The reason why social media marketing isn’t all it’s made out to be

Now more than ever are people actively engaging in online activities. According to a study by Wearesocial 96% of the Australian population are internet users, while the percentage of active social is 81% of the population. Given these statistics, it’s no surprise that businesses are striving to reach their target audience through these online channels.

But not all that glitters is gold, and social media marketing is no exception.

The Limitations of Social Media

Contrary to popular belief, social media marketing isn’t always as effective as it’s perceived to be. Mark Ritson, a worldwide marketing figure vouches that social media is a channel that claims much, boasts millions of users but – all too often – falls down when it comes to the specific data itself. An article by Forbes highlights this limitation too suggesting that 44% of businesses can’t measure social media return-on-investment.

Yet, the statistics indicate that a substantial amount is spent of digital advertising each year. Why?

There is such a large spend on digital advertising channels due to the ‘noise’ of digital channels. On average, people are exposed to between 6,000 and 10,000 advertisements a day. What this means is an increasing amount of money is spent on digital marketing to stand out from the plethora of advertisements people are used to seeing every single day.

However, traditional advertising methods are back on the rise, being deemed as more trustworthy and transparent than digital methods.

What Really Matters?

So, is traditional or digital marketing more important? The truth is, a successful marketing strategy shouldn’t focus solely on one or the other. What really matters is a thorough, well-defined marketing strategy. A marketing strategy that is not focussed on either using just traditional or digital tools, but utilises both channels of deliver to create a compelling message that solves consumer problems. The truth is your business needs both to thrive.

A benefit of a well-defined marketing strategy that utilises both traditional and digital methods is the ability to target a range of demographics. There are a range of other benefits of an effective marketing strategy here.

The Bigger Picture

As we wrap up this week’s marketing digest, I urge you to look beyond the traditional versus digital debate. Consider your strategic marketing plan from a holistic perspective.

Thanks for joining us for this week’s discussion. What’s your take on balancing traditional and digital marketing strategies? Share your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to share this post with your network. Stay tuned for more insights in our weekly marketing digest.