When I was in business school in the ’80s, marketing and advertising was somewhat simple or traditional. You had the advertising mediums of print, radio and television, as was standard for the past 50 years.

I still remember one of my professors telling me that cable TV was just a fad as we don’t really need more than five to 10 channels! Times have certainly changed and so has the importance of digital marketing as we begin 2025 and if you want to grow your business.
“Traditional marketing” refers to the overall process of promoting and selling a product or service, encompassing a broad range of strategies across various “offline” channels, while “digital marketing” specifically refers to using “online” platforms and digital technologies like social media, websites and email to reach and engage customers, essentially focusing on marketing activities conducted through the internet.
- Digital marketing is important because it allows you to:
- Reach a wider audience by connecting with people where they spend their time online
- Target specific demographics through precise audience targeting features
- Build brand awareness through various online channels
- Cost-effectively promote your business compared to traditional marketing methods
- Monitor and measure campaign performance with detailed analytics to optimize results plus now the exciting use of artificial intelligence to help you build your brand.
All businesses have different advertising and marketing needs but now digital marketing truly offers a low-cost entry into business and brand development that was unheard of even 10 years ago.
Buddy A. Sliva is the Western Regional Sales Manager for Herculite and a member of the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association Board of Directors.