Many businesses in the Nepali business market struggle with having to decide which way of marketing is better for them -Digital or traditional. In most cases, the finance part will suggest to stick with one marketing medium and not both. But which?
That’s where the comparison comes in.
Nepali businesses have surely but certainly accepted the fact that efficiency is key. Not having to move from one place to another to promote your business or products is what makes digital marketing so popular among Nepali businesses.
Remember when hoarding boards, newspaper ads, radio announcements and other traditional marketing means were the only alternative in the Nepali advertising market? Gone are those days. Now you can do it online through the web.
Not just international chains and world-famous brand franchises, but local start-ups and businesses in Nepal have also made a choice ditching traditional marketing and switching to what’s digital.
Let’s learn the terms separately first, shall we?
Traditional Marketing
Traditional marketing involves traditional channels for business/brand marketing, like billboards and printed media. Before the internet became the life-saver in the 1990’s, traditional marketing was the only available alternative of marketing.
What falls under traditional marketing means?
- ✔ Outdoor (Billboards, bus/taxi wraps, posters)
- ✔ Broadcasting (TV, Radio)
- ✔ Print (Magazines, newspapers)
- ✔ Direct Mail (catalogues)
- ✔ Telemarketing (Phone, text message)
- ✔ Window display and signs
Of course, traditional marketing is not the synonym of being old fashioned. Traditional marketing still is relevant for when people feel the ever-growing need to step out of the digital spectrum. Nevertheless, this fact doesn’t shadow all the drawbacks that traditional marketing brings in:
- ✔ More difficult to measure campaigns
There surely are tools that measure traditional marketing campaigns like brand trackers but they don’t even nearly compare to how in-depth or intelligent the tools available for digital marketing are.
- ✔ Often expensive
You print an ad, you pay. You place your ad; you pay an additional cost involved. Many forms of traditional marketing will set you back a considerable amount.
- ✔ No direct interaction with the consumer
Traditional marketing is a one-way approach that solely focuses on providing information to customers. Unlike social means, you’re more or less in the dark about your audience’s reaction to whether your marketing efforts are working right.
- ✔ Limited customization options
Traditional marketing is little to no flexible when it comes to business customization. Whatever the business need, whatever the requirement, the methods remain unchanged.
Digital Marketing
Explaining the simple way, when any business advertises the brand name, its services and campaigns through different social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, it is called Digital marketing.
More means of digital marketing involve:
- ✔ Social media (Facebook, Instagram etc)
- ✔ Website
- ✔ Content marketing
- ✔ Affiliate marketing
- ✔ Inbound marketing
- ✔ Email marketing
- ✔ PPC (pay per click)
- ✔ SEM (Search engine marketing)
According to ClickZ, “Internet users now make up 57% of the global population. On average, people spend 6 hours and 42 minutes online each day. By 2021, a projected 73% of all eCommerce sales will come from mobile.”
Now we know the power digital platforms hold!
We have the top 5 benefits of digital marketing in Nepal:
- ✔ Higher conversion rate
The incoming traffic conversion to leads, subscribers and sales are guaranteed by digital marketing. The audience outreach is higher in digital marketing if compared with the traditional marketing approach.
- ✔ Facilitates interaction with a targeted audience
Under digital marketing, businesses are able to interact with a targeted audience. When brands and businesses are able to maintain engagement with the audience, customers have a personalized experience.
- ✔ More engagement options
Through digital channels, you can physically see what your audience think of your brand and marketing efforts. You know your marketing tactics are working when customers have shared, liked and left plenty of positive comments.
- ✔ Easy to measure your campaigns
Through digital channels, you can physically see what your audience think of your brand and marketing efforts. You know your marketing tactics are working when customers have shared, liked and left plenty of positive comments.
- ✔ Less expensive, more effective
Digital marketing platforms offer flexible options for businesses, spend less and gain more in terms of spending budget (starting from $1). Even for small and medium Nepali businesses, digital marketing works out with a limited marketing budget.
Is Digital Marketing Leaving Traditional Marketing Behind?
Let’s get to the benefits of Digital Marketing in Nepal.
With almost every day of technological growth and innovation, Nepali businesses are looking forward to doing everything they can to make their position in the market. With a surge in the use of digital marketing methods and social marketing platforms for promotions, traditional marketing is slowly slacking.
The traditional approaches to marketing in Nepal are already changing to digital marketing strategies. We have enough reasons (and now you do too) for why you should shift to digital marketing if you want your business to sustain itself in the Nepali business market. This involves changing your ways from traditional marketing practices.
Concluding the comparison
We are certain that digital marketing is the future (and the present). With the growing need for personal twists and touches in brand promotions, digital marketing is what Nepali businesses seek. Less customization flexibility is what makes the traditional form of marketing not very 2021-friendly.
It’s time to make your choice; it’s time to make digital marketing the choice.
