Traditional Marketing vs Social Media Marketing

Contents:

• What Does Social Media Marketing Entail?
• Social Media vs Traditional Marketing: People's Preference
• Traditional vs Social Media Marketing: Cost
• Critical Differences Between Two Approaches

The modern market is highly competitive. Today, a company striving to succeed must employ innovative and cutting-edge approaches, particularly in marketing. A successful business is not just about the presence of qualitative products. It is also about applying proper marketing methods to cover the potential audiences.

Now, you have a business going on, and you want to be sure that you’re not pouring water into a basket? How do you maximize the return from marketing expenditures? Which would be a better choice: social media marketing vs traditional marketing? Read further.

What Does Social Media Marketing Entail?

Social media marketing (SMM) deals with the promotion of goods and services in social media.  Since the appearance of modern social media sites in 2003-2004, the world of social marketing grew along with the development of innovative technologies and new digital ideologies. 

Unlike traditional advertising, SMM operates in subtler ways. One explanation for it yielding high results is that, inherently, people are inclined to trust word of mouth more than any official statement. If a respectable acquaintance expresses support to some product or brand, you would also be prone to at least trying it.

Regardless of its size, any business can utilize social marketing to arrive at the target market, get in touch with potential customers, and change them to regulars. 

Tasks that can be solved using SMM:

1. PR;
2. Brand promotion;
3. Social support for marketing activities on the Internet;
4. Social promotion - popularizing the social value of the marketing subject of the company;
5. Trade marketing - holding encouraging events among the social community.

Social Media vs Traditional Marketing: People's Preference

According to Statista, 90% of connected people globally have profiles on social media. With a correct approach, most of this massive crowd can be leveraged by your message. This is particularly true for enterprises that offer online services. Due to the Internet's impact and the ever-growing inflow of social media platforms, connection with the intended audience is far greater and multi-layered.

Traditional vs Social Media Marketing: Cost

Throughout decades traditional media outlets such as radio, newspapers, TV, and more have been essential tools for marketing. Traditional marketing helps to sell products in real life. This is the most noticeable form of marketing, which we see every day. Nevertheless, concerning the cost of social media marketing vs traditional marketing, the latter is significantly more expensive. In addition, ordering better places such as during prime time or at a popular tourist spot, one has to contribute more money.

All in all, when matching social media marketing vs traditional marketing cost, in the latter case, you have to consider material and delivery expenses, questions of manufacturing time, and available spaces\timeslots. In the case of social media marketing, a professional ad campaign can attract thousands of relevant clicks to a website inexpensively, thereby increasing your income.

Thus, we are sure that social media marketing vs traditional is more cost-effective.

Critical Differences Between Two Approaches

Both traditional marketing and SMM have pros and cons. However, there are several advantages of social media marketing over traditional marketing ways. The following are some of the key differences between traditional marketing techniques and social marketing tactics:

1. Traditional marketing is restricted by its reach. But this is not the case for social marketing. SMM attracts the attention of customers from all over the world. In addition, it suggests a possibility of direct two-way communication between the company and consumers that allows discovering and satisfying the audience’s specific requirements. 
2. SMM provides quick, real-time customer feedback that allows businesses to elaborate and optimize marketing tools to maximize income.  It is one of the principal causes why businesses are moving to social marketing.
3. The cost of social media vs traditional marketing is notably lower given that it allows paperless transactions. Marketers and consumers can cooperate through different social media that don't levy a single cent, and the documentation is in electronic copies stored on a website.

So, as a result of comparing social media vs traditional marketing, the former takes over because of the greater reach, lower cost, high efficiency, and wide variety of opportunities suggested to consumers.

Conclusion

After examining the issues mentioned above, we hope that the difference between sоcial media marketing and traditional marketing became evident to our readers. It will be easier to attract customers to your brand through SMM, given that social media versus traditional marketing's main benefit is an organic method of direct interaction with consumers. 

Keep in mind, though, that specific traditional marketing methods can have a better chance of success than social media. Do not be a one-trick pony, the needs of the specific business may require both tools.

So, what should your brand do? When comparing traditional marketing vs social media marketing, think it over carefully, keeping in check your offers, target audiences, and business objectives. To create a personalized campaign and extend its coverage maximally, you should seek professional assistance. Only in this way can social media marketing methods be implemented the most efficiently and inexpensively.

Eugene Koplyk

Head of Marketing

With a rich history in guiding brands through the maze of marketing, I've navigated the shifting sands from traditional methods to the digital age of social media. This journey has given me a unique perspective on how both worlds intertwine and influence today's consumer landscape.