{"id":12700,"date":"2021-10-19T07:00:50","date_gmt":"2021-10-19T05:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/?p=12700"},"modified":"2025-07-25T13:30:57","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T11:30:57","slug":"what-is-the-difference-between-social-media-marketing-and-traditional-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/what-is-the-difference-between-social-media-marketing-and-traditional-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is The Difference Between Social Media Marketing And Traditional Marketing?"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_3-1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-image align_center\"><div class=\"w-image-h\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"493\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/DSM_Infographics_SocialMedia37-e1634556617435.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"DSM Digital School of Marketing - traditional marketing\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/DSM_Infographics_SocialMedia37-e1634556617435.jpg 700w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/DSM_Infographics_SocialMedia37-e1634556617435-600x423.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p>Traditional and social media marketing have two goals in common. One, to draw in customers, and two, to increase brand awareness in the market. Traditional marketing usually involves advertising through radio, TV, newspaper as well as magazines. Conversely, social media marketing is an online marketing method which focuses on gaining traffic through social media channels.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of social media vs traditional marketing, traditional marketing is one way, in other words brand to customer, that is not engaging. However social media marketing is multi way in nature:\u00a0 brand to customer, customer to brand and customer to customer. This type of marketing is very engaging and promotes word of mouth. On social media, you get immediate feedback.<\/p>\n<p>Social media networks are the only marketing platform which allows you to engage and work together with your consumers. This often takes place through comments, conversations on threads, shares and promotions! You are able to build a powerful community online, something which is not possible in traditional marketing.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why Social Media Marketing Is Important<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>By far social media networks have become the most influential and critical virtual space where the networks are not only utilised for social networking but are also a phenomenal way of digitally advertising your brand in addition to your products.<\/p>\n<p>The power of social media vs traditional media is commendable as you are able to reach a significant number of individuals within mere seconds of posting an ad, so assisting you to reduce your costs, and allowing your ads reach out to your likely audience through these social media advertisements.<\/p>\n<p>With the immense number of <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/how-to-make-your-brand-stick-out-online-through-better-copy\/\">online<\/a> users, which is nearly 59% of the world\u2019s population, marketers must not miss out on their opportunity of marketing on these digital forums where they are able to reach all the maximum number of potential buyers as compared with print or television media marketing.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How Does Social Media Marketing Work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Social media marketing is a strategy of making use of free posts \u2013 as well as paid ads &#8211; on social media sites in order to connect with your target market as well as build your brand. This may sound like an excuse to play Candy Crush however, in reality, it\u2019s one of the fastest-growing forms of marketing today in addition to the fastest-growing trend in the history of the world.<\/p>\n<p>Contrasted with other forms of marketing, social media marketing connects you with your target market straight away, providing feedback as well as insight into the individuals who you want to market to. In addition, it\u2019s a great way to raise brand awareness with fairly little effort.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-video align_none ratio_16x9 has_iframe\"><div class=\"w-video-h\"><iframe title=\"Vimeo video player\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/286149915?autoplay=0&loop=0&autopause=0&color=00adef&portrait=0&byline=1&title=1&controls=1&muted=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/div><div class=\"w-video-icon\" style=\"font-size:1.5rem;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.5);color:#fff\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h3><strong>Social Media Marketing Do&#8217;s And Don&#8217;ts <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When you are building a brand, it\u2019s really helpful to keep your personal and professional pages separate on social media. By being consistent with the kinds of content you share via your business profile, your clients know which account to follow. Also, you avoid spamming friends and family who follow you for personal updates.<\/p>\n<p>What you post on social media becomes a representation of you as well as your business. Thus, you need to be proud of who you are as well as what you represent as a business while \u2013 at the same time \u2013 remaining aware of the image you\u2019re crafting as a result of the content that you share.<\/p>\n<p>Adding appropriate hashtags connects your post with all other posts on that topic and with that specific hashtag. It\u2019s a convenient way to categorise and search for content on social media networks. That said, don\u2019t turn every single word in a post (or a full sentence!) into a hashtag, or stuff irrelevant hashtags into your post. When used correctly, hashtags will boost your online visibility and followers. When utilised in excess, it looks spammy and becomes ineffectual.<\/p>\n<p>Place yourself in the place of your followers. Would you want to be reading the same message from people or pages that you follow every day? It\u2019s lazy and is also in poor taste to take the same social post and share it over and over again on exactly the same networks. If you would like to revisit previous content, get creative with your delivery. Try rewording it or using a new image as opposed to reposting the same exact thing.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Social Media Marketing Duties And Responsibilities<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The social media marketing department has a number of duties and responsibilities. Here are some of them:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Creating marketing as well as social media campaigns and strategies, including budget planning, content ideation, and implementation schedules<\/li>\n<li>Ensuring brand stability in marketing and social media messages through working with various company department members, including advertising, product development in addition to brand management<\/li>\n<li>Offering training and guidance to social media and marketing team members regarding social media implementation best practices as well as strategies<\/li>\n<li>Collecting customer data and analysing interactions as well as visits, plus using this information to put together comprehensive reports and improve future marketing strategies and campaigns<\/li>\n<li>Reporting progress to senior <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/what-is-marketing-management-exactly-read-this-article-to-find-out\/\">marketing management<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Growing and expanding company social media presence into new social media platforms, plus increasing presence on existing platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter as well as Instagram<\/li>\n<li>Researching and monitoring activity of company competitors<\/li>\n<li>Putting together and distributing engaging written or graphic content in the form of e-newsletters, web page and blog content, or social media messages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/contact-us\/\">Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Keen on studying social media marketing? If so then you need to do our Social Media Marketing Course. Follow this <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/social-media-marketing-course\/\">link<\/a> to find out more.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/social-media-marketing-course\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11382 size-shop_single\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Social-Media-600x96.jpg\" alt=\"DSM digital School of Marketing - Social Media\" width=\"600\" height=\"96\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Social-Media-600x96.jpg 600w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Social-Media-300x48.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Social-Media-1024x164.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Social-Media-768x123.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Social-Media.jpg 1250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_justify\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_2\" href=\"#enquiry\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">Enquire Today<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">Blog Categories<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"wpb_text_column us_custom_5cd26a65\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><ul>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-1\"><a href=\"\/blog\/content-marketing\/\">Content Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/digital-marketing\/\">Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/cyber-security-blog\/\">Cyber Security<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/graphic-design-blog\/\">Graphic Design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-3\"><a href=\"\/blog\/public-relations\/\">Public Relations<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-4\"><a href=\"\/blog\/seo\/\">SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/blog\/social-media-marketing\/\">Social Media Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/blog\/web-design-blog\/\">Web Design<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">You might also like<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"w-html\"><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/social-media-marketing-blog\/zero-moment-of-truth-benefit-social-media-marketing\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Use the Zero Moment of Truth to Benefit your Social Media Marketing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/digital-marketing-blog\/your-complete-guide-to-ppc-marketing-basic\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Your Complete Guide to PPC Marketing Basics. 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