As marketing experts, we are frequently asked the difference between digital and traditional media - and which one is better.
The answer is this: both forms of advertising are of value but in different ways.
Think of the two forms of advertising methods as boxers. Traditional media is the well established 9-time heavyweight world champion, where as digital media is the incredible up-and-comer with the fastest feet and jabs in the business.
So, when put into the ring, which of the two will be victorious?
In the Red Corner: Traditional Media
Traditional media’s a seasoned veteran in the media ring. In its prime, it was getting K.O.’s left, right and centre, but as time progressed the K.O.’s became less and less, and the easy wins were a thing of the past.
Now, traditional media is getting slower and is starting to take more hits than it used to.
Traditional media is still winning matches, but it’s on the way to retirement for many brands. There are some situations, though, where it is still king. For many mass market products, television, outdoor, press and radio are among the traditional media big hitters that can have a low cost-per-acquisition.
What This Means For You
While radio ads, TV commercials and print ads are still popular, they are not reaping the same returns as before. These mediums are focused on disrupting the audience, and since the rise of the Internet is allowing audiences to pick and choose what they see - its effectiveness by itself is lowering, and fast.
Traditional marketing mediums, however, can be made more powerful when used in conjunction with digital marketing methods. Particularly as content can be repurposed and spread to a larger number of market touch points using a combination. The most important takeaway is to back up all your traditional marketing campaigns with a comprehensive digital presence, including a powerful website and active social media.
In the Blue Corner: Digital Media
Digital media has only been boxing at the professional level for the past 15 years, but already agents are seeing the budding potential.
With lightning-fast footwork and a killer right hook, digital media is starting to win against the older and less evolved traditional media.
With the world becoming more and more online-focused, digital media has become an instant crowd pleaser - winning the hearts and minds of the audience.
A scary thought for brands to consider is that up to 70% of the research is done online before a customer reaches a salesperson.
What This Means for You?
Digital is rising with the domination of the internet. Buyers are spending huge amounts of time online and are adjusting their spending habits accordingly. Digital media now holds the key to content marketing and inbound marketing - strategies which can help your business to improve in lead gathering, nurturing and profitability.
It's also important to note that for most consumers, a business without a strong online presence doesn't even exist. Worse, your business could be viewed as untrustworthy. Luckily, building a great website comes down to one simple rule: answer your customers' questions.
To discover more about the tips and tricks of lead gathering, download our free E-Book.
Digital vs Traditional Media: The Winner
While traditional media was the undefeated champion in its day, its inability to adjust to the new innovations and customer needs has made it slow and clumsy - leaving it completely open to digital’s sharp jabs. While digital hasn’t knocked out traditional, its speed and tailored approach to the market’s needs ensures that it keeps landing solid hits.
Soon, digital will have traditional media on the ropes, and businesses need to roll with this.
Traditional media will always have a place in the ring, however, the time has come for traditional media to pass on its championship belt to the young up-and-comer: digital.
Now, more than ever, is a good time to consider how an inbound marketing agency can help your business with such dramatic marketing fragmentation.
Inbound marketing agencies are like insurance for your marketing investment. You can read our blog here to learn more about this, or find out how you can get the
The Kingdom helps businesses build powerful digital marketing tools to get value and growth from their HubSpot investment. Login to the HubSpot CRM then speak to The Kingdom team today.
Discover More
How To Remove Friction From Your Sales Process | The Kingdom
How do you score in our 5 Step Digital Marketing Health Check?
Why You Should Be Valuing your Website as an Asset | The Kingdom | Diamond HubSpot Partner
Your Guide to Building a Great Website | The Kingdom
5 Key Components of a Remarkable Inbound Lead Generating Website
The Kingdom Live: The Difference Between Wistia and YouTube
How do you score on our 30 second website worthiness test?
The truly innovative "one more thing" Apple forgot to tell us launching iPhone 11
What Makes The Kingdom Mar-tech Experts?
The Kingdom High Performance Website Assessment
21 Trade Secrets To Improve Your Website Overnight | The Kingdom
The Kingdom - 7 Steps To Website Success
Why Is A Landing Page So Important For Website Marketing?
Welcome To The Youniversity Of Website Marketing
6 Essential Secret Strategies for Building a New Website