Introduction
Social media and traditional media are two distinct types of communication channels. These channels have grown in popularity for a variety of reasons. Social media is a category of Internet-based applications that enable users to create, share, and exchange information. Traditional media includes platforms for traditional communication such as television, radio, newspapers, billboards, and magazines.
Social media has become an important part of people’s lives, influencing how they communicate and consume information. This is mostly due to the fact that most social media platforms are free and easy to use. They are not also heavily regulated. It also provides a platform for businesses to directly reach out to and engage with their customers and target audiences. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube are some of the most popular social media platforms.
Traditional media, on the other hand, has been around for much longer. For this singular factor, it has been the primary source of information and entertainment. Traditional media includes mediums such as radio, television, newspapers, and magazines.
Types of traditional media
- Television: This is an audio-visual medium that has been around for ages. It provides a platform for entertainment, information, and advertising. TV sets are a regular feature in the home and do not necessarily require the internet to work. Over the years, this has made it a powerful tool for reaching a large and diverse audience. Families and friends have in fact bonded over their favourite TV shows.
- Radio: Radio is an audio medium that has been around for many years and continues to be popular today. Radio often has a higher reach and audience than television as the device is more affordable and most time mobile. Furthermore, people can listen while partaking in other activities like driving, taking a walk etc. This has made it a very powerful tool for communication and advertising.
- Newspapers: A Newspaper is a daily publication done in print and used as a medium of information dissemination.
- Magazines: Magazines are printed publications that are released on a regular basis. They are characterized by their ability to reach a large and captive audience. Magazines are often targeted towards specific audiences, making them an effective way to reach a specific target audience.
Why pay attention to traditional media?
In the case of social media VS traditional media, it has been established how easy and interactive social media can be for users. Most popular social media platforms are free. Advertising is relatively affordable as starting prices for daily ads can be as low as N955 or $1. Unlike traditional media which for most parts often begins from 100s thousand of naira. According to bigcommerce.com; 75% of Gen Zers and 48% of millennials are making purchasing decisions influenced by social media ads and in 2020, social media ad spending in the US was valued at $40.3 billion.”
Why then should anyone still use or pay attention to traditional media? As it has been stated that traditional media is far more expensive but not as interactive.
- Traditional media has a far wider reach
- Buying from a brand just off social media can be considered risky. This is due to the high rate of internet-perpetrated scams. Meanwhile, when an ad is done on TV or Newspaper, it offers a stamp of validity.
- Traditional media carries with it a certain status signal and familiarity. Imagine watching an advertisement for a brand on TV or a billboard and then finding another advertisement for that brand on social media. You would most likely consider the brand a “big” and reputable brand.
- Using traditional media can help you stand out in the crowd, as social media can be too accessible, henceforth crowded.
The winning combination
One can go on and on about how powerful traditional media is as against social media and vice versa. The real win is finding a way to combine both media effectively.
At Prime88 Concepts, we have always advised clients to bring proof of whatever has been done on traditional media to social media as it has proved over time to be great for marketing and optics.
A short story about a now client.
A now client once asked me if she should spend money on a billboard. She was in the hair extension business and was about to begin her yearly sales. She had seen this strategically placed billboard in Ikeja and had been dreaming of having her brand on it. I inquired about her other publicity plans, as I agree that the billboard is a good idea. She responded by saying “I thought that will be enough to sell out”.
I suggested she made a video in front of that billboard and use it for Instagram ads. I also explain to her how the combination of both media is the winning formula. By the end of the conversation, she had signed up to become our client. Of course, there were more details like what creative works, type of ad, brand communication etc. Well, that is our job. We have since done a lot of things together. My name is Folasade Abimbola, and I am the founder of Prime88 Concepts.
With these few points of mine, I hope I have been able to convince and not confuse you (only Nigerians will understand this) that a combination of social and traditional media is always a winning combo. So this social media vs traditional media business should not be “VS” but “in combination with”.
Need help with getting your business or brand on traditional media, blogs, working with influencers, creating content, social media ads and promotion etc contact us today.
