Have you heard? Traditional marketing is dead. I know, sounds pretty dramatic right? Well before you put on your best black suit, think again.
It turns out that reports of traditional marketing’s death have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, the opposite is true. Traditional marketing is alive and well, and you ignore it at your own risk. Now online marketing, SEO, and social media are all extremely important. Moving with the times allows you to stay on the cutting edge of modern business. But you shouldn’t let that stop you from using the tried and tested techniques that have served businesses well for years.
Here are some traditional marketing techniques that you can’t afford to ignore.
Direct mail.
When was the last time you sent physical mail to your customers? Many new and small business neglect this entirely. They focus solely on email mailing lists and social media to take care of their direct marketing. But direct mail, as well as leaflets and newsletters, can make a big difference to your business. Just make sure that you’re producing professional materials with reputable print and mail services.
Storytelling.
This is a marketing technique even some well-established business sometimes ignore. The key to this type of marketing is, rather than just providing facts and figures, to weave them into a narrative. By doing this well, you can create a significant emotional investment from your customer. This draws the customer in, in ways that few other marketing strategies can manage. Customers like to think of companies as the people who make them up. By using storytelling, you can do just that. Give your customers a glimpse into the real heart of the business.
Point-of-purchase.
Point-of-purchase (or POP) marketing is exactly what it sounds like. This is where you can entice your customers to make extra purchases when they’re already buying something else. One of the major benefits of POP marketing is that you already have a captive audience. Think about it; the customer is already there. If you’re running, for example, a retail store then they’re already at the checkout. Letting them know about offers and discounts as they check out. This way they become much more likely to make some extra impulse purchases on top of what they’ve already bought.
Word of mouth.
This is probably one of the most effective, not to mention the oldest, marketing technique there is. Not only is it free but it’s remarkably powerful. A recommendation from a friend or relative carries much more weight than advertising. The people in our lives have a built-in credibility that lends weight to what they’re saying. Not only that but the more people it reaches, the faster it can spread. It really can’t be overstated how useful word of mouth is.
The best thing about these traditional marketing techniques is how well they transfer to modern business practices. POP marketing works brilliantly on your businesses online store. And utilities online reviews is a great way to spread your business through word of mouth. By combining old and new techniques, your business is sure to succeed.