6 Reasons to Prioritize Digital Marketing Over Traditional Advertising

It's no secret that the world of marketing is ever-evolving. In fact, much has changed recently in terms of which advertising methods are most effective. In the past, most contractors marketed their services via newspaper, television, radio, and other traditional advertising mediums. These were the channels through which the majority of consumers got their information, and so it follows that this was where companies went to advertise their products and services. But these approaches are relatively fruitless in modern times. That's not to say there isn't a place for them in your marketing strategy; if done well, traditional advertising can certainly be of value. Nonetheless, marketing is most worthwhile when it is directed at the largest possible number of people. And in today's age, this is best accomplished online. Consumers go online for a variety of different purposes; to read the news, to communicate with friends and family, to be entertained. The advent of social networking has only deepened this engagement and increased the amount of time that the average person spends on the internet. Furthermore, people have almost constant access to the web via their mobile devices, meaning a continual feed of information. For business owners, this is the ultimate venue for connecting with your target audience. In case you're still not convinced, here are six key reasons that you should focus on digital marketing over traditional methods of advertising.

1. It offers more reach.

As suggested above, nearly everybody and their grandmother uses the internet for some purpose or another. As a result, when you engage in digital marketing, there's a good chance that a significant number of people are going to see your ad. Compared with traditional marketing methods, digital marketing provides an enormously greater reach, making it possible to connect with people on a truly global level and through multiple different channels. With digital marketing, you can promote your brand on your website and social media pages, manage online advertisements, and encourage clients to make contact by providing regular calls to action. Whereas traditional methods only impact those who read a certain newspaper or listen to a given radio station, your online marketing scope can be as inclusive (or exclusive) as you want it to be. Meet your target customers where they are by advertising on those sites that they are most likely to frequent, including Google, Facebook, and other popular web pages. By shifting your focus from traditional to digital marketing, you'll expand your reach and improve your capacity to influence homeowners.

2. It's more immediate.

Another advantage of internet marketing is that, in comparison with traditional marketing, it is virtually instantaneous. Potential clients are able to come into contact with your promotional material almost as soon as it's created. The same cannot be said for traditional approaches, which often take some time to achieve any such success. For instance, when you buy a newspaper ad, it won't be seen by customers until the paper is printed, and even then you must rely on the assumption that people will actually read it. With digital marketing, however, consumers may encounter your ad at any time while surfing the web, making for a higher probability that your content will be seen by members of your target audience. Good timing is truly one of the most essential features of a successful marketing strategy. Digital advertising takes the guesswork out of timing your marketing material and, even better, makes it possible for customers to quickly take the next step in the process.

3. It's more cost-effective.

Though effective marketing is crucial to a successful business model, it is rarely cheap. No matter your marketing approach, you can expect to pay a sizeable sum of money to promote your company and its services. But while the return on investment from traditional marketing is usually meager, at best, digital marketing has been proven to offer a comparatively better cost per lead, as well as price plans that are better suited to company budgets. With many online marketing channels, you'll only be charged after somebody clicks on your advertisement. Sites like Google and Facebook let business owners set a cap for how much they're willing to spend, ensuring that you're not overpaying for your online marketing campaigns. This is in stark contrast with traditional tactics, which require a payment regardless of how successful the campaign actually is. In this way, digital marketing supplies a solution that is more cost-effective and efficient than other, non-digital marketing channels.

4. It improves the contractor-client interaction.

In most cases, the point of traditional marketing is to send a message about your company -- what you do, why you're the best at it, and how interested parties can get in contact with you. This type of marketing has its uses; at the very least, it can increase awareness of your brand and lead to greater recognition. But these tactics are most successful when supplemented by more interactive methods of advertising. In particular, digital marketing promotes two-way communication between the contractor and the client. Maintaining an online presence via your website and social media pages opens up a space for customers to ask questions, leave comments, and access your contact details. This facilitates conversation and helps to develop client trust and comfort. Without participation and feedback from your client base, it's difficult to determine what you should be doing differently. Uninhibited communication between you and your customers can lend you insight into how you can improve your business model and produce happier customers.

5. It provides for more precise targeting.

As mentioned, with traditional marketing, there's not much you can do to control who sees your advertisement and at what point in time. One of the key benefits of digital marketing is that it provides mechanisms for targeting a specific demographic, enhancing the efficiency of your strategy by guaranteeing that only relevant audiences will encounter your ads. For example, if you find that your services are usually sought out by people who are over the age of twenty-five, you can set this age group as a preference on whichever advertising platform you're using. You can also limit your scope on the basis of location, interests, and search behavior. This is the perfect way to make certain that you're getting the most out of your marketing efforts.

6. It allows you to track your success.

A final advantage of digital marketing over traditional marketing is that digital campaigns are more easily tracked and tested. Though you can make assumptions about the success of your other marketing efforts, it's nearly impossible to find out exactly how effective those efforts have been. Online marketing campaigns, on the other hand, can be thoroughly analyzed and tested against other campaigns to give you an idea of what works best for your business. You can better understand how your strategy is faring in terms of views, click-throughs, and conversions, as well as edit your campaign on the spot to better appeal to your audience. For more on effective marketing analysis, read our blog post on 3 Ways to Test and Track the Success of Your Marketing Tactics.

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