As of January 2021 there were 4.66 billion active internet users in the world, with 27,000 new users every hour.
As more consumers embrace digital technology, some wonder whether traditional advertising will become obsolete.
Though traditional marketing does provide visibility and room for creativity, it doesn’t offer the kind of returns that digital marketing channels promise. Digital marketing has transformed how businesses and consumers interact. It provides more intimacy between brands and their target audience and reinforces loyalty.
So is it still worth investing in traditional marketing? What does digital marketing do better than traditional advertising?
Let’s take a look:
Targeted Reach
When it comes to targeting current or potential consumers, traditional advertising pales in comparison to digital marketing.
Companies can utilize digital marketing to create personalized ads that don’t just target market segments but also specific customers.
For example, if you work for an auto dealership, you can design various ad campaigns to cater to multiple segments at a time. Create paid search ads targeting the 50–65 age bracket to draw attention to family-friendly cars in your dealership, and another ad group for a younger audience that may prefer sports cars.
Because traditional advertising is so much more expensive, companies will create a handful of ads that aim to shine a light on the product rather than appeal to consumers’ preferences and needs. It’s more product-based than consumer-focused.
More Flexibility
Imagine if Kendall Jenner’s controversial Pepsi commercial aired before the digital marketing era, how would have the beverage giant have revered the damage?
Pepsi would have likely had to send out a press release that only a few would have read. The damage to the brand’s reputation would have had lasting effects. In this specific case, Pepsi was able to immediately pull back the ad and send out an apology directly to its consumers. It wasn’t long before people forgot about it
Digital marketing gives advertisers the flexibility to tweak their campaign, fix errors, and make other necessary changes—something you wouldn’t get from traditional advertising.
Data-Driven Strategies
“Knowledge is power.”
This statement couldn’t be truer in the world of advertising. Digital marketing generates irrefutable consumer data and provides valuable insight into consumer behaviour and lifestyles.
Advertisers can use this information to create more targeted and effective ads. In traditional advertising, marketers are forced to leave things to chance.
A billboard or TV ad may or may not connect with viewers and convert eyeballs into sales. Conversely, in digital marketing, you can use data to find out where and when your target audience is most active online. The content in your paid search ads can be tweaked for specific segments, making it more appealing to potential consumers.
Data-driven digital marketing strategies provide higher returns than conventional advertising methods, proving that they’re more effective.
That being said, companies that can afford to invest in traditional advertising to reinforce their digital marketing strategies can continue to do so to gain visibility.
Get in touch with an experienced digital marketing agency to see how you can mobilize consumers. Smaller businesses with budget constraints can contact an SEO agency to optimize their websites and boost organic search results.
Mediaforce offers premium digital marketing services in Ottawa, Vancouver, and Toronto. Our services include Paid Search Advertising, SEO services, and web design solutions.
Call 613-729-0500 for more information.
