Business leaders and their teams face a dilemma when it comes to discerning the best solution for their project. Would it be better to opt for marketing focused on digital or rather based on classic values ?
If traditional marketing tends to go towards the consumer and pushes supply towards demand, the challenge of digital marketing consists of attracting the consumer, and therefore attracting demand towards supply . These are therefore two distinct strategies in their designs.
Two concepts to qualify
What is traditional marketing?
Marketing considered “classic” uses traditional communication channels to convey messages and present products or services. These include billboards, print media, broadcast media, etc. The basic principle is to go towards the consumer. This technique is part of an outbound marketing or outbound marketing approach .
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing is a new form of marketing, born with the advent of digital technology. Communication is based on digital media: social networks, blogs, websites, emails, etc. And consists of attracting customers with relevant content that addresses their issues. It applies the concept of inbound marketing or incoming marketing.
What are the differences between the two concepts?
The support
To address customers, traditional marketing uses all offline media : television spots, radio announcements, inserts and advertising articles, publications, telephone calls, trade shows, fairs and events. They have a powerful reach among consumers because they touch everyone, including those who are not connected.
To reach its target, online marketing uses connected media : content marketing, online banners, marketing emails, social networks, natural or paid referencing, videos and podcasts, etc. In this type of tool, there is no geographical barrier, provided you have a connection. In fact, the messages are accessible to all Internet users.
Targeting
In traditional marketing , advertisements are widely distributed . All consumers are exposed to the same ad. But the impact is not the same for different consumers.
On the other hand, in online marketing, advertising content is displayed with a user who corresponds to a specific target group. This approach facilitates the personalization of ads and contributes to their relevance.
The relationship with the customer
The transmission of messages is fast, but it is unidirectional in traditional marketing . In fact, there are few opportunities to establish regular exchanges with consumers. Additionally, once the ad is launched, it is impossible to make changes based on current events and reviews. Finally, it is difficult to measure the impact of messages on the public, because the process requires significant resources .
On the Internet, numerous analysis and tracking tools are available to indicate the effectiveness of an advertisement. Estimating its exact impact is feasible by evaluating the conversion rate, number of purchases, number of shares, etc. Thus, marketers can react very quickly to readjust advertisements according to the context. Interaction with customers is also facilitated by the various participatory platforms and social networks .
With Magileads, you implement a digital prospecting strategy based on targeting and ultra-personalization of messages, for effective conversion of prospects.
Strengths and weaknesses of the two branches
Strengths and weaknesses of traditional marketing
With the popularization of the Internet, traditional marketing is undervalued by marketing players. But this form of marketing is a concept that has lasted for several centuries, which is why it continues to hold an important place in consumers' lives. It helps shape the brand's image by being part of the consumer's daily life. Traditional marketing remains an undeniable springboard for the popularity of a brand.
Its main advantages lie in the fact that the messages broadcast are accessible to all, easy to understand, often impactful and entertaining. Being on a physical medium, advertisements take on a more permanent form. By intervening in consumers' daily lives, advertisements reflect the emotion of the moment and become more memorable.
The main disadvantage is cost. The majority of businesses that are just starting out cannot have access to it. Furthermore, traditional marketing is outbound marketing.
Strengths and weaknesses of digital marketing
The impact of traditional marketing is significant, but it would be unreasonable to ignore the role of digital. Moreover, digital marketing mobilizes all digital points of contact between a company and its audience. Faced with this, 57 % of the world's population would use Internet and would pass on average 6 hours and 42 minutes online every day according to ClickZ. The Internet is therefore an essential means of reaching a large number of consumers.
Receiving feedback from your marketing campaign in real time is a serious advantage. This helps build better engagement options. In addition, the campaign cost is affordable and the return on investment measurable.
However, THE digital marketing campaigns take on an ephemeral character, because the advertisements are not tangible and can be “ignored” by the public. Also, each channel requires specific knowledge, and therefore specific skills.
The key is to find the balance between digital marketing and traditional marketing in your strategy. A complete marketing strategy generally requires the integration of these two branches . By combining them, you strengthen their effectiveness and broaden your horizons.
Traditional marketing therefore does not lose its effectiveness, but it is increasingly limited in view of changes in consumer behavior. However, the choice must be made based on the objectives to be achieved. The most important thing is to identify your specific needs, in relation to your target audience and your budget .
