Is Digital Marketing Overtaking Traditional Marketing?


It's very important for your hotel to spend its marketing budget in the right segment and to make the most effective use of it. There is an ongoing debate between traditional and digital marketing. Let's take a look at both.

digital marketing and traditional marketing

What Is Traditional Marketing?

Traditional marketing is any type of marketing that isn't online and you can easily reach your local audience through these channels. They include:

  • Print Marketing- Magazines, newspapers, print ads
  • Broadcasting Marketing- Radio, television
  • Direct e-Mail Marketing- Brochures, pamphlets
  • Outdoor Marketing- Billboards, posters
  • Telephone Marketing

What Are the Pros and Cons of Traditional Marketing?

Traditional marketing still has a place in consumers' daily life. Like any other method, it has significant advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:

  • Local Search: You have easy access to your local target customers. For example, a radio or Tv commercial which plays in your city
  • Simple: It's easy to understand and people are already exposed to these types of marketing
  • Hard Copies: People can have a hard copy of materials and look at them over and over again or keep it for years

Cons:

  • No Direct Interaction: There is no direct interaction with, or feedback from, the consumer.
  • Expensive: Traditional marketing will often incur considerable costs.
  • Difficult to Measure results: You cannot accurately measure your return on investment (ROI), audience reach, and impressions from traditional methods.
  • Lack of Ability to Edit: If you have made a mistake in a TV commercial or your printed advertising, you cannot change it.

What Is Digital Marketing?


  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO )
  • Paid Search Advertising (like Google ads)
  • Website Optimization 
  • Social Media Marketing 
  • Marketing Automation 
  • E-Mail Marketing 
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
  • Pay Per Click (PPC)
  • Affiliate Marketing 
  • Remarketing 
  • In-App Advertising 
These are all types of digital marketing. Even Googling " what is ARO'?" is evidence of effective digital marketing. 
Digital marketing can be ideal for high ROI although detailed data-driven analysis is required to run and optimise online advertising campaigns. The following are some of the pros and cons of digital marketing.

Pros:

  • More Customer Engagement: Through channels like social media or email messages, you have connection with your target audience.
  • Easy To measure Results: Instant monitoring and analysis of digital advertising is one of the key advantages over traditional methods. It allows marketers and business owners to examine and optimise their advertising campaigns and budgets.
  • Advanced Targeting and Automation: You can easily target your audience by using analytics services. In addition, automation tools and software make it easy to implement digital marketing on a larger scale for global reach.
  • Lower Cost, Better ROI: ROI has a higher priority for marketers than other parameters. Digital marketing eliminates some of the usual costs e.g. human resources. Typically, digital costs are much lower than in traditional marketing and lead to a higher ROI.
  • Digital Word of Mouth: Of all the marketing methods in the world, nothing is as effective as a satisfied customer. Online feedback, advocacy and comments on a business website or social media will encourage other online users to make a purchase. As in the offline world, they trust the suggestions of family and acquaintances.

Cons:

  • Technology Dependent: Digital marketing methods rely on effective technology and if it breaks the only solution is to wait it out.
  • Less Permanent: Digital marketing efforts like Google ads, promo emails or social media ads are impermanent and can be ignored. Once a user clicks to the next page your ad will be gone from the target audience's screen.
  • Constantly Evolves: Each channel of the digital world usually requires a specialist to get the best bang for your buck.

difference between tradition & digital marketing

What Is the Difference Between Traditional Marketing and Digital Marketing?

Traditional marketing is still an important and widely used marketing methodology for businesses, but it is not the only way to introduce a company's products and services. It is true that traditional advertising methods may have become more diverse over the years, but their offering has not radically changed. 
On the other hand, digital marketing, driven by new technologies, is becoming more advanced every month. Hotels can use it to have complete control over the growth of their audience and their advertising budget, and to monitor and optimise the result of their campaigns.

Which Type of Marketing Should You Choose?

The key is to find the right balance between traditional and digital because both play an important role in a marketing strategy. 

Digital marketing is a key tool in driving direct bookings for hotels and a particular speciality of Aró Digital. 

While off-line marketing such as PR has its place, it is crucial that it is linked to the hotel's digital offering, for example by displaying QR codes or providing backlinks from articles.
 Author: Mina.Parvisi