Digital marketing is the most dominant marketing strategy in the 21st century. According to Statista, the industry will be worth $740.3 billion in 2024. Despite it, not every organisation is convinced about its effectiveness. They still rely upon traditional marketing methods which have proven largely ineffective. We are not saying that traditional marketing is obsolete.
Our point is that it has become very limited. Only a handful of industries or organisations truly need traditional marketing. Even in such a case, it accounts for very little of the total marketing budget. By refusing to utilise digital marketing strategies, such organisations are playing with their future. They cannot realise the numerous benefits presented by digital marketing.
Being a leading digital marketing agency in Islamabad, we will be using this blog post to discuss the advantages that digital marketing holds over traditional methods. This informative piece can help convince organisations to shift their marketing towards digital methods. If you are already using digital methods, this article can help convince you to increase your budget.
What is Digital Marketing?
Before we delve into the numerous benefits offered by digital marketing, we need to develop a comprehensive understanding of what is it. The easiest way to define digital marketing is that it is the use of internet and online-based mediums for marketing purposes. When we say online or the internet, it includes social media, search engines, mobile phones, desktops, and all similar platforms.
On the other hand, the simplest way to define traditional marketing is that it refers to the use of offline channels for marketing. TV, print media, radio, billboards, and flyers are amongst the most popular traditional marketing methods. We have primarily relied upon traditional marketing. All this changed in the 21st century. What are the reasons behind this drastic change?
We humans are the reason traditional marketing has lost importance. Since the introduction of the internet, we have been captivated by it. The internet has become so ingrained in our lives that it is impossible to live without it. With the development of smartphones, two of the most powerful technologies have combined. Today, everything is just a tap away.
Whether we wish to order groceries or catch up on news, all we have to do is go online. Since we spend the majority of our time browsing the internet, the marketers saw it is an opportunity. They had found a way to connect with the target audience in a way unlike before. As internet and smartphone penetration rates increase, digital marketing has become a necessity.
Top 8 Benefits of Digital Marketing
Now, we will focus on the benefits of digital marketing that give it a clear edge over traditional methods.
1. Global Reach
Digital marketing has a global reach. When a brand publishes a post on their website or social media, it can be accessed by everyone irrespective of their location. The same cannot be said for TV or radio. This global reach enhances brand recognition and appeal. It can lead to newer opportunities such as collaborations and partnerships.
2. Cost
Irrespective of the brand’s size and financial ability, cost is always an important consideration. Digital marketing has proven to be more cost-effective. In the US, the cost per every thousandth person (CPM) for cable TV is $17.50. It rises to $32 for national broadcast. Interestingly, the CPM for Google display network is only $2.80. As you can see, digital channels cost very less compared to the traditional channels. When you consider factors like global reach and targeted audience, digital marketing is the clear choice.
3. Measurable Results
When using traditional methods, it is difficult to calculate the return. For example, if a brand places an ad in a newspaper or a magazine, it can be difficult to know how many people were converted to customers through this strategy. Sure, adding QR codes is one way to track the leads, but it is still not highly effective.
In contrast, digital marketing provides various tools to track a campaign’s performance. For example, if you are running a social media ad, it provides details like number of clicks, engagement rate, organic traffic, and more. This makes everything trackable, meaning you can easily calculate the campaign’s return.
4. Effective Targeting
In online marketing, brands can target very specific audiences. Consider a new restaurant that opened in Islamabad. There’s no point in targeting people from the rest of the country as they are not the target audience. Using online channels, the brand can target people based in Islamabad alone. Even within Islamabad, they can opt for specific areas. This form of targeted marketing generates leads that are more likely to convert.
Source: Facebook Ad Manager
The above image shows the extent to which online platforms let businesses target users. They can target people based on demographics, interests, and behaviours. This is not possible with traditional methods.
5. Customer Insights
Another key benefit of digital marketing is that it provides valuable insights into your target audience. Gaining information about the audience is the key to long-term success and brand loyalty. Digital analytics track user behavior, giving brand information how a customer behaves online. The brand can adjust their strategy accordingly.
Customer relationship management systems (CRMs) are another way to collect and organise customer data. The CRM can be used to personalise marketing campaigns for each individual customer. Organisations can use digital channels to collect direct feedback from customers. The most common way to do is through surveys.
6. Choice
Within traditional marketing, the choice is quite limited. It can inhibit creativity and prevent a brand from utilizing its full potential. In contrast, digital marketing provides numerous options. The image below shows the most popular online marketing methods.
Source: Statista
A brand can select a strategy that closely aligns with its budget and business objectives. Search engine optimization and social media marketing are the two most popular methods nowadays.
7. Real-time Engagement
Another clear advantage that digital marketing has over traditional marketing is that it allows for real-time engagement. Using social media and other channels, brands can directly interact with their customers. They can reply to individual comments, respond to feedback, and more. This two-way communication helps increase customer retention and build a loyal customer base.
8. Quick Implementation
Lastly, digital marketing allows businesses to respond to market trends and ever-changing customer needs quickly. In just a few clicks, a brand can launch a digital campaign. In traditional marketing, this is not possible since there are too many factors to be considered. For example, if a brand wishes to print an ad in the magazine, they first must enquire if there is any space available. If not, there may be no alternatives.
Conclusion
After reading this article, we are confident that you recognize the clear superiority of digital marketing over traditional methods. If you are still avoiding digital channels, you will soon find yourself out of the race. Your competitors will race ahead, and it can prove near impossible to catch up to them. So, get in touch with us to discuss how we can devise a digital strategy that gives you a clear edge in the market.
