As any business owner knows, social media and online websites have radically changed how products are marketed. It is incredibly easy to target specific audiences, and the potential consumer pool is larger than it has ever been. Still, there are many traditional marketing techniques that have proven the test of time.
1. Community engagement
Events are a great way to get customers to interact with a new product or engage with a brand. As a business owner, they also help by showing which products resonate most with customers.
One option is hosting an event at the business location, such as an open mic night or art show. Another option is renting a booth at a local festival or sporting event where staff members can display products or hand out business cards. Consider events that resonate with the brand. For example, an athletic wear company could reach new customers at sporting events and an Eco-conscious brand would find success at Earth Day events.
2. Signage
The saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” doesn’t apply when it comes to storefronts. This is the first impression customers will have of a business, and the appearance will either encourage them to step inside or send them heading in another direction.
Keep windows cleaned, pressure wash sidewalks and maintain the landscaping. Make sure customers have an easy idea of where to park if needed, and use signs that are easy to read. The signage should reflect the brand, so take the time to select the right fonts and artwork for display. One way to take signage a step further is by incorporating artwork or humorous phrases that grab people’s attention.
3. Print advertisements
Print still has value in the increasingly online world of marketing. Not only do print ads help legitimize a business, but they also have a longer shelf life than traditional online ads. Consider placing an ad in a local newspaper, community newsletter or local magazine.
Flyers are another great way to build brand awareness in a competitive market. They can be placed in strategic locations or handed out to consumers directly. Take advantage of this method by including custom website links or QR codes that can help track the effectiveness of the print ads.
4. Promotions
This marketing technique is a tried and true method to get people in the door. There are many promotions to choose from. Options include offering items in limited quantities to a certain number of guests, offering buy-one get-one free deals or offering a discount on larger purchases.
Business owners that rely on online sales should consider offering promotions such as free shipping or email discounts for new buyers. Another great option is offering discounts to customers who refer friends or family online. This method keeps the dedicated happy while potentially reaching new customers.
5. Networking
Not only do networking events help business owners get their name out there, but they also help connect people with top talent in their area. Make sure to come to these events prepared with business cards to hand out, and plan to meet with others who work in the same field. Some event attendees may be able to dispense valuable advice that can help take the business off the ground.
Conferences serve as great networking events, and they often bring in panelists who can dispense valuable advice. Other conferences host special training sessions on a variety of topics.
At the and of the day, all of these marketing techniques help link customers with business owners for valuable face-to-face time. This type of interaction can lead to positive experiences that people share and in turn help grow a dedicated audience.
Technology continues to disrupt many industries, none more so than marketing.
Consequently, there are now quite a few differences in marketing tactics.
Where once print, television and radio dominated the marketing world, now the action and growth are in the digital or “online” world.
It’s a different type of marketing than in the past, however, and requires a specific set of skills to achieve success.Both traditional and digital marketing remain important for success in a competitive marketplace.
Blending the two has become crucial.
And the size of the business or organization no longer matters.
There is much discussion in the present atmosphere about whether conventional or advanced publicizing is the best strategy to acquire new clients and close more deals.
These advertisements keep running on radio and TV, just as in magazines, papers, nearby periodicals and through mailers.
Nielsen reports that 47 percent of reviewed buyers around the globe trust TV, radio and paper advertisements to be believable.
While this number is presently higher than certain types of computerized publicizing, it has been on a consistent decrease, with drops of 24 and 20 percent in 2011 and 2010, separately.The way to the descending pattern of conventional promoting strategy is an adjustment in by and large socioeconomics.
Since these individuals are bound to trust and identify with advanced strategies for publicizing, you can perceive how conventional techniques for promoting are inclining off course.
The TV is as yet the most well-known type of publicizing, yet specialists anticipate that advanced advertisements should reach and overwhelm TV inside the following five years.What Is Digital Marketing?Advanced promoting includes all types of web advertising, from internet based life pages and business sites to web crawler and standard advertisements.
