Last Updated on April 13, 2022
Traditional Marketing Vs Digital Marketing – Pros and Cons
In the old days of analog and traditional marketing, things were far different than they are today. There were fewer choices, so it was pretty simple. There were only a few different choices that could be made when it came to advertising in the “real world.” Some of the different types of marketing that could be done using traditional advertising are mentioned below. In this post, we will discuss about digital marketing vs traditional marketing statistics and their pros and cons.
Traditional Advertising Options
1. Newspaper– One of the least expensive ways to reach a large audience in the traditional world was to take out a newspaper ad. Ads range in price from $3 up to $300, depending on where you wanted the ad and how large of an ad you wanted to pay for. Today, you can still use newspaper space to advertise your ad. The cost of a typical block ad that includes up to 400 words is around $60 per week. This varies, according to the size of the market, as well. Remember that the size of the potential audience is always a factor in determining the price.
2. Radio Ads– Radio ads in small market radio stations are relatively inexpensive, and many business owners opt to use this form of advertising to get their message to a larger audience without paying exorbitant prices for the ad. Radio ads must be produced in exact blocks of time such as 30 seconds or 60 seconds because they must be worked into the other programming and timed correctly.
3. TV Ads– Of all of the analog type advertising choices business owners have, television is the most expensive. Again, this is due to the reach of your potential audience that can reach into the millions. In fact, even now TV ads are the highest form of advertising you can do. A Superbowl ad in this 2017 year reportedly cost $5 million for a 30-second spot! Compare this to 1967 when the same ad would have cost you $40,000. That amount sounds like a steal compared to the current cost.
Forbes Magazine, as well as other experts, weighed in on this topic and one ad expert stated that it was imperative to the success of a brand to make sure they use their power with the Super Bowl ad in digital media, as well, to get their money’s worth. Even though the audience at the Super Bowl tops several million viewers, you can expand your reach even further with digital advertising.
4. Flyers and other print ads– According to Every Door Direct Mail, sending out paper flyers, postcards, and print ads are still the best way to advertising. But, again, it depends on who you ask. Every Door Direct feels that way because they know that their customers have achieved a high level of success by using their services, which allows customers to send their message out to every person within a set radius. This is mass advertising and can be highly effective. But it is best used on a target audience that is interested in what you have to offer rather than a random audience that is disconnected from your brand. EDDM does state that they will help you target those customers in your area who are likely to respond, so it’s probably worth a try if you want to focus on traditional advertising.
Advantages of digital marketing over traditional marketing
Over the past 20 years or so, the world has changed a great deal. What used to take a tedious production process to create a TV ad that cost half a fortune now can be done in one short afternoon and some digital video editing software.
Radio ads can be placed in a digital podcast at no charge or at a much-reduced cost to what traditional radio stations charge. Internet radio stations, as well as online audio feeds such as Pandora and Streamlicensing.com, allow you to advertise to the whole world via this method. You can go from a small town to the whole world regarding your reach.
Print ads, though still expensive for a larger market publication with more significant audience reach, are affordable to a small business if they plan well.
Which type of marketing is best?
When it comes to thinking about which type of advertising is best, there are many different factors to consider. You should compare traditional and e marketing factors given below when trying to decide which type can work for you.
- Your audience reach– When deciding what type of marketing would be best for your business, think about your potential audience. If you do marketing well, of course, your audience should increase. But you should base your decision on your current audience and the size of the audience that you hope to be successful with. Be realistic and don’t try to win over all 92 million fans even though Facebook says in their ads that this is your potential in virtually any given area.
- Your location and market– Are you a local business who does business primarily with a local clientele? If so, there may be no need for you to market to millions. You’d never be able to serve that many. But if you have an online eCommerce business with digital goods, online product delivery, or anything that can be delivered to your customers in high distribution numbers, you may want to expand your potential market by using digital advertising through YouTube and social media.
- Your budget– Unless you are already a successful Fortune 500 corporation, you probably have a limited budget to spend on your marketing campaigns. Don’t try to overexpand and break the bank. Just market to your audience that you know is loyal to your brand and speak to them specifically while trying to draw in others who share their passion for what you offer.
- What has worked in the past– One way to decide what type of marketing you should do is to think about what you’ve used in the past. However, you should always be open to change if something new would increase your ROI and your reach to your target audience.
- How your business has changed– Don’t use technology just because it’s new. Remember that automation is not always the answer, either. You should analyze and evaluate your business on a constant basis and monitor and adjust what you should do to maximize your impact.
An Integrated Solution
In our opinion, the best solution is to combine and integrate the best of the old with the best of the new. Don’t throw the traditional ad methods out if they work for you (such as radio ads, newspaper, etc.) But you should also think about how you can also use that 30-second video or radio ad online in the digital marketing arena.
Many online eCommerce businesses now use traditional postcard mailings with the URL of the website on the card with a coupon code. This combines traditional mailers with digital media for the greatest return.
By using a variety of marketing methods that include YouTube video, embedded video and podcasts, infographics, and social media marketing, you will get the biggest bang for your buck and promote your brand in both traditional and digital marketing methods.
How We Can Help with Your Marketing Efforts
If you need help with your video and want to use it in your online marketing strategy, call us. At animatedvideo.com, we can create a great video for you that you can use in both traditional and digital environments.