So, digital v traditional. It’s not an easy question, for sure. People are often reluctant to give up on traditional marketing because the digital seems a bit “zeitgeisty”. On the other hand, traditional marketing can look a bit old-fashioned and is significantly more limited in its scope. Which one’s better, in that case? It’s digital, right?
Not necessarily. Let’s look at the fighters’ stats for this grudge match.
Digital Marketing
Many businesses do quite well out of traditional advertising. They’re then understandably reluctant to use up often limited ad spending on social media. But Hubspot have some statistics that might make you traditionalists change your mind. Here’s the lowdown:
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28% of searches for something nearby result in a purchase. (Google, 2016)
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61% of mobile searchers are more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile-friendly site. (Junto, 2019)
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64% of consumers say watching a marketing video on Facebook has influenced a purchase decision of theirs in the last month.
Those are considerable figures. And when you think that, according to Hubspot, 46% of Americans are checking their phones before they’re even out of bed in the morning, you need to be considering an online presence for your firm. A fantastic example of digital marketing comes to you courtesy of the Dollar Shave Club.
Today this company has over 3 million subscribers, boasts $200 million in sales within five years, and has snagged almost 7% of the U.S. shaving market. Their promotional video has been viewed over 25 million times, and the company was acquired for $1 billion by Unilever.
Traditional Marketing
Traditional Marketing- 79% of households say they read or scan direct mail ads.
- 39% of customers say they try a business for the first time because of direct mail advertising.
- 56% of customers find print marketing to be the most trustworthy type of marketing.
- 44% of customers visit a brand’s website after receiving direct mail marketing.
Those are undeniably big numbers. The problem with traditional advertising is that there’s very little opportunity to engage with your audience. And it can cost an absolute bomb. It’s usually a one-off thing, too – your print ad runs for a week or two and is very quickly next week’s chip paper. Whereas digital marketing can linger on in the digital domain for much longer – the Dollar Shave Club ad, for example, is still doing the rounds over 7 years later.
Also website, social media – which?
Realistically, you have to be doing the two. The website is your stable presence on the web. When you think that Google apparently drives 96% of mobile search traffic (Jody Nimetz Co., 2018) then think of a website as your virtual shop front attracting digital footfall. Of course, what gets you onto the front page of Google is your SEO – and that’s a dark magic all of its own (check out our blog from way back in January on this subject).
The majority of people spend most of their time online. And a significant amount of those people use social media to determine their shopping choices. In fact, what digital marketing does is bring the client to you, rather than you going to them.