It’s no secret that digital media is rapidly transforming the landscape of marketing. It is now easier than ever to reach a large market segment without the high costs associated with traditional print and broadcast advertising.
Traditional marketing generally allows for one directional communication between a business and it’s customers, with the flow of conversation being pushed in an outward direction. This however does not allow for direct response feedback by the general public. As a means of customer communication, there are a number of ways that digital trumps traditional. Here are a couple examples:
Costs
When comparing the costs of traditional marketing VS digital marketing, there is really no competition. To the right is a representation of the typical costs for both sectors when targeting a reach of 2,000 people
Metrics
Traditionally, gathering campaign analytics and market research can take weeks or even months to be received. This usually comes after a campaign has already been established and is entering the closing phase of its life cycle, which can often be too late. Digital marketing offers the company the opportunity to track metrics almost instantaneously and ongoing throughout the project. The success of specific advertising metrics such as market reach, market segments/demographic, interaction, engagement, trends and page view analytics can be tracked and changed without disruption to the overall project.
Social Media
42% of marketers report that Facebook is critical or important to their business when communicating with customers. With over 900 million people logging on to Facebook per day worldwide, it’s easy to see why more and more businesses are generating leads and increasing exposure for their business through the use of Social Media.
Brand Development
Although both traditional and digital forms of marketing are key to the development of any brand, digital allows for the brand’s content to be regularly updated and for focus to be shifted without losing value for the company. Generating leads through a digital medium also attracts maximum exposure without the same geographic limitations and traditional marketing.
Accessibility
The accessibility to digital media is growing rapidly, especially with the push of online connectivity by large companies such a Facebook through its internet.org campaign and the Government’s NBN expansion. This expansion only heightens the importance of adopting a digital marketing strategy for your brand. According to studies, 3 out of 5 smartphone users pay attention to ads on social media websites whilst browsing on their mobile devices. With mobile already being the leading digital medium worldwide and 80% of users using it to make online purchases, utilising this medium as an advertising tool has become extremely important.
