This is a common question among marketers and business owners, and we can see why
To really answer the question ‘will digital marketing replace traditional marketing?’ you must ask yourself…
What was the last print-based ad in a magazine or a newspaper that really caught your eye or drove you to make a purchase? Can you remember the last online ad link you clicked and made a purchase on the back of? The likelihood is, you’re more likely to recall the latter.
Traditional marketing channels tend to be tangible, think newspaper ads, flyers and billboards, even radio/ TV slots. Digital marketing channels, as the name implies, are online and can include websites, email, social media and lots more.
People are overexposed to advertising, did you know on average you see between 4,000 and 10,000 adverts a day? It’s impossible for the human brain to take in 100% of the information it receives through advertising.
As people are spending more and more time online, digital marketing is becoming the most popular and effective form of marketing. 82% of smartphone users consult their phone prior to buying a product or service even if they are buying it in-store. This shows what an influence the internet and digital marketing efforts have on people’s purchasing decisions.
It’s a tricky one as of course digital marketing is effective, but traditional marketing methods are still key in some industries. For example, the best way to market a new TV show would be a mixture of tv spots, radio, billboards and maybe some social media ads.
So although digital marketing is amazing and ever-evolving, this doesn’t mean it’s replacing traditional marketing, which still plays a huge part in many campaigns. They complement each other. The smartest marketing strategies will use both, for example, local businesses that post flyers with a QR code that gains traffic straight to their website and socials.
Print marketing may be a second resort to many companies, but a cool billboard design, luxury well-designed packaging, traditional posters and premium flyers are a breath of fresh air from the digital space we often find ourselves stuck in.
If you’re not sure what marketing channels are best for your business, get in touch! We love to talk marketing.
