Vijay GarG
A person looks ahead slightly smiling while holding a smartphone in their right hand, with a headset around their neck.
Media is a broad industry that includes any form of mass communications, such as radio, television and Internet platforms. Social media and traditional media are the two primary sectors within the media field, and both can be useful for delivering important information or insights to different audiences. If you’re interested in a career within the media field or you want to use media to interact with a specific audience, learning more about these two media types can help you better determine which might be right for you.
In this article, we explain what social and traditional media are, list the key differences between the two media types and provide a list of the primary jobs within each sector.
What is social media?
Social media are websites, Internet platforms and other technologies that allow businesses and individuals to interact online. There are a variety of social media platforms that include various websites, messaging platforms and applications, and each platform may have different features and capabilities. Companies may use social media to advertise their products or services, respond to customers’ questions or broadcast a new brand or idea.
What is traditional media?
Traditional media is a form of mass communication that involves sharing ideas or advertisements with a specific audience. Traditional media can include newspapers, television programs, magazines and radio shows. It can also involve digital versions of these tools, such as an online magazine or a blog. Prior to the Internet, traditional media was often the primary way that organizations advertised to potential customers.
Social media vs. traditional media
Whether you’re considering pursuing a media career or simply exploring ways to market a business or product, learning about the differences between social and traditional media could help you better determine which might be more effective for your intended audience. Here are some of the key differences between these two types of media:
Audience
Both social and traditional media can be useful tools for engaging with a specific audience. Traditional media typically helps businesses attract the attention of a broader audience. For example, a company might pay to advertise its product during the morning news on a national television network. This allows that company to attract a wider audience, since many people tend to watch the news in the morning before leaving for work.
Social media is typically useful for a smaller, more niche audience. Social media specialists may create posts to target a company’s followers or they might develop a more personalized advertisement to retain the attention of a certain group. For example, a clothing company that creates clothing for younger women may post about a new design on its channels, allowing its social media followers to find and share the post more easily. The company’s marketing team may use social media algorithms to target and tailor the post to more specific age groups.
Dialogue
Social and traditional media both offer different types of communication or dialogue. Traditional media is often a one-way communication tool, meaning that it primarily intends to inform or persuade an audience. For example, a business may post an advertisement in a local newspaper or air its own commercial on daytime television to share a message with an audience quickly.
Social media differs in that it allows companies to foster a two-way dialogue with their intended audiences and maintain an ongoing conversation with them. For example, a company may post a picture on its social media channels advertising its new service. Potential customers can interact with the post by responding to it publicly and liking or sharing it with their followings. This can allow the company to increase its brand awareness, receive feedback from customers quickly and engage with them more easily.
Cost
The cost of media for marketing may vary, depending on the format. Social media typically costs less than traditional media but may require more individual payments to attract a wider audience. For example, if a marketing team wants to post an advertisement for a new product, it can create and a social media announcement for free or for a small cost. The more paid advertisements a company posts on its social media, the more easily it may be able to gain the attention of its target audience.
Traditional media often has set rates, depending on the media organization or company. For example, a company that wants to post an advertisement in a magazine may pay a specific fee to the magazine company. The cost of TV and radio ads often depends on the specific time of day or number of viewers. Shows that receive more viewers or times of the day when more people are watching a program may correlate to higher advertising costs.
Timing
The timeline or production schedule can also vary for these two media formats. Traditional media typically takes longer to create and has a detailed schedule that depends on the specific form of advertising. For example, it would likely be necessary for marketing teams interested in advertising in a magazine to develop their advertisements based on that magazine’s publication schedule. This may mean developing monthly ads if the magazine publishes new content at the beginning of each month.
Social media often has a more flexible timeline. Companies can post information and communicate with customers quickly and frequently. The number of ads they create and the frequency by which they post them is often their decision. Some companies may decide to limit their social media content based on the time of year and their audience’s preferences, while others may post as often as possible.
Adaptability
It’s typically possible to edit and change social media posts more easily than traditional ones. For example, after posting, a social media specialist can edit the post, update it or delete it altogether based on the reception it receives. With traditional media, the content typically stays the same. For example, a company that posts an advertisement in a newspaper can’t easily change it after publication. While it’s typically more challenging to edit or alter information in traditional formats, these formats may result in a higher audience impact.
Author control
These media types may offer different levels of author control. For example, if a local radio show wants to interview a company, the radio show’s writers may plan, write and direct the program themselves. Social media allows companies to have greater opportunity to create their own content as long as it follows certain guidelines. Companies using social media can also decide to delay the date of their publication or determine which audience they want to target.
Influence
While both media types aim to influence an audience, traditional formats often aim to influence an audience directly. It may not be as obvious to social media users that a post is an advertisement, since social media often allows for greater creativity. For example, a company selling shoes might post a fun quiz to its social media channel to increase user engagement. Social media can also influence audiences in a variety of ways that are external to marketing. For example, a company may use it to gain user feedback to improve its existing products.
Careers in social media
Comparing job opportunities within these types of media may help you determine which one is best for you more easily. Here are some typical jobs in social media. For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed,
1. Social media strategist
National average salary: $63,875 per year
Primary duties: A social media strategist creates digital marketing strategies for companies. They may plan initial strategies, develop social media campaigns and collect data to analyze the efficacy of new campaigns. They may also meet with social media teams to discuss the results of a campaign.
2. Social media specialist
National average salary: $53,255 per year
Primary duties: A social media specialist is a marketing professional who specializes in managing social media platforms. Their duties can include researching a target audience, creating posts and communicating with customers. They may also collaborate with a marketing team to determine which media strategies might be the most effective.
3. Social media manager
National average salary: $55,933 per year
Primary duties: Social media managers help oversee social media teams. They may delegate tasks, oversee a publication schedule and manage multiple social media platforms for a company. They may also track social media analytics and create and manage different content strategies.
4. Content strategist
National average salary: $72,825 per year
Primary duties: A content strategist helps design plans for content creation, including blog posts, articles and social media posts. They may design new content, oversee a production calendar and review posts ahead of publication. They might also conduct market research.
5. Brand strategist
National average salary: $78,280 per year
Primary duties: Brand strategists specialize in promoting a brand or identity. They analyze market trends, determine target audiences and develop marketing strategies for companies. They also help companies maintain positive brand images.
Careers in traditional media
Here are some typical jobs in traditional media. For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed
1. Publicist
National average salary: $52,869 per year
Primary duties: A publicist helps ensure that a message aligns with its intended target audience. They may write speeches, design press releases and create website content for clients. They also help pitch different ideas to journalists to better promote their clients.
Read more: Learn About Being a Publicist
2. Broadcaster
National average salary: $59,245 per year
Primary duties: Broadcasters are media professionals who report news or entertainment to an audience. They typically work in television or radio settings. Their duties may include researching news stories, editing scripts and reading from a teleprompter.
3. Producer
National average salary: $56,836 per year
Primary duties: A producer is a media professional who helps oversee a production. Their duties can include managing a project’s budget, creating a project schedule and overseeing a production team. They can work in many media fields, including film, television and radio.
4. Journalist
National average salary: $41,431 per year
Primary duties: A journalist helps write and publish articles for various news outlets. They may interview individuals, research stories and write articles to inform an audience about current events. They can work for different media platforms, including television networks, newspapers and magazines.
Read more: Learn About Being a Journalist
5. Media director
National average salary: $124,319 per year
Primary duties: A media director helps manage a company’s communication strategies. They design and oversee all media campaigns within an organization. They may also manage an advertising budget, collaborate with different advertising platforms and discuss content strategies with a marketing team.
Vijay GarG Retired principal Educational Columnist Street kour Chand MHR Malout Punjab
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