Digital or print marketing: which is best for my business?
When it comes to advertising a business, you want to go digital. Digital’s reach is as endless as the options. On the other hand, why not rely on good old print advertising? It can be t-shirt made with heat press or print works – all of these work exceptionally well if you already know your customers base and have strong ties with area businesses.
It comes as no surprise that digital and print advertising have their benefits. One seems like the best option until you notice the inherent drawbacks to each. Since marketing gurus are putting the web on a pedestal, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of digital advertising.
Trusted Source
Pro: When selling your product, you want to come across as an expert. The website you use should be scrawled with reliable information on your services. Add a demonstration video or accreditation to further drive it home.
Con: In this age of “fake news” those grains of salt are becoming mountains. Studies show it takes twice as much brain activity to research the credibility of an online business ad than a print one. Facts can be doctored to meet the owner’s ends and consumers know that.
Global Reach
Pro: When you promote your business online, you’re sharing it with the world. A shoe seller in Scottsdale, AZ can send out orders to a customer out in Milan. If your product can transcend your own national culture and expedited shipping is doable, then global is good.
Con: Make your diner’s website available in a thousand languages all you want, but no one in India will order a cheeseburger from you. For start-up businesses, it’s better to market to your community first before branching out globally. A listing in your local business directory is all you need.
Engagement
Pro: The internet is supplanting television not because of streamable media alone. Web content is engaging. It keeps you in constant connection with your base. Print media can be distributed freely, but ends up as waste when the novelty wears out. Web materials can be saved as a bookmark or downloaded.
Con: Using web content to promote your business is like participating in a junior beauty pageant. You’re dolling up your content to compete with others and trying not to go psycho doing it. What worked for your last ad campaign is now old hat. Content creation isn’t a mere struggle; it’s full on combat for the public’s senses.
Audience Targeting
Pro: Unlike print ads, web ads can track who is clicking on it and where. Tracking apps, like Google Analytics, measure just how many visits a page gets in real time. Stats like these tell your main demographics and which areas give you the most business.
Con: What if you were marketing a flash game made for children, male and female, and learned it was now trending with teenage boys? You may have to be ready for re-branding. The product you’re supplying may have a different demand that would be more profitable than your older model. Be ready for a quick change.