Social Media vs. Traditional Marketing: Which Option Is Best For Your Business?

Are you starting a brand or looking to expand your reach? It is crucial you look into how to market yourself. Fortunately, Work It Social is here for you another week as we take a deeper dive into the different ways you increase awareness. Then, it's up to you to decide the best option for your long-term goals. Here we go..

The Basics - What Do These Marketing Methods Mean Anyways?

Traditional marketing includes, but is not limited to: newspaper ads, billboards, flyers and television and radio ads.

Social media marketing includes, but is not limited to: self-promotion on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and other relevant platforms, paid advertising and so much more.

Audience

The goal of marketing is to effectively reach your target audience but the debate is always about 'how?'

In traditional marketing, you may reach a wide audience but your outreach is often less targeted. However, traditional marketing tactics, like newspapers, can be held onto for time, allowing your piece to be viewed repeatedly.

In social media marketing, it is easier to target your intended audience with hashtags. Using hashtags, you are able to specify your topic in a way that resonates with current and potential followers. Social media is FREE - which is probably the best part! While you do have to pay to promote your posts, you can still market yourself simply by creating an account.

Engagement

Timing is also a big factor. In traditional marketing, commercial or print ads must be pre-planned far in advance. While more time and effort goes into creating strategic advertisements, it is not always easy to cater them to real-time events. On social media, you are able to post in real-time and keep up with the trends. So hey, why not do a little bit of both?

With timing comes engagement. With traditional marketing, getting in contact with the person or brand is not always as direct or easy as social media. On social media, your followers can directly comment or message you and you can easily engage back - and even track results! You can see how many times a person has clicked or viewed your post. Things like google analytics save lives in the digital marketing world!

Cost

While social media accounts are free, advertising is not. Here is a little break down the average cost per click (CPC) for social media marketing ads:

Facebook cost: $0.65 CPC

Instagram cost: $0.40 CPC

Twitter cost: $0.25 CPC

Marketing on your own profile: FREE

Traditional marketing campaigns may tug at your wallet a little more, here is how much it will cost to reach 2000 people with some forms of traditional marketing:

Direct mail: $900

Magazines: $500

Newspapers: $250

Broadcast: $150

The most beneficial part about social media marketing is that if you don’t have the funds or don’t want to spend money, you don’t have to! You can still reach many people without spending a dime!

The choice is on you! Would you rather use traditional marketing or social media marketing?

If you decide to go with social media and need some help, we are here to help you #WORKIT!