Online Vs Offline Marketing and Why You Need Both
As more and more communities are starting to form online, the shift of businesses have likewise transitioned from traditional forms of offline marketing to that of online. However, it is still common for various companies to invest in traditional marketing practices as they have remained to be on the mainstream.
But what exactly does online marketing have to offer in terms of effectiveness and functionality that makes it more advantageous than offline methods? If you still happen to be weighing between these two marketing forms then below are some points that you definitely have to look at:
Value for Money
One of the biggest disadvantages of offline marketing is that it is expensive. How much does it cost to create a 30-second commercial, place an ad on the news paper, or print leaflets or brochures? Spending up to $10,000 for a commercial alone is cheap, and it’s not easy to invest that kind of money these days.
In contrast, online marketing offers better, cheaper ways to promote your business. You can set up a blog for free, launch a website in $500 or less, and from there you can start distributing your offers to your target audience in a matter of hours. And yes, the ROI is faster and more transparent as compared to offline marketing.
Effort
Both methods tend to be level in terms of effort. You have to research about your market, competitors, brand awareness and other industry factors that come into play. But offline marketing methods do require extra strength to complete-you have to create a concept storyline for your commercial, write drafts for your brochures and establish yourself in the community via trade fairs in order to distribute your flyers.
Online marketing meanwhile is immediately open, as you are exposed to the web right on the dot. Once you have completed your research and designs, you can launch them immediately through your blog, website or community forums to gain hits and incoming traffic.
Geographic Marketability
In online marketing, you have the option whether to go local or global. This is because you are exposed to a worldwide audience, and all you have to do is target the right places and communities to introduce your business.
Meanwhile, if you opt for offline marketing, you have to start with your local audience first, so that they can spread the word about your business. it takes time before you can actually move forward to bigger communities and sell your stuff.
Why You Need Both
With all these pros and cons weighed in, the better marketing strategy still lies on your needs and business goals. Actually, it may be more beneficial if you use both offline and online marketing practices to boost your business, as you have to nurture your current customer base while penetrating bigger audiences. Through offline marketing, you are able to provide a stable name for your business, as it gives your audiences better name recall. At the same time, online marketing allows you to explore new trends in e-commerce, thus you can introduce your business to markets you’ve never touched before.