Social Media Marketing vs Traditional Marketing

 Social Media Marketing vs Traditional Marketing

Traditional forms of marketing have been around since there were products to sell. Traditional marketing includes print ads, billboards, television commercials, and traditional “salesman tactics”. But over the past few decades our technology has evolved and we now find ourselves in a world that is run by social media marketing. There are several major differences between traditional marketing and social media marketing that can either make or break a business.

Now that a majority of people are constantly connected to the internet in one form or another whether it be a computer, tablet, or mobile device they expect new and better forms of marketing and advertising. According to Colleen Dilenschneider’s blog she states that social media is 12.85 times greater than that of paid traditional media. This fact supports the idea that social media marketing highly influences the market.

            One reason as to why it may be so much more influential is because of the easy accessibility it possesses. Because people can access it anytime they want to they have a minor sense of control. Also it is updated 24/7 in real-time. Traditional marketing was a static occurrence and was rarely if ever updated. Because social media is always monitored it has become a powerful communication tool between consumers and business. Consumers can directly give feedback, comments, and information right from the business. Traditional marketing does not have the same communication ability; they sometimes struggle in order to find out what the consumer actually wants because they have no way of asking them directly.

            One of the best ways to market is to implement a strategy that combines both types of marketing. If a business is trying to promote themselves and they have a Facebook, Twitter, or blog that they are using they can incorporate the link into print ads such as flyers. Business can also use QR codes which are digital codes that can be placed on anything from cups, to business cards; an individual can instantly link to the businesses page just by using their smartphone. And the simplest yet most effective way to incorporate both social and traditional marketing is having an email list, where individuals sign up to receive promotions and information about your business. (Kehrer)

Link to Colleen Dilenschneider’s Blog: http://colleendilen.com/2013/06/18/5-key-reasons-why-social-media-strategies-are-different-than-traditional-marketing-strategies/

Link to Daniel Kehrer's Article: http://www.score.org/resources/7-ways-blend-social-media-and-traditional-marketing

(Video done By Craig Collins)