Marketing Strategy
Internet Marketing - Differences to Traditional Marketing
Written by Jay Shapiro for Gaebler Ventures
The Internet v Traditional marketing debate has raged long and hard. But are there actually more similarities than differences and can the two be used effectively and co-exist in peace?
When we consider traditional marketing methods and/or ad campaigns we immediately think of adverts in the local or national press, maybe even air time on the radio or television coverage. Perhaps the biggest factor that governs our decisions is budget. In reality, none of the above comes cheap.
People often ponder the differences between web marketing and traditional marketing. Actually it's easier to cite the many similarities. For example, let's look at local or national press coverage: The web is jammed packed with a wide range of publications, some are even newspaper type journals in which adverts or info about your company can appear. So what's the difference with that and traditional press advertising? When you use traditional print press coverage the amount of exposure your business gets is often limited and usually fleeting. We live in a here today gone tomorow culture. Now you see it, now you don't. Yesterday's news really is yesterday's news. Our newspapers are destined for the recycling bin. Those magazines we bought? They're heading there too.
Some types of online coverage, once published to the internet, are there forever, or as good as. Pieces are archived and can be accessed via searches when someone looks keywords relating to them. The newspapers are current only for the day; that glossy mag is only the latest edition for a week, one month, or at best a bi-monthly timeframe or quarterly period. The Internet is 24/7 potentially for an infinity.
Next let's look at radio coverage. There's no question that air time on the radio is a high powered form of promotion. But, once again, it might be seen as temporary. With the ever-growing popularity of media forms in use on the internet radio has some stiff competition.Audio files and media play space online represents the web equivalent of radio marketing. The same applies with TV adverstising: now this is the mega deal, and the most costly. The online equivalent is video files. Consider the incredible popularity of sites like You Tube and it's easy to understand how promo videos have the power to attract large audiences worldwide. Take a peek at the most frequently played clips on a site such as this to see exactly how many individual hits a favorite has received.
So what are the key differences with Internet marketing and traditional methods? In once sense there are few, but when it comes to costs there are big differences. For value, and to get the most out of your budgeting dollar then the internet is probably first choice, offering as it does wide coverage and is some cases long term publication. That's not to say that the traditional methods do not have a place.
It's often valuable to use both forms of cover, but of course budget will dictate how far you go with this. Use each to provide support to your other promotoions, for example, mention your website in your bricks and mortar ads, and vice versa, online state 'As Seen On TV'!
Jay Shapiro is a freelance writer based in the UK. Jay has a particular interest in the emotive aspects of the entrepreneur's character. "Alongside the nuts and bolts of business, the character of the person is often the ingredient responsible for success."
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