Social Media Vs Traditional Marketing

Recently, I came across a blog article about how social media marketing can recession proof your business. Interesting, I thought. All I have to do is join the social media band wagon and my business will be sure to grow despite the economical issues surrounding all other businesses on the planet. Well, I just had to read further.

As I read the blog article I found that the content didn’t really tell me what I thought it would. It merely gave two steps to take to get involved in the social media landscape.

First, monitor what is being said about you and second, begin networking – online. What the article failed to mention, however, is that social media alone is not the final word in marketing these days. It’s not the ONLY way to market either. Social media should be used as a companion method of marketing alongside your traditional marketing mediums such as newspaper ads, print mailers, phone book, flyers, joining the Chamber of Commerce, participating in face-to-face networking/leads groups. And if you have the money, advertising on the radio and TV is still a great medium.

I guess I had a few moments of time on my hands so I began reading some of the comments. One comment was from a young gentleman – now I have no way to know if he was young or not, however, his many posts gave me to believe that he was not only young, but a very naive entrepreneur. Once of the posts made was regarding advertising in the phone book. This young man’s comment was something like, “Do they still print the phone book?”

My response to him was this:

I agree that so many more people are using social media to make connections and market their business – however – print marketing is not dead. There are still people around the country who don’t even have a computer – much less an Internet connection. I know it might be hard for the younger GEN X and GEN Y Generations to understand that, but it is true.