Difference between Digital & Traditional Marketing
The difference between digital marketing and traditional marketing are outcomes of technological and knowledge advances of the human race. Marketing in a broad scale that describes all the activities from the need identification till post purchase support.
Though the concept of marketing remains the same in both terms, the marketing mix or the 4 P’s (Product, Place, Price, and Promotion) makes the difference. Both set out to achieve the same objectives of reaching towards customers, creating brand identity, and penetrating into the markets.
People are more mobile and are adopting themselves to be in line with the digital world. Newspapers and magazines have also become digital. So, traditional marketing is being offset by digital marketing. But still traditional marketing has a scope if you are targeting a local audience group and people’s trust in it is more. However, it is important for a firm to find the correct balance between these two when planning their marketing campaigns.
What is Digital Marketing?
- The marketing o of Products and Services using technological channels to reach consumers is referred as digital marketing. Promotion of Brands is the key concern in digital marketing. Digital marketing continuously evolves with technological advances.
- Examples of digital marketing include websites, e-mail promotions, banner advertisements, online Social media videos, and blogs.
- Digital marketing has number of benefits embedded within it. First its results can be easily measured such as the number of audiences reached. It can reach mass audience worldwide at less cost. It can be customized according to customer wish and whims.
- Finally, digital marketing is a very interactive mode of marketing where customer inquiries and feedback can be received and seller can respond at the same time.
What is Traditional Marketing?
- Traditional marketing refers to classical promotion modes where the use of technology is very low or non-existent. The channels used have tangible evidence attached to it in most instances.
- Examples of traditional marketing are printed advertisements in newspapers, magazines, business cards, printed posters, billboards, brochures, radio, and television commercials.
- The biggest drawback of traditional marketing is, it is not a two-way communication. Only seller messages get transmitted while customer feedback is less assured.
Traditional marketing and digital marketing objectives are similar. But, the pathways to access the objectives are different and are given as follows:
- Cost: Traditional marketing cost is higher than digital marketing. The channels utilized such as television, radio or billboards require huge investments. Relatively, digital marketing costs are far less than traditional marketing. Sometimes it can be free too.
- Coverage: In traditional marketing, advertisements are printed in newspapers or magazines. The coverage is restricted to the audience who read such printed materials. Also, the impact of advertisement is momentary, where it is not recalled. For example, after reading a magazine or newspaper it is thrown out the next day. Digital marketing coverage can be made permanent. For example, a facebook posting will remain forever and it can be recalled by the customers at any time.
- Monitoring: The result of traditional marketing is hard to measure such as the customer behaviour towards it or the number of people it reached. With digital marketing, the results can be easily measured with relevant software tools. For example, e-mail marketing software can record the number of messages sent and number of messages viewed. Also, similar software can track the sales that were result of digital advertising.
- Time: With traditional marketing, messages intended to customers cannot be transmitted to customers immediately. It requires time to get printed or placed. So, it is not an instant mode of communication. Messages can be showcased in real time to customers with digital marketing. It is instant.
