You may have heard of the popular expression "out with the old and in with the new," but in the world of marketing, this old adage may not be so aptly applied. In an age where tweets, likes, and pins have become integral parts of our lives (and vocabulary), these terms for businesses are more than just components of an evolving digital era. In fact, they have become increasingly strong channels for marketing opportunities. With this meteoric rise of social media use over the past three years, many are now asking if the "old way" of traditional marketing is the tried-and-true means of generating public awareness. So, is old school ways of thinking better than new?
The answer: It depends.

While some equate this to a civil war of opposing marketing camps, this is not the classic battle of good versus evil or new versus antiquated. These are simply two different approaches to getting the word out. However, the key is understanding what it means to utilize a traditional marketing platform and a social media marketing platform is the first step.

Traditional marketing is often associated with branding, public relations, event planning, advertising, and promotion via media outlets such as television, radio, and print (newspapers, magazines, and direct mail.) Social media marketing, on the other hand, is far more focused on blogs, online social networks, and websites that place a high emphasis on both user-generated content and increasing user engagement. Both are still marketing at its core with the similar goal of generating business and revenue.

With all that said, which is best for you and your business? Because there are no absolutes in marketing, neither can be considered the best all-around approach. In some segments, one platform will achieve the desired goal more effectively than the other. First, fully evaluate your objectives and goals.

To determine whether you should advertise in magazines and newspapers or focus on Twitter and Pinterest, start by asking what you are specifically looking to achieve and with whom? Once you clearly define your audience, the effective approach becomes more apparent.

Consider taking advantage of the strengths of both kinds of marketing as they can indeed be used conjointly and leveraged simultaneously. Inventive combinations of traditional and non-traditional approaches will not only bolster your marketing strategy, but also improve branding and exposure, where all roads lead towards your desired results. For this reason, traditional marketing and social media marketing can be seen as a cooperative or symbiotic venture.

Here are additional things to consider when integrating or choosing traditional versus social media marketing initiatives into your overall marketing plan:

Is your company focused on B2B or B2C?
To best determine the use of traditional and/or social media marketing tactics for a highly effective marketing plan, if your company is skewed towards B2C business, then pull all components that will reach your corresponding customer-base.

Social media connects you instantly to your customers. If you are a company looking to promote your sale of overstocked products immediately, for example, traditional methods like magazine ads or direct mail would not offer as prompt a response as a Facebook post that relies heavily upon instantaneous reactions.

Then again, if your business is centralized within the B2B market, constant engagement or immediate interaction is not as significant when compared to B2C. Reaching out to other businesses to retain interest in your services and/or products can surely be met with non-digital means of communication, such as a promotional postcards, advertisement in a community newsletter, or even a personal invite to a mixer or event hosted by you. Where B2B marketing takes an active role, B2C is often handled with a reactive standpoint.

Who is your audience?
Evaluate the demographic you are looking to reach. Age, sex, and class of your potential customers are good factors in directing you to choose traditional and/or social media marketing.

For example, more mature generations respond well to newspaper ads, while most of the 18-21 age group have a high response to social media ads. If you're looking to reach both age groups, strategically utilize both methods, always remembering to remain consistent and relevant to your brand. Though approaching two different types of people on two different mediums, it's important to keep your brand recognizable across all media.

Lastly, can your goals be more effectively reached using both platforms?
Leveraging both platforms in mutual support of one another can dramatically and positively affect a company's business and revenue stream.

Newsletters, which were once mailed and printed, can now be sent digitally through email, websites, and social media pages. This is extremely beneficial for businesses looking to expand the reach of marketing collateral to a broader population. And, online production is at a fraction of the cost with far less waste.

Likewise, social media employs aspects of traditional marketing with the use of advertisements, many of which can be seen on Facebook, Yelp, and Google. Though you’ll have to develop advertisements to adhere to the confines of these digital platforms, the basic principals seen in traditional marketing and advertising are still the same.

Nevertheless, the collaboration of both traditional and social media marketing tactics can be a strong endeavor for your business goals, as there is always room in a marketing plan to encompass each. So, rather than rejecting the "old" for the "new," consider taking the approach of having the "the best of both worlds" and using any and all elements to your advantage.