With every passing year, the world of online marketing seems to get more complicated.

The industry has evolved, changing the way marketers and businesses alike approach marketing. What was once considered “traditional” marketing is now considered “old school,” and “traditional” marketing methods are being replaced by newer tactics and strategies.

In today’s digital world, online marketing is a constantly-evolving beast that can manifest itself in so many different ways.

Traditional Versus Newer Tactics

It is important to understand the difference between “traditional” and “newer” marketing tactics.

Traditional marketing has, for the most part, remained relatively unchanged since its inception. Marketers have always used print media, such as magazines and newspapers, to reach potential customers. They have also focused on radio and TV commercials, which are still used today but are certainly not the only ways to reach someone.

Newer marketing tactics, on the other hand, are constantly evolving and changing as technology advances and consumers are becoming more savvy and approachable through the use of new platforms.

Paid Versus Owned Media

Another important distinction to make is between paid and owned media.

Paid media, or advertising, is when a business pays to have their message or product mentioned or promoted on TV, radio, or in a magazine or newspaper. This could include paying to have your product or service featured in a podcast, article, or infographic. It could also include buying ads on social media platforms like Google AdWords or Facebook Ads.

Owned media, or organic marketing, occurs when a business creates the content (e.g., an article, podcast, or infographic) and then relies on traditional or newer marketing methods, such as SEO or social media, to drive traffic to their website.(Incoming SEO traffic is also considered owned traffic.)

SEO Versus Social Media

This distinction can be a little more complicated, but it is still essential to understand the difference between SEO and social media. SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” which entails using various techniques and methods to get traffic from the search engines, such as Google or Bing.

Social media, or social media marketing, can be considered a type of earned media, meaning that businesses can drive traffic to their websites by creating content and engaging with their followers on social media platforms. This content can be anything from a blog article to a YouTube video –– it really depends on what type of business you have.

While SEO is good for getting visitors to your site, social media is better for building credibility and generating leads. Because SEO is free, while social media costs money to run, it is usually considered to be a quicker and cheaper way to gain credibility and generate leads.

Cost-Per-Install Versus Cost-Per-Click

This distinction can also be a little tricky to understand, but it is essential to know the difference between the cost per install and the cost per click. (Cost per install means the cost of a product or service after it has been installed; cost per click means the cost of acquiring a new customer.)

When a business sets up a cost-per-install or cost-per-click campaign on a search engine like Google or Bing, they are typically paying for a specific action, such as an install or a click, on their behalf. For example, if someone clicks on a search result that leads them to a website, the website’s owner will typically pay the search engine company for that click. As you can imagine, there are a lot more businesses paying for clicks than there are businesses paying for installs, so the cost per click is generally a lot less than the cost per install. This can make a big difference in a company’s ROI (return on investment) – especially if you are just starting out.

Email Marketing Versus Social Marketing

Another big difference between traditional and newer marketing tactics is the use of email marketing versus social marketing. Email marketing, or digital marketing, is the process of marketing a product or service using email.

By getting in touch with past customers and potential customers via email, marketers can stay connected to their audience and let them know about new products and services. They can also use email to promote upcoming events, news stories, and other types of content that they think might be of interest to their audience.

Social marketing, or social media marketing, is when a business uses social media, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter, to gain credibility with their audience and ultimately grow their business.

Since social media is such a crucial part of nearly everyone’s lives today, it would be a shame to not take advantage of this giant network to grow your business. Plus, with the advent of social media, traditional marketing has gotten a whole lot easier –– and a whole lot more effective.

Incorporating Video Into Your Marketing Strategy

Video has become a lot more important in marketing since the world became digital. (See what I did there?) Thanks to platforms like YouTube and live streaming services, such as Twitch, businesses can now share video content across all platforms, reaching a global audience with little to no effort.

If you are reading this, I assume you are either a business owner or someone close to one; if you aren’t, then maybe consider becoming more involved in the field of online marketing. It can be tricky to keep up with all the changes and new tactics, and a business owner who relies on traditional marketing methods alone will quickly find themselves struggling to keep up with the ever-changing online world. Incorporating video into your marketing strategy can help you stand out and engage with customers on a whole new level.