Traditional vs Online Marketing
Social media has rapidly integrated itself into our everyday personal and professional lives, making a terrific impact on the world of marketing, with consumers and brands seeing huge benefits and changes.
But how does social media compare to traditional marketing?
Social Media Pros and Cons:
- Social Media is much cheaper. You can reach thousands of people for a fraction of the cost using social media than you can through television, billboards or email
- Social media is the only marketing platform that allows you to engage and interact with your consumers; a two-way relationship which can be extremely lucrative for brands
- The results are measurable, and marketers can take immediate action to spot trends and re-align campaigns
Good so far. With possible exceptions…
- Ad campaigns, status updates, blogs, community posts, comments and Twitter messages can ‘sku‘ the message as it spreads, and it may become unclear
- Both the company and consumer actively talk and listen, however the messaging can end up going every which way but loose, and may cause a disconnect with online direct communication
- Ad campaigns may not be planned in enough detail when scheduling is implemented, potentially causing spontaneous reactions and comments that aren’t timely to intended content
- Social Media is optimized for the entire public. Communication with the consumer is immediate and public, and the conversation is open game for anyone to read and participate in any conversation
- Availability 24/7 to react to any potential negative conversation may be necessary, and at the very least, availability to respond within a 24 hour maximum to any consumer comments, requests or feedback
- Supervision of Users and Platforms of Social Media are monitored by authorities for Consumer Protection
Social media campaigns can be time consuming and the impact can circulate very quickly, whereas traditional marketing campaigns can produce short term results that have greater tangibility.
Traditional Marketing Pros and Cons:
- Ad campaigns are clear, structured and uniform
- Unlike Social Media where both the company and consumer actively talk and listen, with Traditional Marketing, information spread by company is active while consumers only listen
- Ad Campaigns are planned over a long period of time
- Communication with the consumer is only between the company and consumer, typically through email, phone or letter, and conversation stays private
- Support and conversation does not extend beyond company business hours, offering no direct 24/7 support
- Marketing is optimized for specific target audiences and markets, with no extension to the entire public
- Marketing activities are supervised mainly by consumer protection and competitors
- Much more strict and formal marketing language is presented about the company and brand
- Unlike Social Media where the PR department, every employee, user and manager are involved, traditional marketing involves the PR department, external agencies and the sales department
So, what’s the bottom line?
Likely your customers paint a really clear picture about what they think of your products or services. The key is to pay close attention to what they’re saying and what’s attracting or detracting them.
How do you get this information?
Social Media and Traditional Marketing both offer ways of getting consumer comments back to you. Building a campaign around the ‘pros’ and unique offerings of your business can be promoted effectively through both channels. As you market your business through various avenues, you will begin to see what does and doesn’t work. From there you can more effectively adjust your campaign to build an engaged and loyal following.
Remember, if executed correctly with a strong, well-planned strategy, social media and traditional marketing can do wonders for boosting your brand and your business.
Where is a great place to start and learn more?
Call Ancell Marketing at 778 285 2288 for website design, social media and traditional marketing questions.