The Evolution from Traditional to Digital Marketing: What Marketers Need to Know
Marketing today comes in two very different forms - digital marketing through online channels versus more traditional marketing mediums like print, radio, and television. With consumers splitting their time between digital devices and offline activities, the question arises - which should brands focus their efforts on more?
This guide will analyze the key differences, pros and cons, and effectiveness of digital marketing compared to traditional marketing based on relevant data. We'll also look at how to strike the right balance between the two.
Key Differences Between Digital and Traditional Marketing
There are several core differences that set digital and traditional marketing apart:
Reach - Digital marketing provides a broader audience reach as billions of people across the globe use social media and search engines. Traditional reaches a limited local geographic area.
Targeting - You can hyper-target specific demographics and buyer personas through digital channels. Traditional uses broad targeting like age, gender, location.
Metrics - Digital marketing provides detailed analytics on impressions, clicks, conversions, etc. Traditional lacks concrete performance metrics.
Adaptability - Digital strategies can be changed and optimized quickly based on data and testing. Traditional requires creating new physical ads/materials.
Cost - Creating and distributing digital content is relatively low cost compared to print production and postage.
The Pros and Cons of Digital Marketing
Digital marketing certainly provides advantages, but also has its limitations:
Pros:
Low barrier to entry and cost effective
Measurable results and ROI
Wide audience reach
Interactive content and multi-media formats
Quick to deploy and optimize
Cons:
Content can become lost in the digital noise
Harder to build local brand awareness
Less tangible experience than print/TV ads
Requires expertise in various digital platforms
Sources: WebFX, Medium
The Pros and Cons of Traditional Marketing
Traditional marketing like print, TV, and radio have been reliable channels for decades, but do face challenges in today's digital world:
Pros:
Stimulates familiarity through widespread reach
Tangible and authoritative
Local brand-building
Less clutter vs. digital channels
Cons:
Very high production and distribution costs
Difficult to accurately track ROI
Slow lead times for content changes
Limited audience targeting and interactivity
Sources: Lucidpress, Adtaxi
Digital Marketing's Rising Prominence
In the last decade, digital marketing has seen rapid growth as consumers shift their time and attention online.
Global digital ad spending hit $378.16 billion in 2021, more than traditional ad spending at $314.6 billion. Spending on digital ads is expected to grow to $526 billion by 2024. Source: Insider Intelligence
There were over 4.6 billion internet users worldwide in 2021 - 60% of the global population. Source: DataReportal
On average, people spend roughly 7 hours online per day. Source: Backlinko
93% of online experiences now begin with a search engine. 71% of consumers looking to purchase use search engines to conduct research. Source: Blue Corona
The effectiveness of traditional marketing continues to decline:
Print newspaper readership dropped 12% between 2020 and 2021. Print circulation has declined 14% in the last 5 years. Source: Pew Research Center
Satellite and cable TV providers lost over 5 million subscribers in 2021 as cord-cutting accelerates. Source: Forbes
Less than 5% of traditional direct mail marketing is read, on average. Source: Lucidpress
Combining Digital and Traditional for an Optimal Approach
While digital marketing provides significant advantages, brands should not completely abandon traditional marketing. An integrated approach delivers the best results:
Use digital marketing to reach a broad audience at top and mid-funnel. Use traditional marketing to drive brand awareness with local audiences.
Run targeted digital ads to cold audiences. Use traditional channels to remarket to known customers.
Allocate the majority of budget to cost-effective digital channels. Use traditional marketing sparingly for physical branding.
Learn which channels and strategies drive the highest ROI. Double down on the best performers.
Promote website content and offers through traditional ads to acquire email leads. Nurture leads digitally.
Maintain a consistent brand identity and messaging across traditional and digital channels.
See Also: 15 Tips for Integrating Digital and Traditional Marketing
By combining digital efficiency and targeting with traditional tangibility and local reach, brands can achieve greater results together than either channel can deliver on its own. The marketing mix depends on your brand, goals, audience, and resources. Test different combinations to see what works.
Key Takeaways and Insights
Some of the key points to understand about digital vs. traditional marketing include:
Digital marketing provides more reach at lower costs. Traditional marketing builds local presence but at higher costs.
Digital marketing is measurable but can get lost in clutter. Traditional marketing is authoritative but difficult to track.
Consumers now spend most of their time and attention online. Digital budget allocation should reflect this.
Neither channel should be abandoned completely. The best approach is to capitalize on the strengths of both.
Testing and analytics should drive budget and resource allocation between digital and traditional efforts.
The future is in digital, but traditional still holds value. Brands must leverage data and insights to find the right balance for long-term success.