When trying to promote a product or service, businesses have the option of using mass media advertising or Internet advertising. While both of these options can help you sell more than what you are doing now, one may be a better option to consider for your particular business model and sales methods.
General vs. Targeted
One of the differences between mass marketing and Internet marketing is the level of specificity that advertisers are able to achieve. With mass marketing, advertisers typically send out a message to a large audience all at once. This results in some wasted resources, as many people see the ad who are not interested in it. With online advertising, it is possible to zero in on a specific audience. For example, with search engine ads, your ad is only shown when someone types in a specific keyword.
Another difference between online advertising and mass media is the budget required to accomplish both. With mass media, you typically need a larger budget to get started. For example, you might have to spend thousands of dollars to start a mass media ad campaign. By comparison, with an online campaign, you could realistically get started with any amount of money. You could potentially start a search engine advertising campaign for as little as $5 as of the date of publication.
Return on Investment Tracking
When you put money into advertising, you want to know you are getting the most bang for your buck. When you use a mass media campaign, it can be difficult to measure your return on investment. For example, when you put out a television commercial, you may not be sure if sales are increasing directly because of the ad or for other factors. With online ads, it is simple to track when someone clicks on an ad and then makes a purchase. This shows you exactly what you are getting for the money you are investing.
While online advertising does have some specific advantages over traditional mass media, many businesses still rely on mass media to get the job done. This is because it is sometimes more effective at creating a brand image. Online behaviors are not the same as they are while watching a TV show or listening to the radio. Because of this, they produce different results. Many businesses should use a combination of both types of advertising for best results.