Simplify - Understanding Online Advertising vs Traditional Antiquity Advertising

Simplifying the difference between traditional and online advertising.

Although it may seem obvious to many, the difference between online and traditional advertising is still a bit unclear to some. Back in the day, to get new business one would run an ad in a magazine or a newspaper with a certain understanding of the demographics of who was viewing and or reading certain publications. As an example, a person holding a Wall Street journal will be open to high end vehicles while a person looking at the Daily news maybe seeing anything from mattress ads to ads for backyard decks and pools.

In either example, the hope is to spark an interest in the consumer enticing them to pursue the advertiser’s products and generate a sale.

Online marketing is pretty much the reverse - the consumer has already made up their mind that they need a new mattress, a new high end vehicle or a backyard deck. The consumer then turns to the internet and starts their search. This is the opposite of traditional advertising.  The consumer is Googling with the hope of finding a retailer for the product or service they need.

As a business owner looking to attract new customers you want to be found on top in the results of this search.

Think of it this way-  As an advertiser, you throw a “rock” into a group of people hoping to hit a new customer or client. That’s traditional advertising. Now in modern advertising, you and a group of your competitors are standing around as new customers are throwing rocks and you want to be the first one hit.