In the “old days” if you wanted to advertise your business you used methods like print, radio, or potentially TV. Today, these methods are considered traditional advertising and while they still have their place, they have some major drawbacks compared to newer digital options available to businesses today.

Perhaps the most significant drawback to traditional advertising methods is simply the inability to track your marketing and the response to it. Do you know how many people will actually hear your radio ad, or see your TV commercial, or read the ad that you place in a print source like a newspaper or on a billboard? Typically, you have to take the word of an ad rep who is simply using a speculative estimation. Using specialized coupon codes or tracking phone numbers, you can determine where some leads come from but ultimately you’re using guesswork to determine the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns. When it comes down to it, anytime guesswork is involved, you’re most likely not using your funds most effectively.

No matter what targeting you may have in mind, digital platforms give you the information you need to accurately determine the return on your marketing investment and ultimately allow you to make the best decisions when it comes to your marketing strategy and budget allocation.