Social Media Marketing vs Traditional Marketing

When designing a marketing campaign for your business, there are several strategies that can be employed. Effective marketing is essential for any business to garner new clientele. Problem is, many individuals are relying on outdated marketing strategies and their target audience is not being reached. This dilemma can be resolved by simply changing your marketing strategy.

Nowadays it seems that everyone and their mother has a Twitter, Facebook, and/or a MySpace page. Social media networks are incorporated into practically every aspect of our lives. It is no wonder that the corporate world has established ways to utilize the world of social media to their benefit.
Business ventures of all fields and sizes are utilizing social media marketing on a day to day basis. When
compared to traditional marketing strategies, how does social media marketing differ?

Traditional Marketing is Old Hat

The digital age has taken hold of society making traditional marketing strategies nearly unfeasible. While purchasing advertising time on television and radio stations may generate some results, most traditional marketing techniques are useless. However, it is not the outlet itself that makes traditional marketing ineffective. The truth of the matter is that it is the theory behind traditional marketing that makes it less effective when compared to social media marketing.
Traditional marketing relies on the advertising itself to get the jest of its message to the potential consumer. In traditional marketing, there is no emphasis on the consumer itself. This makes traditional marketing one-sided and flat to younger generations.

Social Media Marketing Engages

Unlike its predecessor, social media marketing is about “getting to know” your potential customer. By utilizing social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, you give your business a personality. Potential and current customers can interact with you on a more personal level. Blogging and “Tweeting” allow these individuals the opportunity to voice their opinions about your services or products in a casual manner.

Instant Gratification

When comparing traditional marketing campaigns to social media marketing campaigns, the results of the latter can be seen almost instantaneously. Forums, group postings, and Tweets can garner results on a much faster level. With traditional marketing campaigns, one must wait for the numbers to come back which will then be analyzed to track results.

Cost Factors

Purchasing ad space in print publications, and airtime on either radio or television networks can be pricey. Same goes for billboard rentals and direct mailing. When traditional marketing and social media marketing are compared, there is no competition in this department. Cost factors associated with social media marketing are practically nothing. In fact most sites are free to join, and the only costs associated would stem from internet access, labor, and advertising if you opted to utilize the site’s service.

Conclusion

While traditional marketing is still capable of targeting a specific demographic, it is not nearly as effective as social media marketing. However, and ideal marketing campaign would incorporate aspects of both marketing strategies to incorporate as many potential consumers as possible.
If choosing only one marketing strategy, social media marketing would be the most plausible course of action. Social media marketing offers a higher return rate in a much faster time frame. Additionally, social media marketing reaches comparable levels of potential consumers when compared to television and radio.

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