For a business, marketing is an indispensable strategy. After all, it’s through this that they’re able to reach more people and expand their brand’s visibility and influence. With that said, it should be given enough thought, research, funding, and investment.
At the moment, the two most used plans of action for promotions are Traditional Marketing and Digital Marketing. While it’s essential to be aware of the two, it’s also a must that you have an understanding of what they are.
Let’s start by defining these two:
What is Traditional Marketing?
Traditional Marketing is a promotional strategy that’s been around for a long time—even before you were born. It encompasses marketing techniques that function without the use of the internet. Although used less often now, its presence is still being felt across the marketing community especially in areas that the online world can’t reach.
Traditional marketing methods include the following:
- Print (Newspaper or Magazine Ads)
- Broadcasting (Television or Radio commercials)
- Billboards, Posters, or Fliers
- Telemarketing
- Direct Mail
What is Digital Marketing?
Digital Marketing involves methods of promotion that are present online, making use of computers, tablets, and smartphones as its primary medium for reaching people. To function, it relies on the connecting power of the internet.
It’s relatively new to the marketing space but it currently holds the top spot for the most-used marketing strategy at present time—one great example of which is social media marketing in the Philippines.
Digital Marketing methods include the following:
- Social Media Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Pay-Per-Click Ads
- Influencer Marketing
Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with them, it’s time that we discuss the pros and cons of each.
Traditional Marketing: The Pros and Cons
Although the use of Traditional Marketing techniques is not as lively as it used to be, it still functions as a major player in the marketing world. After all, there are still places that aren’t connected online and have yet to fully harness the internet’s potential.
On that note, there’s still a very long way to go before Traditional Marketing methods become obsolete. To give you a better sense of when and where to use it, check out our pros and cons list below:
PROS
- Effective for Older Generations
Because the internet was developed just a few decades ago, only those that grew up on it find it better to use, specifically the younger generation. According to GlobeNewswire, people aged 50 and above find newspapers and televisions more suited for them when it comes to information, entertainment, and advertisements.
- Good For Local Businesses
With its limited reach, Traditional Marketing is not suited for businesses that need a global audience. Local businesses that want to communicate directly with natives are the ones that often use it.
- More Sustainable
Unlike Digital Marketing, the lifespan of Traditional Marketing methods is often longer. Promotional materials developed through it like billboards, flyers, and TV commercials have better mileage compared to digital marketing ads, which you have to renew multiple times in a short amount of time.
- Better for Diverse Audiences
Since promotional methods under Traditional Marketing are not able to specify or target a particular population, they’re mainly used by brands who want to reach a general audience. To put it simply, it works for businesses that want to target everyone.
CONS
- Higher Cost
Because Traditional Marketing targets a larger number of people, its cost is also immense. If your business targets a specific group, this won’t be effective for you.
- Little Interaction
Contrary to promotions published online, those released under Traditional Marketing are often lacking when it comes to interaction. Television commercials, billboards, and flyers are only able to deliver information to an audience and are unable to receive immediate reaction or feedback. In short, it’s a one-way street.
- Poor Campaign Measurement
Unlike Digital Marketing techniques, strategies under Traditional Marketing are harder to gauge, specifically the effectiveness and influence of campaigns. Most of the methods under this are not capable of measuring the number of people that have seen a particular campaign, which Digital Marketing offers.
Digital Marketing: The Pros and Cons
While Digital Marketing is currently occupying the top spot when it comes to businesses’ promotional campaigns—it’s far from being absolute. Since it relies on the power of the internet, enterprises in areas without it are unable to benefit from online marketing.
To give you a better idea of its strengths and weaknesses, we’ve listed down the pros and cons below:
PROS
- Global Reach
Using the connecting power of the internet and the social platforms within it, Digital Marketing can bridge the gap—enabling brands to link up with more potential consumers.
- Lower Cost
Digital Marketing requires significantly fewer resources. With just a fraction of the budget that goes into Traditional Marketing strategies, brands can already reach the same amount of people—even more.
Funding for Digital Marketing is also more flexible. No matter how big or small you invest, you’ll still get results.
- Effective for Engagement
If your brand requires constant interaction with consumers, then Digital Marketing is the way to go. With it, you can immediately respond to customers or potential consumers without going above and beyond. All you need is a stable internet connection, a page, and you’re good to go!
- Measurable Results
With Traditional Marketing, brands have no way of accurately monitoring the effectiveness of their campaign. However, it’s different for Digital Marketing.
Digital Marketing tools, which are readily available on social media platforms, allow businesses to measure the efficacy of their campaign down to the tee—from the number of people who’s seen it even to the number of clicks it received.
- Personalization
Another facet that differentiates Digital Marketing from Traditional Marketing is its ability to personalize customer experiences. It can tailor ad experiences based on a consumer’s previous actions, demographics, online behavior, and purchasing practices.
CONS
- Time Consuming
Unlike Traditional Marketing techniques, Digital Marketing requires regular updates. Content should always be new, different, and fresh or you’ll lose out on engagement.
- Always Changing
As we all know, the internet is synonymous to change. It’s a fast-paced environment that doesn’t stay the same for long. And this also applies to Digital Marketing.
It’ll be essential for brands to be up-to-date with the newest marketing trends to promote themselves online.
- Distractions and Competitions
With the internet being the best and easiest way for businesses to gain eye traffic, influence, and sales, it’s bound to be very congested with competitors. This atmosphere results in brands having to fight for attention and space.
Which One Should I Use?
Though some might see it as challenging, choosing between Traditional Marketing and Digital Marketing is not rocket science.
All you have to do is determine the goals and nature of your brand. If your business requires attention from a local audience, then Traditional Marketing will work best. Meanwhile, if your target market is more global, then Digital Marketing is a better option.
It’s also paramount that you take into account the budget you can input into a campaign. If you’re low on funding, use Digital Marketing solely. But if you’ve got money to spare, maybe consider using Traditional Marketing strategies in conjunction with Digital Marketing methods.
Hope this helps!
For updates on our latest discoveries within (and outside) the Metro, don’t forget to follow Manila Millennial on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram. Keep safe, everyone!