Online Advertising Week 13 Part A

 I am sitting there scrolling through my social media feeds. Stupid ad! Another stupid ad! Wait, what is that? I stop and check out this ad.

You can order pajamas with images of your pet! I am a sucker for animals. I share this site with my friends with pets that I work with. The ad worked. It captured my attention and I spread it to others.

I find most ads irritating. I continue to scroll until I get fed up. When researching my social media I actually looked at what was marketed toward me. How do they know that I am menopausal? Oh, my date of birth on Facebook.

Most of the call to action is a link to their website where you can purchase the product. The companies that I do shop at I get daily emails and usually go directly to their website. It is the unusual on social media that I wouldn't normally search out that captures my attention. But I question the trustworthiness of websites that I do not know. If I think that I might want to purchase something, it warrants more research and reviews.

So how does digital marketing compare to traditional marketing? Digital marketing is good for all ages of prospective clients. Traditional is geared more toward Baby Boomers and Gen X.

Traditional marketing focus is on the service or product. It relies on business cards, TV and radio ads, flyers and brochures, billboards and signage, and direct mail. Traditional marketing is more for professionals, like lawyers and dentists. It is more expensive and difficult to measure the results. Images however, leave more of a lasting impact in potential clients minds.

Digital marketing is oriented toward the customer. It is customizable and a way to address the customers unique wants and needs. It puts the customers satisfaction first. Digital marketing entails email, internet ads, YouTube, E-commerce, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This is the most cost effective method and much easier to determine reach and results.

So what method is better?  The truth is, you can reach a wider market using both methods. The most important is to create a customer centered website that contains valuable content and share that information on social media as well. If your target audience is younger, focus more on digital content. If you have a professional business, the more traditional method is beneficial because clients generally search based on the location. A business, whether professional or product, should use both methods for the best effect on marketing strategy.