Which Has Better ROI: Traditional or Digital Advertising?

When it comes to any business, seeing a return on investment (ROI) for your marketing and advertising efforts is essential. Although many digital agencies will firmly recommend that you abandon your traditional approach and fully invest in digital marketing, we have a different stance.
Below is a brief summary of the highlights of this article:digital advertising

  • If traditional advertising is working for your business, don’t stop.
  • Even if your television ads, billboards, etc. are working, you have to invest in digital.
  • Every business should use part of their advertising budget for online advertising and marketing.
  • Digital advertising is not only the future, but hast better ROI in the long run and is a lot more affordable.

Looking for more details? Keep reading!
Don’t Stop Traditional Advertising that Works 
Why would you stop traditional advertising and marketing methods that are proving to be successful for your business? You shouldn’t. It is that simple.
If you are a law firm, for example, and you have found that billboard and television ads have helped drive people to your firm then it would be silly to stop what you know is working. However, if your traditional advertising “may” be working or you are unable to see solid results, then you definitely should consider amending your efforts.
Below are a questions to ask yourself to determine if traditional advertising is providing ROI for your business:

  • Do you know for a fact that the billboard or other traditional efforts are bringing people to your business?
  • Are you getting more revenue from these traditional avenues than the cost? For example, if a billboard costs you $1,000 per month, are you at least getting that money back in business?
  • Do you have evidence do you have that shows that traditional is increasing your brand awareness? For example, are you asking new customers how they heard about you and learning that your commercial is what caught their attention?

If you determine by answering these questions that your traditional efforts are working, then definitely do not stop.
However, it is essential to understand that digital is the future and therefore you should be investing in digital as well. Plus, digital advertising supplements your traditional advertising efforts, helping you to obtain a higher ROI.
Don’t Ignore Digital Advertising – It’s the Future

traditional vs digital marketingOn the other hand, why would you ignore digital (which is clearly the future) in lieu of continuing your traditional efforts? You shouldn’t.
There is absolutely no doubt that digital advertising is here to stay. From Google AdWords to social media ads, there are a number of ways to reach your target audience on a budget. With that being said, digital advertising does take a network of brand followers.
For example, email advertising can be incredibly effective and provide amazing ROI. However, in order to obtain these great results, you have to spend time building up a following and collecting email addresses.
If your business already has a solid digital presence and an ability to reach out to an existing network online, then great! You should definitely allocate a substantial part of your overall advertising budget to digital.
On the other hand, if your business has a limited or nonexistent online presence, then now is the time to start. Growing your online business network and starting to utilize digital marketing and digital advertising efforts is essential. You will see ROI, but you have to build up your network before you start seeing the amazing benefits of using the power of the internet to reach your audience and increase sales.
The Benefits of Digital Advertising for Your Business
When it comes to the internet, there are a variety of benefits of using the power of the internet for your business.
Why should your business advertise online?marketing roi

  • Affordability
  • Broad reach
  • Ability to track ROI
  • Integration with online marketing efforts
  • Supplements traditional efforts
  • Improves visibility on search engines
  • Higher ROI than traditional efforts (once network is established)

In short, when you choose to advertise online you get broader reach and better ROI for less. Plus, you are supplementing your other efforts and meeting your audience where they are (online).
Ways to Advertise Online
There are a variety of ways to utilize the power of the internet to reach your target audience. Some of the most popular online advertising opportunities are listed below.

In addition to the above, you can utilizing a variety of digital marketing tactics in connection with online advertising, including everything from automated email campaigns to content marketing and landing pages.
Every Business Needs to Allocate for Digital Advertising and Marketing
Regardless of where you stand, you should be taking some of your advertising dollars and investing in digital. Not only is digital the future, but it also provides incredible ROI once your network is built up and your methods are tailored to your target audience.
At the end of the day, there is middle ground that can help your business get the best of both traditional and digital advertising. Should you abandon your traditional efforts? Absolutely not. Instead, enhance these efforts and get better ROI by integrating digital!
Contact Uptick Marketing today to get a free digital analysis and to learn more about taking your business to the next level, regardless of whether you are new to online advertising or have a solid digital presence.