These days, marketing may seem to be all about websites and social media. That’s true whether you’re selling a fancy new product or offering a service like mediation or business consultation. But as important as these are for a modern business, they aren’t the only marketing techniques available. In fact, you should recall and use a few tried-and-true methods that can give your business a boost. Read on to learn more in this article presented by Habit Stacker.
Getting Started
Even if you don’t operate your own marketing business, understanding the basics of marketing is a necessity for any business owner. While digital marketing will likely be the primary focus of your marketing efforts, that doesn’t mean you should disregard more traditional marketing practices.
Paper Galore
First, think paper galore. It’s not out of date. In fact, it can keep your business front and center before your customers’ eyes. Print up a set of posters or fliers, for instance, and hang them up around town. Create some handy business cards, too, and pass them out freely. You can even make some card stock yard signs and ask friends and relatives to display them for you.
Mailings For Your Customers
You might also consider sending out traditional mailings to your customers. Build a mailing list, and send out a postcardevery so often. You can use the card as a simple reminder that your business exists, or you could offer a special coupon or promotion. You might even remind customers of appointments or previous purchases, or invite them to stop in to see what’s new.
Old-Fashioned Ads
Don’t neglect old-fashioned ads, either. Pay for a spot in a local newspaper for a couple of weeks, or run some ads on local radio or television stations. These don’t have to be fancy or high-budget, but they will give your business more visibility. You could rent billboard space for a while, too, and paste up an oversized ad.
Word Of Mouth
Word of mouth can be one of your best marketing tools, and it starts with customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers tell others, so make sure your customers are happy. You can encourage recommendations by offering promotions for loyal customers who send new customers to your business, but don’t forget to simply ask customers to spread the word.
Going Door To Door In The Neighborhood
If you want to reach your neighbors and let them know about your small business, there’s no better way than knocking on doors and doing some old-fashioned door-to-door marketing. This is especially effective if your business is located in a neighborhood with a high walk score, since people are more than likely to visit your establishment on a regular basis since it’s within walking distance. When you’re knocking on doors, be sure to have a friendly demeanor and be respectful of people’s time. You might even want to prepare a short pitch beforehand so you can make the most of each conversation. With a little effort, you can introduce your business to dozens or even hundreds of potential customers.
Slogans And Promotions
Many of these traditional marketing techniques require creative slogans and valuable promotions, so you should be good at coming up with both of these. Keep your slogans short, catchy, and reflective of your business. Some may be seasonal and others more general, but they should all be appealing and memorable.
Promotions, too, should appeal to your customers. They might be as simple as regular coupons either sent to your customer base or handed out in stores or through advertising. You might also run seasonal specials, come up with interesting sales, or even start a customer rewards program through which customers can earn points and turn them in for rewards or discounts.
A Few Tools
Finally, keep in mind that there are plenty of tools available to help you with your more traditional marketing strategies. If you’re creating business cards, for instance, you can use a free online business card maker that allows you to customize your business card design with a style, color, and font that appeals to you. You can add your own logo and text as well. There are templates and tools available for posters, flyers, and postcards, too.
Oldies But Goodies
You can’t lose with marketing techniques that are oldies but goodies, from sending out postcards to going door to door in your neighborhood. These methods are tried and true, and they still work, so incorporate some of them into your marketing right away.