For as long as goods have been sold, business owners have been looking for ways to promote their products to consumers. And advertising is one of the oldest and most effective methods for boosting brand profile, reaching new customers, and –– at the end of the day –– making businesses more profitable.
Now, companies have a myriad of advertising choices at their disposal. They can choose to advertise across many different platforms and in many different ways. In the main, though, there are two types of advertising that still persist: digital advertising and traditional advertising. Today, we’ll explore the difference between the two and explain the pros and cons associated with each:
Traditional Advertising
Traditional advertising is fairly simple to grasp for most people. This type of advertising refers to tried-and-true methods such as:
- Radio ads
- TV ads
- Billboards
- Advertisements in print (newspaper, magazine)
- Newsletters
Traditional advertising has been maligned by some in recent years, but it can still prove effective under the right circumstances. Small businesses can use strategically placed local ads to target consumers who live within a certain area. In addition, though many individuals are active on social media and use the internet regularly, a good deal of consumers still don’t access the internet all that often. In order to reach people within these demographics, businesses may want to pursue traditional advertising methodologies.
Digital Advertising
Defining digital advertising can be a bit trickier than addressing traditional advertising. However, the same basic principles apply. Companies pay search engines, social media platforms, or certain websites to host their ads. Note, SEO efforts are not the same as paid advertising. In fact, while digital advertising will increase a company’s visibility online, it won’t have any effect on that company’s ability to rank organically for search terms.
Many digital advertising agreements are based on the pay-per-click practice. In other words, businesses only have to pay their host company based on the number of clicks an ad receives. This is a popular method, but it is not the only way that companies can purchase advertising space.
To conclude, digital advertising can come in many forms. Still images, videos, gifs, and text boxes are all common. Some websites, like Google and Facebook for example, will restrict most advertisements to a limited number of characters. Additionally, Facebook and other privately run sites typically have a list of products or services that they simply won’t allow to be advertised. Make sure to check out a site’s guidelines for advertising/targeting consumers before you invest in an ad campaign with them.
Final Thoughts: Which is Better?
The fact of the matter is that, because each business is unique, it’s impossible to say definitively that one advertising approach is superior to another. Depending on a number of factors, either digital or traditional advertising more prove more cost-effective. However, it’s worth remembering that many companies utilize a combination of digital and traditional advertising. For instance, it’s entirely possible to create a print ad and a digital ad while using the same picture of a road barricade or toaster oven –– again depending on the product in question. The key to success is for business owners to consider all their advertising options before they begin investing.
