A: Marketing is the process or the task of announcing to the world, to the public, or to your audience, who you are, what you are, and why somebody should pick you. Who, what, when, where & why—that’s marketing.
So, that is marketing in a nutshell, and it has been that way from the inception of business and commerce. However, even though the concept of what marketing is has remained constant—the way marketing strategy has evolved is phenomenal.
Most people think of marketing as billboards, brochures, radio and TV ads, and they would be correct in that thinking. However, since the explosive advent of the internet, both businesses and consumers have embraced the digital landscape wholeheartedly. Now, businesses have a more captive audience with what is known as digital marketing.
In fact, this form of marketing has experienced some serious exponential growth over the last decade. While traditional marketing like the channels mentioned above are still effective tools—going digital has some serious advantages that can’t be ignored. It is the reason why Houston marketing agencies focus about 92% of their offerings in digital marketing alone.
What Is Traditional Marketing?
Traditional marketing is not exactly dead as evident by the many TV and radio ads you encounter on a daily basis. After all, it’s a method that does help reach a somewhat target audience on a broad scale. Most of the common traditional marketing channels fall under five main categories:
- Broadcast Media (TV, radio, etc.)
- Print Media (magazines, newspapers, etc.)
- Direct Mail (catalogs, postcards, etc.)
- Telephone (telemarketing)
- Outdoor Mass Media (billboards)
While traditional marketing has evolved with the times, the fundamentals remain unchanged. The marketing strategies businesses use are still dependent on the four P’s of marketing:
- Product: Effective marketing is beset on a deep understanding of your product or service that fulfills the demand of your target market.
- Price: The overall cost of your product or service is going to be dependent on how well you know what you offer. Price is always the deciding factor in concepts like supply, demand, and profit margin, etc.
- Promotion: The way you inform your target audience about your product or service is promotion. Promotion encompasses any method that helps you promote your offering and gain visibility in the market. Whether that means traditional billboards or digital methods like social media—it’s still promotion.
- Place: Traditional marketing is extremely dependent on getting your product or service in front of your audience at a targeted time and location. This also means the product must be priced right. All Houston marketing agencies have different approaches but they all agree placement is crucial. Placing products at the right time and place greatly increases your ad campaign’s success.
The Disadvantages Of Traditional Marketing
We’re not saying traditional marketing is no longer effective—because it is. However, it’s not the only way now to reach your audience and promote your business. Due to advanced technology growth such as the internet, and smart devices—digital marketing is the key.
The technology has made it possible for businesses to connect on a level unheard of in the past. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, can offer businesses a connection with their consumers. This is something that is logistically impossible with print ads. In fact, that is one of the biggest disadvantages of traditional marketing among a few others. Here is just a sample of the many disadvantages:
Little Or No Interaction
Traditional marketing is one-way—the business sends out a message through a marketing channel but the consumer can’t respond in kind. The hope of the business is that the message will get the attention of their audience and convert them to customers.
You Can’t Control Timing
Traditional marketing methods, once executed cannot be altered. So, whether it’s a print ad in the Houston Chronicle, or a TV spot on ABC 13—it can’t be modified. You have to submit an entirely new ad to replace the old one. This can be a huge factor in the long run.
For example, you run an ad campaign for a product you’ve designed but want to run a promo that can drive sales up more. You can’t change that print ad or TV ad on the fly—that can put quite a crimp in your marketing budget over time.
The Costs Are Higher
Traditional marketing has recurring costs that tend to be a huge investment that may not deliver on the return. For example, an ad in the Houston Chronicle will only have a chance if it’s actually seen by your target when published. You can’t control that and what are your chances of this happening?
If they aren’t reached, guess what—you have to pay to run the ad again, and again, and again. It’s a never-ending drain until you stop.
How Are Houston Digital Marketing Agencies Different?
If you just compare digital marketing agencies and traditional on the surface, it seems that digital marketing agencies are very different. Many people have this misconception since, with digital marketing, there is a heavy emphasis on promotion. However, in reality, Houston digital marketing agencies are very effective because digital marketing adheres to all four “P’s” of marketing. In fact, it actually uses each one in an optimized manner and often even better than traditional marketing.
What Exactly Is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is marketing that is performed online using a combination of websites, social media, mobile communication, and streaming video. Typically, digital marketing employs a combination of the following activities to hit on all the four “P’s” of marketing:
Content Marketing: Having relevant content on your website that covers issues in your industry, establishes authority and value to your audience. For example, if your audience searches for replacement windows, and you’re a window company, your content should target that. Even a simple blog post on the importance of energy-efficient windows would suffice.
Social Media Marketing: Customers who feel a connection to a company are 87% more likely to continue to do business with them. Social media gives you a real-time platform to allow your audience to get to know the company on an intimate level. There is a removal of the barrier between audience and company that traditional marketing has. If a consumer has a question, they can ask it via social media and get a quick response—directly from the company.
Website: If your business doesn’t have a website by now—please, stop reading and contact us right now to join the 21st century. In all seriousness, if you do not have a digital presence you are missing out on over 81% of your audience. They are all online, shopping, researching products and reviews before they buy—from your competitor who has a website.
Why Are Houston Digital Marketing Agencies So Crucial?
The reason why digital marketing agencies such as ours are so crucial for business is that it is more complex. Not only is it complex, but the process and methods are time-consuming but very necessary. The internet is rapidly becoming one of the most used tools in human history.
People use it to keep their schedules, buy groceries, research products, purchasing services, and so much more. In fact, if you look at the past decade or so, you’ll see that online marketing has grown by leaps and bounds. That being said, compared to traditional agencies, Houston digital marketing agencies offer a clear advantage because of the digital specialization.
A successful marketing strategy requires you to connect with prospects as often as possible. Frequency is not the only metric; the method is also key. If the method does not net a positive ROI, it is costing you money. The stats don’t lie, an overwhelmingly large majority of people spend a lot of time on the internet. Why would you not want to connect with them on such a customized level? Just take a look at these stats that drive the point home that digital marketing is where the future is NOW:
- More than 80% of shoppers/buyers do research online before buying a product or service.
- Almost 60% of U.S. adults use Facebook or some social media platform on a regular basis.
- 93% of B2B marketers are actively using LinkedIn for marketing.
- Mobile advertising is on track to account for over 70% of digital ad spend by year-end.
- 90% of B2C businesses believe that social media is the most effective marketing tactic for content.
Move Into The Future With The Best Among Houston Digital Marketing Agencies.
Regardless of the industry you’re in, you need to really consider the importance of digital marketing—it is the future. Don’t lose out to your competitors by ignoring this wise advice.
In fact, contact us today and get a free consultation on your digital marketing campaign and what SiteJab can do for you.
