Technology has remarkably changed the marketing landscape by presenting many new ways to communicate with prospective customers. However, some traditional marketing techniques can still deliver a decent return on investment when applied correctly. This can make it difficult to know where to invest your energy, time and resources when it comes to marketing. So which marketing ideas have stood the test of time and can help you reach a wider audience?
Here are some tactics you can try.
1. DIRECT MAILER
Direct mail remains an effective way of getting people’s attention; one that still has a great return on investment. You can use physical mail to inform your audience of your promotions, new offers and products. To ensure your marketing efforts bear fruit, you should consider sending personalized messages to your individual clients. This will make them feel valued and appreciated, effectively increasing your chances of getting a strong reaction from them.
2. SPONSORSHIP OF A LOCAL EVENT
Sponsoring an event in your local community is a great way to boost exposure for your business. You can consider sponsoring a local sports team, business competition, art exhibition, school project or getting involved with a local charity drive. Some benefits you will enjoy include on-site presence, a chance to showcase your visual content, media mentions, consumer perception, an opportunity to connect with customers and access to customer mailing lists.
3. RESERVE SPACE AT LOCAL MARKETS OR CONVENTIONS
Business success is based on consumer knowledge. To grow your business, you need to get your name out there. Attending events related to your industry will give you a great opportunity to advertise your business and products. When it comes to trade shows and conventions, you should choose the right event, set up a memorable display, sharpen your networking skills and be prepared with business cards.
4. DIGITAL OR PRINT NEWSLETTERS
Whether printed or digital, you can use newsletters to share interesting and valuable information with your subscribers. The marketing tools will assist you in engaging your audience with company or product updates, business profile and employee spotlights. This will help you maintain relationships, educate readers and drive traffic to your website. When communicating with your existing customers and prospects, you should be personal and relevant.
5. NEXTDOOR APP OFFER
This local social media site allows people to share information with others in their neighborhood. Your business can use the app to engage with the community, run local deal ads and share special offers. The Nextdoor Offers feature allows you to promote your business on the app by posting messages that will benefit your potential customers such as discounts and promotions.
6. REFERRAL MARKETING
Using happy customers to spread the word about your business can be a great marketing strategy. Considering that 92 percent of customers trust referrals from people they know, you should incentivize satisfied customers to refer you. Some ideas you can consider are offering discounts, giving them a gift and rewarding them with promotional merchandise. This will encourage them to refer their friends, family members, neighbors and colleagues.
7. BILLBOARD
Compelling images can go a long way in helping you raise brand awareness. To make the most of this marketing mode, choose the right billboard locations, use graphics and deliver an idea that offers a meaningful benefit. However, billboards can get expensive month over month. As such, we recommend using one prominent billboard twice annually. When the goal is awareness, a billboard will work great and deliver impressive results.
8. BROCHURES AND FLYERS
Brochure and flyer handouts are an old but powerful marketing method. This form of advertising will help you spread your name, effectively contributing to the growth of your business. Customers are more likely to be persuaded to buy from you if the marketing materials include discounts or special offers.
Your local business should not abandon traditional marketing methods, especially as they get cheaper. Instead, you should combine traditional and digital marketing techniques. At GoEdison, our small business digital marketing experts will seek to understand your goals and needs before developing an effective strategy to help you improve your digital and traditional marketing efforts.
Contact us today if you’re interested in learning about more ideas on how to implement these marketing ideas.