Online Marketing vs. "Traditional" Marketing

[John Steele]

I will be getting my real estate license very soon (approximately 2 weeks). I currently work full time in the RE industry (not as an agent) but will probably start out as a part time agent on the side doing open houses on the weekend and stuff like that.

I've been starting to develop ideas and strategies for how I want to run my business and was hoping to get some insight from people with experience.

My current plan is to go very heavy with online marketing. I plan to create a website, do SEO, PPC ads, blog, tons of social media marketing, email list, etc. My thought process behind this is that more and more people are and will be using the internet to search for homes, especially as my generation enters the first time home buyer market. This generation is the first generation to have grown up online.

I am only 25 so I'm sure that my age has something to do with it, but I'm having a hard time justifying traditional marketing such as door knocking, mail campaigns, etc. I know that these strategies do work as I have seen them work first hand with the companies that I work for. The thing with these is that they are either costly, time consuming, or both. With all of the new technology and apps there are so many free or very cost effective ways to market compared to these "old-school" marketing tactics.

So I guess what I'm wondering is, am I crazy to think that I can be successful using this online strategy vs. going the traditional route?