For many small business owners, the thought of marketing is both exciting and frightening. On one hand, you’re excited to get your brand out there and start attracting some clients. But on the other, it’s an investment—it costs money to make money. So if you must spend money to promote your business, the question is digital marketing vs traditional marketing, and which do you choose?
What’s the Difference?
Before you can choose which marketing strategy is right for you and your business, you first need to know the difference between the two types of marketing.
Prior to the increasing presence of technology—social media especially—business owners were limited to traditional forms of marketing. These methods included print advertisements in the form of newspaper ads, billboard ads, and slots in magazines.
Digital marketing, on the other hand, is essentially the same mentality geared towards the rapidly-expanding advances in technology. Rather than billboard ads, your business can have display ads on websites. And rather than placing your business in The Yellow Pages to make it official, you now list it with Google.
Similar concept, but different in certain aspects.
Which Will Give Me More Visibility?
Think about a billboard ad on the side of a highway. Or even an ad on a local park bench or on the side of a bus. They may be flashy and well designed, enough to even capture someone’s attention and make them consider your business. But what happens when their eyes leave that ad? Most likely, something else consumes their mind and they’ve forgotten all about it.
In the debate between digital marketing vs traditional marketing, traditional has its limits with the above example. While you can target your ads with a billboard—say, a personal injury lawyer with a highway billboard—you can’t retarget.
Have you ever browsed a website online and then saw their ads appear in your Facebook feed hours later? No, that’s not your phone listening to you, it’s actually retargeting. With digital marketing, you can see who is looking into your services and if they are on the fence about whether or not to buy, a retargeting ad could be the slight boost they need to say yes.
Which Has the Better Value?
In today’s digital climate, having a web presence is essential. Traditional advertising can still be a good source of leads, but that can typically only take you so far. Think about the last business card you saw or billboard. Each one had a website listed, right? And their social networks may have even been mentioned—follow us on Twitter at… In a world where 82% of smartphone users consult their phones before making a purchase, your presence online is essential for the growth of your business!
The ability to track everything with digital marketing allows it to provide better value as well, especially for small businesses with limited marketing budgets.
In Need of Marketing for Your Business?
In a debate about digital marketing vs traditional marketing for your business? We can help. We offer a free analysis of your current marketing strategy and would be happy to assist you.