing professionals who have helped several businesses established a strong hold in the market. The online personas they build for brands stand out in the crowd and create all the difference.
Contact them now to grow your business. You can thank us later!
