Two modes, one goal
When mentioning online marketing and traditional marketing, many people's first reaction is that "one is online and the other is offline." This statement makes sense, but it is not in-depth enough. In fact, although the paths of these two models are different, the end point is the same, which is a series of business activities carried out around consumer needs. Traditional marketing has experienced decades of development and has accumulated solid experience in physical channels, dealer networks, and terminal displays. Especially some middle-aged and elderly consumers have more trust in products that can be seen and touched. Internet marketing relies on the Internet platform, which moves advertising promotion online, and also moves sales conversion online. It breaks the limitations of time and space. No matter which model it is, the starting point is to meet customer needs, including potential needs that customers themselves are not aware of. After understanding this, you will have a better idea when you look at the difference between the two.
Price system: There is more room for adjustment online
Price has always been the most sensitive factor for consumers. Under the traditional marketing model, a product has to go through many links from the time it leaves the factory until it reaches the hands of consumers, including general agents, provincial agents, retail stores, etc., and profit margins must be reserved for each link. As a result, the final selling price will naturally increase with the increase in link levels. However, online marketing can take advantage of its unique advantages to directly reach end users and cut out the middleman to earn the price difference. This also means that companies have greater initiative in pricing. For the same product, they can set a more competitive price online. In some instances, they can even lower the price to 30% to 50% lower than in physical stores. Of course, this does not mean that online prices must be low, but that companies can quickly adjust prices based on market feedback, launch a limited-time discount event today, and prepare a full discount event tomorrow, which is much more flexible than offline. This price advantage is also one of the key reasons why more and more people are accustomed to online shopping.
Sales model: direct sales and zero inventory are possible
Traditional marketing has a long sales chain with many links. First, the manufacturer sends the goods to the dealer, then the dealer distributes the goods to the store, and finally waits for the consumer to take the initiative to step into the store. The problems caused by this model are extremely obvious: heavy inventory pressure, slow capital turnover, and lagging market feedback. However, online marketing has broken this roundabout situation, and manufacturers can directly face consumers and adopt a direct sales model. When the user places an order, the system will automatically notify the warehouse to deliver the goods, and the entire process may not take more than five minutes. On the contrary, some companies that have performed well in operations have achieved a zero-inventory operating status, that is, they only carry out production activities based on the orders they receive, or they entrust suppliers to deliver goods on their behalf. This approach not only reduces the cost of warehousing, but also avoids the risk of unsaleable products. For consumers, this operating model means faster response and more direct after-sales service. There is no need to repeatedly pass the buck between manufacturers and dealers as in the past.
Promotion method: far more interactive than traditional advertising
Everyone is familiar with traditional marketing promotion methods, such as TV advertisements, newspaper pages, bus stop signs, and promoters’ promotions. These methods have a common feature, that is, one-way output. Consumers listen to whatever the brand says, and there is almost no interaction. However, the promotion connotation of online marketing should be rich. Many, a short video can receive tens of thousands of comments, a live broadcast can respond to user questions in real time, and a grassroots article can cause a large number of forwarded discussions. Users are no longer passive recipients, but have become participants in communication. More importantly, the promotional effect of online marketing can be quantified. How many texts have been published, how many clicks have been attracted, how many orders have been converted, and the relevant data in the background is clear and accurate. Unlike conventional advertising, it is not easy to explain how many people have made a purchase because of this advertisement after investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in it.
Decision speed: online adjustment in hours
Anyone who has done traditional business knows how much trouble it is to launch a promotional event offline. It takes a week to design materials, three days to print, and several days to deliver to various stores. By the time the event is officially launched, half a month has passed. If you find that the effect is not good, you want to make adjustments? Sorry, the materials have been printed, but the decision-making response speed of online marketing is completely different. In the morning, I noticed that the search volume of a certain keyword suddenly increased sharply, and I could adjust the delivery strategy at noon. In the afternoon, new content was online. Is the price on the product page wrong? It can be corrected within five minutes. This ability to respond quickly allows companies to closely follow market hot spots and seize fleeting opportunities. Of course, decision-making involves more content, including keyword optimization, information flow placement, community operations, and content matrix construction, and each section requires continuous investment of energy.
Product scope: long-tail needs can also be met
When you step into a physical store, the shelf area is limited, and the types of products that can be placed are only a few thousand at most. Those "unpopular goods" that are in small demand but are indeed needed by some people are simply not willing to be sold through traditional sales channels because they occupy the shelves but are difficult to sell. However, Internet platforms do not have such restrictions. The virtual shelves can be extended infinitely, and in theory, as many products as you want can be put on the shelves. This gives rise to the so-called "long tail effect", that is, when the needs of all niches are added up, the market size is even larger than that of popular products. For example, for a certain unpopular auto part, perhaps thousands of people across China are in need of it, and no one can find it offline. If you open a link online, these people can easily buy it. For enterprises, this means that they can boldly try various subcategories without worrying about high channel costs.
Learn online marketing well, and the road will indeed become wider and wider.
Once you understand these differences, it will be easier to understand why online marketing training is so popular. This is not about following the crowd, but a real need to survive. From the perspective of employment prospects, various industries are moving online, and there is always a large vacancy for talents who know online marketing. Engaged in operations, doing marketing work, engaging in content creation, and conducting data analysis, there are many good opportunities in every direction. Moreover, this industry does not value qualifications but abilities, and young people have advantages. Of course, this does not mean that traditional marketing is no longer important. The combination of online and offline marketing will be the general trend in the future. But what is certain is that in the Internet age, if you have more Internet marketing skills, your career development path will indeed be much easier.
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