One of the first questions newbies to the internet marketing world ask is: “What is e-marketing?” In today’s digital world, everyone and their mother is an online marketer, and it can be a bit overwhelming to understand the various specialties and methods used by the various specialists.

E-marketing is a form of online marketing that involves marketing a product or service using digital media platforms like social media and email.

While digital marketing can include advertising, it more specifically refers to the methods used to attract, engage and retain customers within the digital world.

Here, we’ll discuss the key differences between traditional marketing and e-marketing so you can become more familiar with the terms and technologies used in this ever-changing field.

Traditional Marketing

Traditional marketing, also known as outbound marketing, is the process of reaching customers or potential customers who have not yet experienced your product or service. As the name implies, this process usually begins with a focused outreach campaign followed by a series of sales and marketing tasks designed to garner brand awareness, drive traffic to your site and eventually convert that traffic into paying customers. The key difference between traditional marketing and e-marketing is that the latter focuses more on digital tactics, email marketing techniques and inbound (content) marketing strategies.

E-Marketing: The Basics

While the methods and technologies associated with e-marketing may seem complex, the basic premise is actually quite simple. E-marketing is marketing a product or service using digital media platforms like social media and email.

Since its conception, the internet has been used as a tool to gain access to potentially vast stores of information with just a few clicks of a mouse.

Thanks to the information age we live in, along with the general increase of digital literacy, more and more people are discovering the power of the internet to gain access to knowledge and resources that would previously have been the exclusive domain of large companies or governments.

As a result, the internet has dramatically changed the way we interact, finding information and communicating with businesses and brands worldwide.

E-marketing is simply marketing a product or service using digital media platforms like social media and email.

What Is Inbound Marketing?

Inbound marketing focuses on attracting, engaging and empowering customers through strategic branding, content and thought leadership in order to drive profitable business outcomes. Inbound marketing differentiates itself from traditional marketing in that it focuses on user-generated content that is created and curated by the brand. This content is then used as a springboard for more inbound marketing efforts.

Thanks to things like Google Analytics, content curation tools and automated email marketing, inbound marketing is a lot easier to implement than you’d think. The key is to focus on building trust with your audience, establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and create content that is valuable and does the talking for you.

The Pros And Cons Of Traditional Marketing Vs E-Marketing

Despite the simplicity of the premise, understanding how to effectively market your product or service using traditional methods and digital platforms can be quite challenging. Here are some of the pros and cons of traditional marketing vs e-marketing.

Traditional Marketing

The primary advantage of traditional marketing is that it is a well-established method for gaining visibility and establishing credibility with potential customers. As a result, you can be sure that you are reaching the right audience and will gain the attention of those who are most likely to become paying customers.

The major disadvantage of traditional marketing is that, depending on the type of product you are selling, it can be a rather expensive and time-consuming process. In addition, a lot of attention needs to be paid to the details, which can be quite a task. For example, if you are selling a physical product, you will need to consider things like shipping and follow-up phone calls to ensure that the customer is satisfied with their purchase.

E-Marketing

The advantage of e-marketing is that you can engage with your audience immediately following their discovery of your product or service. Whether you are running a blog or vlog or using social media to share valuable content, you can be confident that you are reaching your target audience and creating relevant content that they will value and benefit from.

E-marketing also provides you with the opportunity to track the behavior and activity of your target audience. This information can then be used to improve your strategy and engage with the audience in a more meaningful and valuable way.

On the downside, the major disadvantage of e-marketing is that it is a relatively new concept, and as a result, the skills required to be effective in this field are still developing. In addition, as a digital marketer, you will need to be familiar with a variety of different platforms, tools and technologies to be able to implement an effective e-marketing strategy.

Which One Should You Be Trying to Achieve?

The answer to this question depends on your personal preferences and the nature of your product or service. If you are looking to gain credibility and trust with potential customers, then traditional marketing might be a better option. However, if you are looking to engage with your audience and develop closer relationships, then e-marketing might be the better choice.

In either case, be sure to put into practice the advice we mentioned at the beginning of this article: define your target audience, establish yourself as an industry authority and create valuable, relevant content that will draw people in and keep them coming back for more.