The marketing landscape has shifted dramatically over the past two decades. With the rise of so many online channels, businesses have more ways than ever to connect with their audiences. With things like virtual trade shows and online food delivery services, it can be very easy to think that traditional methods of marketing products and services have had their day.
And as the digital world grows, many businesses are asking the same big question “which is better – traditional or digital marketing?” In this blog, we’ll explore digital marketing vs traditional marketing in more detail, including what they both are, along with sharing some interesting statistics and top tips to help you decide which method is right for your business.
What is traditional marketing?
Traditional marketing includes all forms of promotion that happen outside the digital space. This can be things like television or radio adverts, print advertising in magazines or newspapers, direct mail, and outdoor advertising on billboards and posters for example. These are all classic methods that many of us grew up with and in some industries, they’re still a dominant force.
Traditional marketing often works best for brand awareness campaigns, local promotions, or targeting audiences who are less digitally active. When done well, this method of marketing can offer brand credibility, strong visual impact, and a physical presence that still holds power.
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing, as the name suggests, refers to any type of marketing that takes place online. From Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC), to social media and email marketing, digital marketing uses a variety of online channels and platforms that are highly measurable.
It’s often a more cost-effective method and is better suited for targeted campaigns. You can reach a very specific audience, measure how they interact with your content, and adjust your strategy as needed.
Key statistics for traditional and online marketing
As always, research and statistics can provide a lot of insight into which forms of marketing are right for your business, and which one can help create the highest success rates for your campaigns. Here are some key statistics to keep in mind when stacking up traditional and online marketing performance, audience engagement, and return on investment:
Traditional marketing:
- According to Citipost Mail, 77% of UK households read or looked at their mail, marking an all-time high in direct mail engagement since tracking began.
- While many think print advertising is dead, Passive Secrets state that readership is actually expected to reach 24.2m by 2029, with 61% of readers trusting newspaper ads compared to just 42% for online ads.
- TV advertising investment in the UK totalled £5.25b in 2024, which is a 3.8% year-on-year increase, and this saw 932 new advertisers on TV in the same year according to Thinkbox.
Digital marketing:
- Beyond Your Brand says that SEO generates 1,000% more traffic than organic social media, highlighting the importance of implementing an SEO strategy for online businesses.
- 79% of the total UK population – that’s 54.8 million people – used some form of social media in January 2025 according to We Are Social, showing just how many people are online.
- According to Dash, the total number of business and consumer emails that will be sent in 2025 is estimated to reach 376 billion, highlighting just how popular email marketing is for businesses.
So, will digital marketing replace traditional marketing?
This question has been circulating for years, and while the rise of online advertising is undeniable, traditional marketing isn’t going anywhere just yet. Instead, integration is what seems to be the case.
Many brands we work with are moving towards multi-channel campaigns that combine the strengths of both. For example, a billboard or poster will more often than not include a QR code that drives users to a landing page, or a radio ad might be supported with a targeted local social media campaign.
This shows us that the real trend isn’t replacement, it’s blending channels to create a seamless brand experience. The most effective strategies focus less on digital marketing vs traditional marketing, and more on how to use both in harmony.
Our top tips to help you choose the right channel for you
It’s important to remember that every business is different, so when it comes to choosing the right marketing methods for you, here are some tips to consider to help you find the right fit:
- Understand your audience – use tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4), social media insights, or customer surveys to find out where your target audience spends most of their time, so you know whether they’re mainly online or offline.
- Start with your objectives – whether it’s brand awareness, lead generation, or customer loyalty and retention, each will call for different tactics.
- Review your resources – be realistic about what you can manage both financially and logistically – digital is quicker and can be scaled to fit any budget, whereas traditional may require more time and upfront costs.
- Test, track, and optimise – if you’re opting for digital marketing, use A/B testing, conversion tracking, and attribution models to fine-tune your campaigns. For traditional, you can add tracking tools like custom phone numbers, URLs and QR codes.
- Don’t automatically think ‘either/or’ – sometimes the best marketing strategy is a combined one – traditional for reach and memorability, digital for precision and follow-up.
Find out how we can help your business
When it comes to the debate of digital marketing vs traditional marketing, we believe it’s not a case of one is better than the other, or one will replace the other, it ultimately all boils down to a business’s individual goals.
At Fifteen, we’ve helped businesses cut through the noise and choose the right marketing channels to meet their goals – whether it’s a full digital campaign, a traditional refresh, or a smart combination of both.
As a full-service digital agency, we can offer creative campaign development, targeted digital marketing services, brand design and print collateral, and integrated strategies built and tailored around your audience. Don’t hesitate to contact us today with your goals and objectives and learn how we can help your business flourish.
