When it comes to
When it comes ot the task of promoting your business, it’s easy nowadays to focus on the digital technology that drives online conversions, neglecting traditional marketing methods as a result. There’s no doubt that digital marketing offers excellent reach and precise targeting, but your customers exist in the physical world, too. Neglecting to get your brand in front of them could see you missing opportunities to reach oft-overlooked audiences, as well as giving your brand a chance to compete with the thousands of voices vying for attention online. Here, we’re going to look at some of the best traditional marketing methods and what you should be careful not to forget them.
Snail Mail
Despite the somewhat dismissive nickname it has gained over the years, traditional direct mail marketing remains not just as a powerful tool for reaching consumers, but it offers some of the best return on investment, period. While it’s a lot easier to send marketing emails to thousands of people at once, it’s a lot harder to get them to open it once it’s in their inbox, if it makes it past their junk folder. Physical mail is a lot more likely to be opened than email as a result, and it gives your business a tangible presence in the consumer’s hands, which establishes a trust and legitimacy compared to email marketing, which can come across as lower effort.
Cold Calls
While not well suited to all businesses, and considered outdated by some, cold calling can be a highly valuable tool in some markets, especially for companies that sell business to business. By picking up the phone for a direct conversation, you can engage in real-time interaction, answering the questions your audience has while providing a personal touch that is more likely to see your audience remember you. That said, cold calls are best made with preparation, with the best leads that are most likely to convert, a focus on your audience’s needs, a compelling pitch, and an approach to customer relationship building over aggressive sales tactics.
Going Door-To-Door
Although even more old fashioned than cold calling, and significantly more demanding of your team’s time and labour, door-to-door marketing offers direct, immediate, and personal engagement with your potential customers. This approach typically works best for businesses who are trying to establish a local presence, whether you have a store in the area, or are trying to increase brand recognition with potential clients in your service area. Many customers do appreciate the effort and authenticity of an in-person visit, which can make them a lot more likely to engage with you face-to-face, rather than on the phone or through easily-ignored digital marketing messages. It also gives you the chance to solicit feedback from your customers in real-time, which can help you improve your approach as you go.
Print Ads
While a lot more people might scroll through social media than read newspapers and magazines these days, there are still a lot of people who do enjoy these more traditional media forms. They are particularly popular amongst older adults, as well as in the waiting rooms of business establishments, which can make them particularly valuable for targeting the markets most likely to visit those spaces. Niche and hobbyist spaces still have some investment in magazines, as well, allowing companies that appeal to them a highly targeted means to reach their audience. One of the big benefits of print ads is longevity, as well, as these ads can be seen multiple times over days, even weeks, compared to digital ads, which may not appear again without a significant budget behind them.
Flyers & Leaflets
As simple as they might be, posting flyers or handing out leaflets is still a highly effective way to get your marketing into the hands of a local audience. Compared to most other forms of traditional marketing, leaflet printing is highly cost-effective. They can be distributed at events, posted in mailboxes, or handed out in busy areas, allowing you to build your local brand recognition, as well as providing an opportunity to communicate your key messages quickly and directly. High-quality printing is vital for ensuring that you get the compelling visuals you need to assure your audience of the professionalism of your business. Make sure you include a clear call to action, too, whether it’s to generate leads, drive foot traffic, or simply make people more aware of your brand.
Billboards
While getting your brand up on a billboard might be significantly more expensive than getting it printed out, it still remains one of the most effective ways to get a lot of attention on your brand in the real world. There are more people driving than ever before, so getting your billboard in a high-traffic area can result in constant brand visibility and reinforcement. What’s more, you even get the benefit of a captive audience, compared to digital ads which can often be skipped or blocked entirely. Billboards can guarantee you exposure to thousands of people daily. This makes them one of the forms of print advertising that’s good not just for local services, but broader product and service launches, as well.
Radio Advertising
Although it certainly may not be the dominant media form that it once was, radio is still a highly popular medium, especially for local businesses who are looking to target engaged audiences. Radio ads tend to be most popular during commuting hours, as a lot of people still have the radio on when they’re driving to or from work. Since people are more likely to be actively engaged in listening to the radio on the road, they may be more likely to take note of your ad, as well. Of course, this is even more effective with a well-scripted ad that is audially engaging and has a strong message your audience is likely to remember.
Local TV
Just like radio, while TV might be losing more bandwidth to streaming services and general online content consumption, there are still a lot of people who watch live TV. It can be particularly influential for local businesses, who can get space on local stations. TV ads provide a multi-sensory experience, combining visuals, sound, and storytelling, which make them much more engaging than ads that use visuals or sound alone. Working with a video production company, you can ensure that your brand, products, and services are represented as compellingly as possible. While national TV ads can be expensive, local TV advertising offers affordable options with high engagement rates. Consumers still trust television as a source of information, making it a valuable tool for building credibility and brand recognition within a community.
Event Marketing
If you want access to an audience that is much more likely to be interested in what your business offers, then attending local trade shows and conferences that are relevant to your business could be an essential part of your marketing mission. Few spaces allow you to reach your target audience quite as directly. These spaces give you the chance to set up a booth or pop-up shop, to demonstrate the benefits of your products and services, and to interact with potential customers in a way that’s a lot more memorable and personal. What’s more, if you bring some free swag with you, then it gives you the opportunity to plant your brand in their daily lives. Just make sure that you choose freebies that your audience in particular is likely to use.
Press Releases
Your business should know a PR opportunity when it arises. Whether it’s in winning an industry award, completing a major project, a charity event, product launch, opening a new space, or otherwise, writing press releases is a good way to get the word out there, being spread by those with an interest in your industry. However, while many companies focus on only digital press releases, traditional media outreach can still be highly valuable, as well. Newspapers, magazines, and television stations still rely on press releases to discover new stories and industry developments. A well-crafted press release sent to the right journalists can result in high-impact media coverage, reaching a broad audience and boosting brand authority.
The Importance Of Traditional Marketing
As rapid as the growth of digital marketing may be, traditional methods do still have advantages of their own to offer. The benefits of tangible marketing materials in the hands of the consumer, direct human interaction, and the personal approach are not something that the digital world is able to replicate easily. Having a brand presence in the real world lends a sense of authenticity and trust, whereas it’s easy for anyone to set up a digital ad campaign, even companies that don’t really exist. What’s more, not all consumers spend their time online, and traditional marketing allows businesses to reach demographics that may be less engaged with social media or search engines.
The return-on-investment of physical marketing methods and the ability to reach audiences in spaces your competitors might be neglecting offers you a real advantage. Consider the methods above and which best fit your business and audience.
the task of promoting your business, it’s easy nowadays to focus on the digital technology that drives online conversions, neglecting traditional marketing methods as a result. There’s no doubt that digital marketing offers excellent reach and precise targeting, but your customers exist in the physical world, too. Neglecting to get your brand in front of them could see you missing opportunities to reach oft-overlooked audiences, as well as giving your brand a chance to compete with the thousands of voices vying for attention online. Here, we’re going to look at some of the best traditional marketing methods and what you should be careful not to forget them.
Snail Mail
Despite the somewhat dismissive nickname it has gained over the years, traditional direct mail marketing remains not just as a powerful tool for reaching consumers, but it offers some of the best return on investment, period. While it’s a lot easier to send marketing emails to thousands of people at once, it’s a lot harder to get them to open it once it’s in their inbox, if it makes it past their junk folder. Physical mail is a lot more likely to be opened than email as a result, and it gives your business a tangible presence in the consumer’s hands, which establishes a trust and legitimacy compared to email marketing, which can come across as lower effort.
Cold Calls
While not well suited to all businesses, and considered outdated by some, cold calling can be a highly valuable tool in some markets, especially for companies that sell business to business. By picking up the phone for a direct conversation, you can engage in real-time interaction, answering the questions your audience has while providing a personal touch that is more likely to see your audience remember you. That said, cold calls are best made with preparation, with the best leads that are most likely to convert, a focus on your audience’s needs, a compelling pitch, and an approach to customer relationship building over aggressive sales tactics.
Going Door-To-Door
Although even more old fashioned than cold calling, and significantly more demanding of your team’s time and labour, door-to-door marketing offers direct, immediate, and personal engagement with your potential customers. This approach typically works best for businesses who are trying to establish a local presence, whether you have a store in the area, or are trying to increase brand recognition with potential clients in your service area. Many customers do appreciate the effort and authenticity of an in-person visit, which can make them a lot more likely to engage with you face-to-face, rather than on the phone or through easily-ignored digital marketing messages. It also gives you the chance to solicit feedback from your customers in real-time, which can help you improve your approach as you go.
Print Ads
While a lot more people might scroll through social media than read newspapers and magazines these days, there are still a lot of people who do enjoy these more traditional media forms. They are particularly popular amongst older adults, as well as in the waiting rooms of business establishments, which can make them particularly valuable for targeting the markets most likely to visit those spaces. Niche and hobbyist spaces still have some investment in magazines, as well, allowing companies that appeal to them a highly targeted means to reach their audience. One of the big benefits of print ads is longevity, as well, as these ads can be seen multiple times over days, even weeks, compared to digital ads, which may not appear again without a significant budget behind them.
Flyers & Leaflets
As simple as they might be, posting flyers or handing out leaflets is still a highly effective way to get your marketing into the hands of a local audience. Compared to most other forms of traditional marketing, leaflet printing is highly cost-effective. They can be distributed at events, posted in mailboxes, or handed out in busy areas, allowing you to build your local brand recognition, as well as providing an opportunity to communicate your key messages quickly and directly. High-quality printing is vital for ensuring that you get the compelling visuals you need to assure your audience of the professionalism of your business. Make sure you include a clear call to action, too, whether it’s to generate leads, drive foot traffic, or simply make people more aware of your brand.
Billboards
While getting your brand up on a billboard might be significantly more expensive than getting it printed out, it still remains one of the most effective ways to get a lot of attention on your brand in the real world. There are more people driving than ever before, so getting your billboard in a high-traffic area can result in constant brand visibility and reinforcement. What’s more, you even get the benefit of a captive audience, compared to digital ads which can often be skipped or blocked entirely. Billboards can guarantee you exposure to thousands of people daily. This makes them one of the forms of print advertising that’s good not just for local services, but broader product and service launches, as well.
Radio Advertising
Although it certainly may not be the dominant media form that it once was, radio is still a highly popular medium, especially for local businesses who are looking to target engaged audiences. Radio ads tend to be most popular during commuting hours, as a lot of people still have the radio on when they’re driving to or from work. Since people are more likely to be actively engaged in listening to the radio on the road, they may be more likely to take note of your ad, as well. Of course, this is even more effective with a well-scripted ad that is audially engaging and has a strong message your audience is likely to remember.
Local TV
Just like radio, while TV might be losing more bandwidth to streaming services and general online content consumption, there are still a lot of people who watch live TV. It can be particularly influential for local businesses, who can get space on local stations. TV ads provide a multi-sensory experience, combining visuals, sound, and storytelling, which make them much more engaging than ads that use visuals or sound alone. Working with a video production company, you can ensure that your brand, products, and services are represented as compellingly as possible. While national TV ads can be expensive, local TV advertising offers affordable options with high engagement rates. Consumers still trust television as a source of information, making it a valuable tool for building credibility and brand recognition within a community.
Event Marketing
If you want access to an audience that is much more likely to be interested in what your business offers, then attending local trade shows and conferences that are relevant to your business could be an essential part of your marketing mission. Few spaces allow you to reach your target audience quite as directly. These spaces give you the chance to set up a booth or pop-up shop, to demonstrate the benefits of your products and services, and to interact with potential customers in a way that’s a lot more memorable and personal. What’s more, if you bring some free swag with you, then it gives you the opportunity to plant your brand in their daily lives. Just make sure that you choose freebies that your audience in particular is likely to use.
Press Releases
Your business should know a PR opportunity when it arises. Whether it’s in winning an industry award, completing a major project, a charity event, product launch, opening a new space, or otherwise, writing press releases is a good way to get the word out there, being spread by those with an interest in your industry. However, while many companies focus on only digital press releases, traditional media outreach can still be highly valuable, as well. Newspapers, magazines, and television stations still rely on press releases to discover new stories and industry developments. A well-crafted press release sent to the right journalists can result in high-impact media coverage, reaching a broad audience and boosting brand authority.
The Importance Of Traditional Marketing
As rapid as the growth of digital marketing may be, traditional methods do still have advantages of their own to offer. The benefits of tangible marketing materials in the hands of the consumer, direct human interaction, and the personal approach are not something that the digital world is able to replicate easily. Having a brand presence in the real world lends a sense of authenticity and trust, whereas it’s easy for anyone to set up a digital ad campaign, even companies that don’t really exist. What’s more, not all consumers spend their time online, and traditional marketing allows businesses to reach demographics that may be less engaged with social media or search engines.
The return-on-investment of physical marketing methods and the ability to reach audiences in spaces your competitors might be neglecting offers you a real advantage. Consider the methods above and which best fit your business and audience.