Most business professionals view marketing as a singular function instead of viewing it by its various types, methods, and benefits. When the internet and computers made their way into offices and homes, it created a brand new avenue for marketing. Digital marketing strategies offer brands a number of advantages when compared to traditional print ads.
Easier to Create
Digital ads are developed and uploaded on a computer while print ads have to go through the process of getting printed and delivered via the mail. Printed marketing material has to keep their target audience and the publication’s readers in mind when creating an ad. Having to appeal to two audiences at once adds an additional level of difficulty. Digital ads are easier and cheaper to make since they don’t require bulky machines, ink, or paper.
Less Expensive
Companies don’t have to be conscious of the amount of color they’re using when producing digital ads. Print ads, on the other hand, generally increase in price each time an additional color is added. This restricts an ad’s overall ability since proper use of color schemes can be an effective attention-grabbing method. Digital ads give companies more creative control and a larger number of format options.
More Versatile
Companies can extend the life of a digital campaign by uploading it to additional marketing channels. If a business runs a successful email campaign, they can condense the content into a digital ad and see how it performs on different platforms. Traditional marketing material is trapped within the confines of the page it’s printed on.
The only way a print ad can increase its viewership is if a rep were to hold it up while standing on a busy street telling pedestrians to “check this out!” Traditional ads produce minimal amounts of data, which makes it hard to gauge the effectiveness of an ad.
Measurability
Unfortunately, print ads don’t have built-in mechanisms that can be used to monitor their effectiveness. Digital marketing material informs businesses on the performance of their ads and campaigns. Print ads are similar to taking a test that doesn’t allow you to see your results. It’s difficult to know where you did well and what needs improvement when you don’t get an exam back. Digital ads generate performance metrics that inform brands on how well an ad did to make future campaigns more successful.
Different Performance Metrics
- Impressions are the total number of views a digital ad receives.
- Click-Through Rate is the number of clicks an ad receives divided by the number of impressions.
- Conversion Rates are found by dividing the number of people who make a purchase by the number of impressions.
Various Digital Marketing Strategies
Online ads offer companies a range of different strategies, advantages, and uses. Brands should utilize whichever strategy best helps them portray their greatest strengths and benefits to their target audience.
- Generic Online Marketing is the practice of using different web-based channels to inform consumers about a product or service. Text boxes, images, gifs, and videos (display ads) seen alongside content on websites are the most basic forms of online marketing. Display ads are capable of tracking impressions, open rates, and conversions.
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- Search Engine Marketing takes place when a business pays to have an ad occupy a specific space on a search engine. Google Ads (pay-per-click) is currently the most popular online marketing platform and network in the world. Ads on search engines keep track of the same metrics as generic ads plus demographical data.
- Social Media utilizes online social networks to interact with consumers, increase brand recognition, improve sales, drive website traffic, and advertise promotions. Companies on social media can also receive feedback from people through follows, likes, reposts, and comments.
- Email Marketing uses a direct marketing channel that allows businesses to share new products, discounts, and updates with their mailing list. Email marketing generates conversions by building lasting relationships with potential customers online. Marketing emails produce their own specific performance metrics that inform brands of the effectiveness of each campaign.
- Open Rate is the percentage of subscribers who opened a marketing email out of the total number of recipients.
- Click-Through Rate is the percentage of people who clicked a link out of the individuals who opened it. This metric shows the level of engagement experienced throughout the campaign.
- Email Bounce Rate is the percentage of emails in a campaign that weren’t able to be delivered. Invalid email addresses, full inboxes, server outages, or a poor sender reputation due to spam concerns are all potential causes of a bounced email.
Manufacture Information
Whenever people browse the internet, they leave behind digital breadcrumbs that help businesses better understand their needs. Brands can then use the data to develop personalized ads that resonate with their target audience. Print ads are far more impersonal and are sent blindly to a large audience applying little to no knowledge from previous campaigns.
Regardless of the situation, the more information you have on a subject, the more likely you are to succeed. As brands increase their understanding of what buyers want, it improves their ability to meet buyers’ needs.
Learn more about how our digital marketing strategies help companies increase their revenue and brand recognition by signing up for a free, 15-minute intro call here!
