When creating a startup, almost every young entrepreneur is thinking solely about digital marketing. In this digital world, with effective avenues for marketing such as PPC, virility, and social media, it’s normal that this has become a buzz phrase. But there’s a catch – your digital tunnel vision might actually be killing your marketing efforts.
The fact that we’re living in a social media-obsessed world has easily tricked us into spending all of our resources and time on social media strategy, SEO, Google AdWords, etc. In the process, we forget that old school marketing strategies are still capable of boasting an equal or sometimes even greater rate of return. Their biggest strength lies in active engagement, compared to the passive one of retweets and likes.
We’re not saying that digital marketing is ineffective, but that traditional one is far from dead, and that they could go hand in hand. The market of the digital world is incredibly saturated and it’s starting to be very difficult to gain a foothold. With an astonishing 72 hours of footage uploaded to Youtube every minute and millions of users updating their Facebook all the time, it’s easy for your efforts to get lost in this vast competition. That’s why you should take some time off the keyboard and consider immortal old school marketing strategies – we’re gonna show you how they can provide customers with the rush they want.
Bigger Than Boundaries
Since the times when billboards were mainly hand-painted images on canvas, their marketing effectiveness hasn’t dropped. Actually, going a long way from highways to hallways, they’ve established themselves as one of the most common marketing strategies. Using less text and more images, they’re the embodiment of the saying ʽa picture is worth a thousand wordsʼ. We all know that compelling images are crucial for raising brand awareness and having a great billboard ad cannot be overlooked. The reason why billboards will never go obsolete lies mainly in their size – in times when people look at images on their mobile devices coming across a larger sign is quite refreshing. But they’re also bigger than geographical boundaries and able to reach across social classes.
Face Behind The Paper
Brochures and prints are still the most widely preferred methods for special offers and discounts. The reason lies in the fact that there’s no place where they can’t come in handy – malls, streets, brick-and-mortar establishments – you name it. One single business card has the ability to directly introduce your business to the client, so its value is undeniable. Thinking that hand-outs are not able to bring your business new growth opportunities would be a mistake – face to face marketing is highly interactive and therefore way more connective. It is much more easily absorbed than words on a screen and able to elicit stronger emotional reactions. That means greater reach and stronger responses, so nobody can say that print is dying. It is simply evolving, the mobile penetration aspect making it more distinctive. Quality is your best weapon so, as in the case of direct mail, printers are your biggest investment – make sure you choose the best one for your business needs.
The Envelope, The Stamp, The Mailman
Many people today refer to direct mail as ʽsnail mailʼ. They think print is slow, expensive, and dead. But the fact is that it has probably never been more alive. A study has shown that that only 45 percent of consumers will act immediately on emails, while direct mail holds the lead with 79 percent. And when you think about the fact that all those expensive digital ads have only .06 percent average click-through rate, it’s not difficult to conclude that direct mail is the perfect mix of effective and cheap. Its advantages lie in targeting a particular audience, personalization, and creativity. When you think about it, you’ll have to admit that catalogs have always had a special place in our hearts. These textured large images present a welcomed break from the chronic scrolling and are able to create a more tactile connection to the lifestyles we aspire to have. Furthermore, direct mail can be directly tied into your current digital marketing efforts – all it takes is to include a promo code that will introduce the recipients to your website.
Brief But Memorable Appearances
No matter if you want to showcase your services and products, diversified distribution channels, or new technologies, trade shows are the perfect opportunity to do it. Not only can they guarantee increased media coverage, but also represent opportunities for invaluable connections and life-changing business deals. Going a bit further in this hype-building, you can organize pop-ins and pop-ups. The strength of these exclusive and limited-time events lies in interactive experiences, celebrity appearances, and pre-release sneak peeks. Pop-in shops are practically stores within a store where the smaller brand is able to test their products in a brick-and-mortar space of the established retailer. Pop-up shops are more in the realm of guerilla marketing, being short-term retail locations created in unexpected spaces – street corners, parks, churches, warehouses, etc. This ʽweirdʼ environment invites customers to use many different senses and creates a sense of wonder around your brand. You could use any of these appearances to hand out promotional giveaways – water bottles, key chains, pens, bags, bumper stickers etc. – these physical items will circulate through a wider audience than the receiver so you’ll experience higher ROI.
Old school marketing strategies have been around for ages and people have gotten used to them. Their immortality lies in the power of human interaction and the fact that tangible physical items are able to evoke a sensation that will evolve into a lasting memory.