Marketing is a small business’s greatest asset, as it allows the brand to reach greater audiences and boost sales. Before the internet, businesses would let their names be known through television and print media. Now, marketing has expanded to social media, search engines, and digital advertising.
As a brand with a limited budget, you may be on the fence about which of the two marketing services to use. Each method has its unique platform, style, and target audience, and the choice will be based on your specific business needs.
Traditional Marketing: The Classic Approach
For decades, businesses used television commercials, radio, flyers, posters, and many other print media to advertise their products and services to potential customers. These traditional forms of marketing have been effective in conveying a brand’s value and message to people, allowing them to gather attention and increase visits to their store.
Traditional marketing comprises plenty of methods, but they are often categorised into four (4) major categories:
- Print Advertising – flyers, posters, tarpaulins, newspapers, journals, and magazines
- Broadcast Advertising – television and radio commercials
- Telemarketing – refers to the practice of calling customers on the phone to solicit interest in a brand’s offers
- Direct Mail – often referred to as junk mail. It involves sending sales and marketing materials directly to the customer
When to Choose Traditional Marketing
While most businesses today are maximising their digital ad campaigns, traditional marketing remains efficient in garnering customer attention. Consider choosing traditional marketing if:
- Your target audience is older or less active online
- You are targeting a specific local or B2B market
- You need to build general brand awareness and trust with a broad audience
- You want your message to have a tangible, lasting impression
- You have a large enough budget for printing services
Digital Marketing: The Next Step in Brand Awareness
As more people flock to the internet to look for information and interact with one another, businesses saw this as an opportunity to expand their reach further. This gave rise to digital marketing, which encompasses strategies focused on reaching online users, boosting traffic, and converting leads into revenue.
Digital marketing strategies are many and will continue to evolve due to ever-changing trends and new technology. Below are some of the most commonly used digital marketing campaigns:
- Website content creation
- Social media posting campaigns
- Email marketing
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads
- Affiliate marketing
When to Choose Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is highly preferred today due to its extensive reach and high engagement rates. Consider investing in digital marketing services if:
- You need to reach a younger, online audience
- You have a limited budget and need cost-effective options
- Your business is online-based or requires frequent updates and adjustments
- You want to track marketing efforts and measure the return on investment (ROI)
- You want to build a strong relationship with customers through two-way communication
Traditional vs Digital: Why Not Both?
The best marketing strategy employs the audience-building power of traditional marketing with the engagement-boosting capabilities of digital marketing. By using both tactics, you can achieve greater brand awareness and unlock sales opportunities at every touchpoint, whether tangible or digital.
Experience the best of both worlds with Emmpressit! We are Australia’s leading provider of expertly managed integrated marketing services covering traditional methods and digital campaigns. If you need help catching the attention of your target market and keeping them in the long run, you can trust Emmpressit to deliver.
Fill out our contact form to start building your presence anywhere.