Digital vs. traditional marketing – can marketing help a company achieve business growth?
Digital marketing tools enable the marketing message to be delivered to a specific customer segment. Traditional marketing is more broad-based and less focused when compared to digital marketing. The choice of the marketing tool -digital or traditional depends on the customer segment, target area, and customer profile that includes demographics and barriers to buying the offered product or service.
Marketers often make the case that marketing will help in business growth and that using digital marketing tools will bring exponential returns to your enterprise. I have been consulting for over twenty years, and I can safely say such claims are inaccurate. The question is not what is good digital marketing or traditional marketing. Both have a role in conveying the marketing message about your company’s products and services.
Organizations, leadership, business strategy, value chain, and business models undergo periodic restructuring and re-alignment in companies that show consistent business growth. Marketing sits on the foundation of strategy and business models to be effective.
Digital marketers alone cannot help drive sustained business growth. It is a much more complex exercise. As digital applications and tools integrate with the human way of life, the importance of digital marketing is bound to rise. Digital sales are still a fraction of total sales. E-commerce share in the US, for instance, is not able to cross twenty percent. Brick and more and traditional are still dominating the business.
The effectiveness of digital marketing versus traditional marketing to achieve sustained growth depends on various factors such as the nature of the business, target audience, and marketing goals.
Digital marketing is becoming increasingly popular as it allows businesses to reach a larger audience quickly and precisely. Digital marketing strategies such as search engine optimization, social media advertising, email marketing, and content marketing can build brand awareness, drive traffic, and generate leads. Additionally, digital marketing offers real-time analytics that can be used to track and measure the performance of campaigns and make data-driven decisions.
However, traditional marketing, such as print, TV, radio advertising, direct mail, and outdoor advertising, still has its place in certain industries and can effectively reach a specific audience. For example, a local business may find traditional marketing strategies more effective than digital marketing in reaching its target audience.
A successful marketing strategy will ultimately depend on various factors, including the business’s goals, target audience, and budget. Both digital and traditional marketing can be used effectively to achieve sustained growth, and a combination of both strategies may be the best approach for many businesses. Businesses need to understand their target audience and use the marketing channels that will best reach and engage them.
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