Recently, I came across this question on Quora – Is it worth it to put all your marketing into social media marketing and not worry at all about traditional marketing? I regularly spend a little time on Quora to answer questions people have about online advertising and marketing. I decided to share my answer on my blog.
As with everything in marketing, the correct answer to a general question like this is: it depends.
Is it worth it to put all your marketing into social media?
The quick answer is: Yes and no.
It depends on the size of your budget, your industry, your market geography, your target audience, and other factors.
My short answer expanded
If your target market spends most of its time on social media, then yes, spend your marketing budget there. I wouldn’t forget about email marketing once you’ve acquired them, however.
Or, if you have a very limited marketing budget then Social Media, and Paid Search, would be your 2 “lowest-cost of entry” marketing solutions.
If your audience is mostly international, then again, social will be your cheapest and simplest communications channel.
However, for the vast majority of cases, it is always best to devise a complete media plan which includes both traditional and digital marketing, which would also include social media, but not be limited to it.
