TL;DR
The main benefits of online advertising are a more targeted reach and measurable results. Neither of these can be matched by traditional advertising.
Digital marketing allows businesses to communicate with their audience effectively and efficiently by advertising their products and services via social media, email campaigns, appearing at the top of search engine results, and more.
Traditional, non-digital advertising methods such as television, radio, print, outdoor, telemarketing, etc. cast a wide net, but are they the best option? Let’s dig into the (pros and cons) of digital advertising.
1. Targeted Reach
Online advertising is unique in its ability to target your desired audience with incredible precision. Instead of marketing to anyone who may need your services at some point, digital ads can be aimed based on just about any criteria you think would make your campaign more successful. If you can imagine your ideal potential customer, you can market right to them.
Thanks to the data that internet users provide almost constantly, you can narrow your efforts to reach specific audiences based on:
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Demographics - age, ethnicity, gender, marital status, education, profession
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Interests - topics that are personal or professional- sports, hobbies, careers…
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Behavior - likes, comments, subscribing, and other interactions
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Location - as large or small of a market area as you’d like
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Past actions - internet searches, visiting your site, related online purchases, and more.
Precisely targeting your audience ensures that your ad dollars are spent on the people most likely to become customers. That means increasing ROI (return on investment).
ROI?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to what a good ROI is when it comes to marketing. Results will vary based on your industry and market- but generally, businesses should aim for at least a 5:1 ratio. That means, your ad campaigns should pull in 5 dollars for every dollar you spend.
Obviously, the more return you get per dollar, the better. But a saturated market could yield smaller results, no matter how good your ads are. And a huge return may be more a sign of demand and room for growth than your amazing advertising skills.
In general, online ads have a greater ROI than traditional advertising methods due to their adjustability, and because some forms of digital content cost very little to produce. For example, it costs almost nothing to film a short video of yourself and post it to your business’s facebook page. It may not be high quality, but it’s something.
To learn a bit more about ROI in digital advertising, Check out these articles by SpiderAF or SaveMyLeads.
Continuously measuring, analyzing, and adjusting marketing strategies is essential for improving ROI and achieving long-term business success. The speed with which you can adjust an online marketing strategy makes it possible for you to hone in on what works without wasting time and money.
That brings us to point number 2.
2. Measurable Results
Online ads provide real-time data on impressions, clicks, conversions, and your cost for everything you put out there. All the major social media networks provide native insights within their platform (Which is good, since that’s how they determine how much to charge you. Meta’s billing is more thoroughly explained here: How Meta Charges for Ads.). If you’re posting content and running ads across multiple platforms, you’ll need to make sure you have all the data you need and then piece it together to get the full picture.
You can do this manually- and you may have to, depending on which metrics you want to focus on. There are also social media data analytic tools and social media management software available such as Buffer, Rival IQ, and Keyhole.
With the right analytics, you won’t have to wonder whether your audience is seeing your ads; you’ll know right away. Basic analytic tools can break down each piece of advertising material by how many people saw it and how long they looked at it. Likes, shares, and comments give instant feedback on customer sentiment toward your content and your brand as a whole.
If a lead clicks all the way through and becomes a successful sale, you won’t have to ask how they heard about you. You’ll know exactly how you reeled them- in and how to do it again.
Not sure if you’re making the right call? Feel like you’re spinning your wheels? Digital ads allow you to track performance, test variations of a message through affordable A/B testing, and optimize campaigns on the fly—something traditional ads can’t offer. You won’t find yourself stuck with thousands of outdated flyers, a boring billboard, or running a commercial that simply didn’t land.
The Downsides
As much as we love online advertising, it’s not perfect. Here are a few of the problems that you’ll have to combat when using digital ads.
- Ad Fatigue & Banner Blindness- Users are exposed to thousands of ads daily, which leads them to ignore or mentally tune out digital ads—especially banners and pop-ups. This results in decreased engagement and effectiveness over time.
- Privacy Concerns & Ad Blockers- Consumers are increasingly wary of how their data is being used. Tools like ad blockers and privacy regulations (e.g. GDPR, CCPA) limit tracking and reduce ad visibility.
- Click Fraud & Bots- Some platforms are vulnerable to fake clicks or impressions from bots, which can drain ad budgets without reaching real people.
- Platform Dependence- Many businesses become too reliant on platforms like Google, Facebook, or Instagram. Algorithm changes or policy updates can suddenly reduce visibility or raise ad costs.
- Over-Saturation & Competition- With so many businesses advertising online, competition is high, and costs per click (CPC) or impression (CPM) can be steep in competitive industries.
- Technical Complexity- Running effective digital campaigns requires constant optimization, testing, and analysis. Without expertise, it’s easy to waste money on poorly targeted or underperforming ads.
How to advertise online
If you’re ready to try running some ads online, or maybe just dip your toe in by sharing some original content to see what happens, you can read and learn more about hiring a Digital marketing agency or building brand awareness on your own.
The main benefits of digital marketing are that it enables for a targeted reach and measurable results when compared to traditional advertising, but it can also prove to be a more cost effective and (in some ways) easier option when deciding how to move in the modern marketplace.