The Internet and newspapers are considered two of the five traditional types of media used for advertising. The others are television, radio and magazines. Each medium has advantages and disadvantages that are considered when selection of the best media for advertising messages is made. The Internet and newspapers are both useful media for advertising when they effectively convey your message to the right audience.
Internet Advertising Advantages
The Internet is the newest of the traditional media. A main advantage of Internet advertising is its affordability as an advertising medium. Typically, you pay for your ad based on the number of people it reaches. Audience selectivity is another major benefit as you can pinpoint specific audiences by site. Tracking results of Internet ads is also a strength. Online sites have great tracking tools to track unique visitors, visits, page views and impressions on the pages your ads are on. Versatility is another advantage. You can place banner ads of various sizes, pop-up ads, text ads and streaming audio and video ads.
Internet Advertising Disdvantages
Limited click-through rates are a burden with Internet advertising. People often ignore banner ads and avoid pop-up ads and other online ad types. Uncertainty with what works through online advertising is a significant disadvantage as well. As the newest of the traditional media types, Internet advertising is still evolving. Technology, such as pop-up ad blockers, helps web users avoid pop up ads. In some cases, the audience on the website controls their exposure to the ad, such as with streaming audio and video, and the need to click through an ad to see the full message.
Newspaper Advertising Advantages
Timeliness is a major advantage of newspaper advertising relative to many other media types. You can often drop a newspaper ad off a day or two before it runs in the paper. Newspapers are excellent