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At a time when everyone is rushing toward technology in marketing, this might be the perfect moment to look backward a little. So give some old school marketing techniques a try, and watch the game become a little more interesting.
The Rush to Digital Marketing
Most businesses focus their marketing squarely on digital techniques and channels, and with good reason. Digital marketing can be cost-effective and produce unparalleled results.
Moreover, the thing most business owners love about digital marketing is the fact that it is measurable. You can spend $100 on Facebook ads and measure the number of clicks. You can track your goals in Google Analytics and count your number of sales through a system like Shopify. What business owner wouldn’t want to measure their return on investment to that extent?
A Downside to Digital Marketing
There is, however, a downside to digital marketing. Actually, there are a few. The first is that not everyone is good at it.
While many of the techniques and channels of digital marketing can yield impressive measurable results, much of the time the people who are trying to do the marketing are not properly trained. Therefore, they are not using the tools in the right way.
This leads to a lot of wasted money and more. Things like SEO can be deadly to a business if done wrong. Moreover, brands can be damaged forever by a single tweet if the tweeter doesn’t know what they are doing.
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Another issue is that everyone else is doing it, too. Yes, Facebook advertising is great when it’s done well. But your competitors are all targeting the same people you are. Of course, ranking top in organic search is amazing. But if five other companies are all spending a fortune on SEO to get there, you can find yourself in a costly war of attrition.
This is not to say that you shouldn’t use these techniques, because you really should. However, you might have some latitude to try a few other things as well.
Going Old School
For example, at a time when everyone is rushing toward technology in marketing, this might be the perfect moment to look backward a little. Give some old school marketing techniques a try, and watch the game become a little more interesting.
Branded Products and Gifts
One of the simplest approaches to old school marketing is to have some items made with your company logo on them. Companies such as https://actionpromote.co.uk/can produce pretty much anything with your business information on it. What’s more, those products can work really well when you give them to potential customers.
The first thing to remember is that, like most old school marketing, this isn’t measurable. People have tried using QR codes on products to measure traffic. But let’s face it, no one uses QR codes. Therefore, if you decide to spend money on this kind of branding you should do so with no expectation of being able to measure the return on your investment.
Aiming for “Top of Mind”
However, if done well, this kind of old school marketing can get your brand in front of a lot of people over a long period of time.
For example, people love reusable water bottles. Everyone wants one these days. So give them away at conferences and trade shows, and you will have a large number of people looking at your logo every single day for months or even years. That’s pretty good “top of mind” advertising.
The key to this kind of old school marketing is to get these things in front of the people who actually need what your company sells.
Targeting Well with Old School Marketing
There will always be moochers who are looking for something for nothing. However, if you choose your targets well you can make a big impression, even with old school marketing.
For example, high-end notebooks with your logo on them are a great way to get your logo into a boardroom. Also, try branded clothing, cycling gear, and golf gear. The possibilities are endless, and branded mugs and pens don’t need to be your only old school go-to.
Getting Ahead of Your Digitally Minded Competitors
What is really interesting here is that while many of your competitors will be hammering away at digital marketing alongside you, you might be able to get the drop on them with a run of well-made, well-targeted corporate gifts. This kind of old school marketing is not a fool-proof method, but it is tried and tested and it does work.
Print Advertising
Print is dead, yes, and certainly it is old school. We all know that. But it is still bumbling on, and it hasn’t yet shuffled off this marketing coil. Of course, readership numbers are way down, and the big papers are fighting to save themselves online before they all go under. But there are still readers of magazines out there.
In addition to the diehard print reader, there is also a resurgence of glossy magazines intended for a long shelf life. For instance, take a look at https://cherrybombe.com/and others. The idea here is not a quick read and a trip to the recycling bin. These publications hang around for months, even years.
Lots of Eyeballs with Old School Techniques
Therefore, purchasing some ad space in them can be very useful. They get handed around from person to person and end up being read by people’s guests. What’s more, they often wind up in high-end waiting rooms where potentially thousands of people might read them.
Local and Other Specialty Publications
Magazine advertising is a form of old school marketing that used to cost the earth. Also, once again, it isn’t really measurable.
But these days there is a lot of room to haggle. The trick is to learn what their artwork specs are. Also, find out the print deadline, then wait until fairly close to deadline before you start to negotiate.
And don’t forget about the local and lifestyle magazines. These publications are desperate to sell space, and they will take some low ball offers at the right moment. It is certainly a buyers’ market out there.
Also, business publications like https://www.platinumpublishing.co.uk/can be great place to purchase an entire page for a reasonable cost. A lot of people still read specialist magazines like this, so if those people are in your target market this could be a great solution for you.
Old School Marketing: Still Working After All These Years
By considering some old school marketing ideas you could reach plenty of your potential customers, especially if your competitors have moved on to digital marketing only.
In other words, thinking outside the box doesn’t always have to mean looking ahead. Give old school marketing a try and see what happens.