---
title: "Internet Marketing & Traditional Marketing: What’s the difference?"
description: Understanding the difference between traditional marketing and internet marketing
image: https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hs-fs/file-28590648-jpg/blog-images/uncertain-boy-resized-600.jpg
---

[![half-a-bubble-out-logo](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hubfs/half-a-bubble-out-logo.svg "half-a-bubble-out-logo")](https://www.halfabubbleout.com)

[![Get Started Today](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/215313/ae79ea0c-5eec-45db-865d-7b327f29f7d9.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/215313/ae79ea0c-5eec-45db-865d-7b327f29f7d9)

# [Internet Marketing & Traditional Marketing: What’s the difference?](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/bid/258932/Internet-Marketing-Traditional-Marketing-What-s-the-difference)

 April 10, 2013 / by [Paige Gilbert](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/author/paige-gilbert)

- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)

# You’re thinking of hiring an internet marketing consultant, but do you know why?

![uncertain boy](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hs-fs/file-28590648-jpg/blog-images/uncertain-boy-resized-600.jpg?width=206&height=309&name=uncertain-boy-resized-600.jpg)If you’re like many small business owners, you’ve heard the term internet marketing, and you’re starting to think that it’s important because more and more of your colleagues are hiring an internet marketing consultant. But maybe you’re skeptical. After all, you’ve been pretty successful without internet marketing in the past, and you’ve seen traditional marketing work just fine. Internet marketing seems a bit like you’re just shooting in the dark. In fact, you don’t really even know what it is. To help you on your quest to do what’s best for your small business, we’ll help you understand the difference between internet marketing and traditional marketing.

## **Out with the Old, In with the New: Outbound and Inbound Marketing**

Outbound Marketing is the fancy term to describe traditional marketing – the marketing that’s been around for years. Some people might even say it’s “old school.” **The easiest way to think of outbound marketing is that it’s marketing done offline or not on the internet**. For example:

- TV Commercials
- Radio Commercial
- Billboards
- Print Ads
- Direct Mail

![old and new computer](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hs-fs/file-28591034-jpg/blog-images/old-new-web-resized-600.jpg?width=290&height=241&name=old-new-web-resized-600.jpg)

Inbound Marketing is just another term for internet marketing, which is **marketing that is done online**. It’s the new frontier for marketing, and its here to stay. Some of the services an internet marketing consultant would provide to you are: 

- Website Creation
- Blogging
- Search Engine Optimization
- Analytics
- Social Media
- Email Marketing
- Online Press Releases

Both outbound and inbound marketing have their purposes, and there’s always a gray area, but let’s talk about how each type of marketing affects the people that really matter – your customers.

## **The Perspective of Marketing**

The [American Marketing Association](http://www.marketingpower.com/Pages/default.aspx) defines marketing as ***“the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”*** Marketing is a form of persuasion. We like to define persuasion as “changing someone’s perspective.” So, essentially, marketing is changing people’s perspective – it’s how it does it that is the difference between traditional and internet marketing.

![describe the image](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hs-fs/file-28591380-jpg/blog-images/perspective-web-resized-600.jpg?width=340&height=226&name=perspective-web-resized-600.jpg)

**Traditional Marketing is interruption marketing**, meaning it interrupts your everyday life in certain ways. It’s not meant to be negative, although it’s often perceived that way. Think about it. TV commercials interrupt the show you’re watching. Radio commercials interrupt the songs you’re listening to. Billboards interrupt your focus while driving. Newspaper and print ads interrupt what you’re reading. You may not even realize traditional marketing components squeezing their way into your everyday life, but they do. Traditional marketing speaks to three types of people: people who are ready to hear about the product or service, people who aren’t and everyone in between. This is where internet marketing can help.

**Internet Marketing is permission marketing**, because it allows YOU as the user, to decide what you do and don’t want to influence you while you’re online. Internet marketing answers people’s questions to what they’re actually searching for.

### **In fact,** **did you know that ****86% of consumers look up the companies they buy from on the internet first? **

********Through the different pieces and parts of internet marketing, you can speak to people who are ready or nearly ready to become your customer. The key to a good internet marketing strategy is to use a holistic approach by integrating each piece.

For example, your company has a website, but no one seems to be visiting it. It’s a nice looking and functional website, so you wonder, what’s the problem? By adding a little internet marketing magic – also known as keywords, blogs, free offers, and online press releases to name a few pieces – an internet marketing consultant can help get people to your website and turn them into customers.

So now that you have some knowledge of the difference between traditional marketing and internet marketing, we hope the information will help you as you decide if it’s valuable for your small business to hire an internet marketing consultant. To continue to learn more about internet marketing, subscribe to our blog, or be sure to check back each week for internet marketing tips Tuesday.

**What are your thoughts about traditional vs. internet marketing? Leave us a comment and let us know!**

 

** **

 Topics: [Internet marketing](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/internet-marketing), [Traditional Marketing](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/traditional-marketing)

### Subscribe for Weekly FREE Business Strategies and Resources

[![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/215313/bbb29c6d-05bd-4754-b460-5715edf0ba4b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/215313/bbb29c6d-05bd-4754-b460-5715edf0ba4b)

[![Resiliency Quiz](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/215313/d2402a14-057e-402d-9226-5ebb3ffb0cf0.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/215313/d2402a14-057e-402d-9226-5ebb3ffb0cf0)

### Latest Posts

### Posts by Topic

- [Ask Method (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/ask-method)
- [Best Practices (10)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/best-practices)
- [Blogging (65)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/blogging)
- [Business Development (75)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/business-development)
- [Calls-to-Action (5)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/calls-to-action)
- [Client Spotlight (5)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/client-spotlight)
- [Content Marketing (69)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/content-marketing)
- [Culture (12)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/culture)
- [Customer Retention (7)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/customer-retention)
- [Digital Marketing (10)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/digital-marketing)
- [email marketing (41)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/email-marketing)
- [employee engagement (7)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/employee-engagement)
- [employee happiness (14)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/employee-happiness)
- [employee motivation (8)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/employee-motivation)
- [Employees (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/employees)
- [Grow Your Business (38)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/grow-your-business)
- [Guest Blogs (6)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/guest-blogs)
- [HaBO News (8)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/habo-news)
- [Holistic Strategy (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/holistic-strategy)
- [Inbound Marketing (102)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/inbound-marketing)
- [Internet marketing (157)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/internet-marketing)
- [Keywords (25)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/keywords)
- [Landing Pages (25)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/landing-pages)
- [Lead Conversion (46)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/lead-conversion)
- [Lead Generation (78)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/lead-generation)
- [Lead Nurturing (19)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/lead-nurturing)
- [Leadership (13)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/leadership)
- [Link Building (17)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/link-building)
- [Management (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/management)
- [Marketing (48)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/marketing)
- [Mobile Marketing (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/mobile-marketing)
- [News (60)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/news)
- [Non-Profts (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/non-profts)
- [Online Public Relations (11)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/online-public-relations)
- [Online Video (6)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/online-video)
- [Our Thought Bubbles (38)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/our-thought-bubbles)
- [Paid Advertising (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/paid-advertising)
- [Passion & Provision (29)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/passion-provision)
- [Personal Reflections (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/reflections)
- [Promotion (4)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/promotion)
- [Sales (7)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/sales)
- [SEO (85)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/seo)
- [small business (104)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/small-business)
- [Social Media (111)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/social-media)
- [The Leadership Contrarian Newsletter (28)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/the-leadership-contrarian-newsletter)
- [Traditional Marketing (19)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/traditional-marketing)
- [video marketing (3)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/video-marketing)
- [Website Development (70)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/website-development)
- [Website Traffic (6)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/topic/website-traffic)

[More Blog Topics](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/bid/258932/Internet-Marketing-Traditional-Marketing-What-s-the-difference#)

### Posts by Month

- [July 2026 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2026/07)
- [June 2026 (4)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2026/06)
- [May 2026 (5)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2026/05)
- [April 2026 (4)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2026/04)
- [March 2026 (4)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2026/03)
- [February 2026 (4)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2026/02)
- [January 2026 (5)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2026/01)
- [December 2025 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2025/12)
- [April 2023 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2023/04)
- [March 2023 (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2023/03)
- [December 2022 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2022/12)
- [September 2022 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2022/09)
- [March 2022 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2022/03)
- [February 2022 (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2022/02)
- [January 2022 (4)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2022/01)
- [September 2020 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2020/09)
- [October 2019 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2019/10)
- [January 2018 (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2018/01)
- [December 2017 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2017/12)
- [August 2017 (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2017/08)
- [May 2017 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2017/05)
- [December 2016 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2016/12)
- [October 2016 (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2016/10)
- [July 2016 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2016/07)
- [April 2016 (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2016/04)
- [March 2016 (3)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2016/03)
- [February 2016 (7)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2016/02)
- [January 2016 (10)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2016/01)
- [December 2015 (12)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2015/12)
- [November 2015 (12)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2015/11)
- [October 2015 (12)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2015/10)
- [September 2015 (15)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2015/09)
- [August 2015 (20)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2015/08)
- [July 2015 (23)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2015/07)
- [June 2015 (19)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2015/06)
- [May 2015 (17)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2015/05)
- [April 2015 (20)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2015/04)
- [March 2015 (15)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2015/03)
- [February 2015 (16)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2015/02)
- [January 2015 (23)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2015/01)
- [December 2014 (22)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2014/12)
- [November 2014 (22)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2014/11)
- [October 2014 (21)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2014/10)
- [September 2014 (22)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2014/09)
- [August 2014 (20)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2014/08)
- [July 2014 (22)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2014/07)
- [June 2014 (25)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2014/06)
- [May 2014 (26)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2014/05)
- [April 2014 (24)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2014/04)
- [March 2014 (21)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2014/03)
- [February 2014 (20)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2014/02)
- [January 2014 (25)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2014/01)
- [December 2013 (25)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2013/12)
- [November 2013 (28)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2013/11)
- [October 2013 (27)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2013/10)
- [September 2013 (27)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2013/09)
- [August 2013 (21)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2013/08)
- [July 2013 (23)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2013/07)
- [June 2013 (24)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2013/06)
- [May 2013 (31)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2013/05)
- [April 2013 (19)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2013/04)
- [March 2013 (9)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2013/03)
- [February 2013 (8)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2013/02)
- [January 2013 (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2013/01)
- [September 2012 (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2012/09)
- [August 2012 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2012/08)
- [July 2012 (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2012/07)
- [May 2012 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2012/05)
- [April 2012 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2012/04)
- [February 2012 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2012/02)
- [October 2011 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2011/10)
- [August 2011 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2011/08)
- [July 2011 (3)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2011/07)
- [March 2011 (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2011/03)
- [December 2010 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2010/12)
- [September 2010 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2010/09)
- [May 2010 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2010/05)
- [February 2010 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2010/02)
- [January 2010 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2010/01)
- [August 2009 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2009/08)
- [April 2009 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2009/04)
- [March 2009 (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2009/03)
- [February 2009 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2009/02)
- [January 2009 (6)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2009/01)
- [November 2008 (1)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2008/11)
- [August 2008 (3)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2008/08)
- [July 2008 (2)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/archive/2008/07)

[Older Blog Posts](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/bid/258932/Internet-Marketing-Traditional-Marketing-What-s-the-difference#)

<https://info.halfabubbleout.com/20-years>![HaBO Logo W Tag Knockout](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hubfs/HaBO%20Logo%202022/HaBO%20Logo%20W%20Tag%20Knockout.svg)

 

SEARCH THIS SITE

- There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

[About](https://www.halfabubbleout.com/about-us)

<https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/bid/258932/Internet-Marketing-Traditional-Marketing-What-s-the-difference#>[Our Book](https://www.fulfilledthebook.com)<https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/bid/258932/Internet-Marketing-Traditional-Marketing-What-s-the-difference#>

[Marketing  
Services](https://www.halfabubbleout.com/our-services)

[Consulting](https://www.halfabubbleout.com/our-services)

[The Leadership Contrarian Newsletter](https://info.halfabubbleout.com/leadership-contrarian-newsletter)

[Blog](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog)

[Podcast](https://www.habovillage.com/podcast/habovillage)

[Team](https://www.halfabubbleout.com/team)

[Careers](https://www.halfabubbleout.com/team)<https://www.halfabubbleout.com/team>

[![facebook](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hs-fs/hubfs/facebook.png?width=47&name=facebook.png)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/bid/258932/Internet-Marketing-Traditional-Marketing-What-s-the-difference#) [![x.com](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hs-fs/hubfs/new%20social%20media%20icons/x-com.png?width=47&name=x-com.png)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/bid/258932/Internet-Marketing-Traditional-Marketing-What-s-the-difference#) [![linked-in](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hs-fs/hubfs/linked-in.png?width=47&name=linked-in.png)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/bid/258932/Internet-Marketing-Traditional-Marketing-What-s-the-difference#) [![instagram](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hs-fs/hubfs/new%20social%20media%20icons/instagram.png?width=47&name=instagram.png)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/bid/258932/Internet-Marketing-Traditional-Marketing-What-s-the-difference#) [![youtube](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hs-fs/hubfs/youtube.png?width=47&name=youtube.png)](https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/bid/258932/Internet-Marketing-Traditional-Marketing-What-s-the-difference#)

#### [Contact Us](https://www.halfabubbleout.com/contact) [Accessibility Information](https://www.halfabubbleout.com/accessibility-information)

Half a Bubble Out  
Marketing, Advertising and Consulting  
680 Rio Lindo Avenue, Suite 40  
Chico, CA 95926  
(530) 345-8295  
[info@halfabubbleout.com](mailto:info@halfabubbleout.com)

[Terms & Conditions](https://www.halfabubbleout.com/terms-and-conditions)  | [Privacy Policy](https://www.halfabubbleout.com/privacy-policy)  | [Earnings Disclaimer](https://www.halfabubbleout.com/earnings-disclaimer)

©Copyright 2026 Half a Bubble Out

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Paige Gilbert",
    "url" : "https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/author/paige-gilbert"
  },
  "datePublished" : "2013-04-10T18:12:00.000Z",
  "headline" : "Internet Marketing & Traditional Marketing: What’s the difference?",
  "image" : [ "https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hs-fs/file-28590648-jpg/blog-images/uncertain-boy-resized-600.jpg" ],
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/blog/bid/258932/Internet-Marketing-Traditional-Marketing-What-s-the-difference",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://blog.halfabubbleout.com/hubfs/HaBO%20Logo%20W%20Tag%20RGB.png"
    },
    "name" : "Half a Bubble Out"
  }
}
```