A few years ago, I spoke with a small café owner who insisted on putting her budget into newspaper ads. “It’s what people around here still read,” she said. Fair point.
Not long after, a local clothing brand came to us and said, “We’ve only been running Instagram ads, but nothing’s converting.”
Both were doing marketing. But both had questions: Are we using the right kind?
So let’s break it down—no fluff, no fancy definitions.
Traditional Marketing: Still Got That Charm?
Think billboards, flyers, newspaper ads, posters on local shop shutters, auto-rickshaw banners. These have been around forever, and they still work—for the right kind of audience.
If your crowd isn't glued to their phones all day, this type of advertising can hit home. Someone walking past your store every day might just stop in after seeing your hoarding enough times. It’s like brand recall through repetition.
But—there’s a catch. These things cost money. And once your ad’s printed or painted, it’s out there for good. You can’t adjust it if it’s not working. No clicks, no metrics, no “pause and edit” button.
Digital Marketing: All About the Clicks (and Control)
Now take digital. You’re running ads on Google, Instagram, maybe sending out newsletters or posting stories.
The magic? You get to see what’s working. You know how many people saw it, clicked it, or ignored it. You can stop it, tweak it, and try again—all within hours.
Got ₹1,000? You can run a Facebook campaign and reach thousands of people who are actually interested in your product.
But here too, things can go wrong. Target the wrong audience, and it’s money down the drain. Post at the wrong time? Nobody sees it. Algorithms are not always friendly.
So... Which One Should You Use?
There’s no fixed rule.
If you're a coaching institute in a small town, putting posters near schools or colleges might work better than running Instagram ads your students may not even see.
If you’re a D2C skincare brand, people are online. So meet them there. Show up in their feed with helpful content and offers.
Or maybe do both. Run a local print ad and stick a QR code on it that takes people straight to your website or WhatsApp. That’s where the two worlds meet.
What We’ve Learned at Covalent
We’ve seen startups blow their full budget on digital and get zero results. We’ve also seen local businesses spend lakhs on print with no real tracking.
But the ones who ask the right questions—who are we selling to, where are they looking, and what’s our budget—end up with better results, no matter the method.
It’s not really about choosing one over the other. It’s about choosing what fits your audience and your current stage.
Final Thought
Marketing isn’t about being loud everywhere. It’s about being present where it matters.
If you’re unsure, talk to someone who understands both sides. That’s what we do at Covalent Softwares. We don’t sell you buzzwords—we help you figure out what genuinely works for your business.
No copy-paste strategies. Just honest advice, real results.
