When you think of “today’s marketing,” you think of terms like email marketing, social media, responsive web design and SEO. These new-age tactics tend to cloud our memory of a simpler time before digital marketing became top priority. Gone are the days where a business’s choices consisted of only television, radio, billboards or print advertising.
While we’re certainly moving farther away from needing traditional media in our required marketing efforts, there are a few methods and tactics from the past that have stood the test of time and remain relevant to businesses’ goals.
Take a modern spin on these old school, yet still effective, marketing tactics and revive them into your marketing practices!
Testimonials
Word-of-mouth advertising is one of the most effective types of advertising. That is still as true today as the day it was first said, and testimonials are the epitome of word of mouth. Nowadays, testimonials take their form as reviews online through rating websites like Yelp and social media, which allows customers to have countless opportunities to share how they feel about your business.
Take advantage of the positive testimonials from your customers and add them to your website and marketing materials. This is a fantastic way to generate new business and position yourself as being dependable, reliable and providing a high-quality product/service.
Slogans/Taglines
“Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.”
“Just do it.”
“There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard.”
These are some examples of powerful, catchy slogans from brands recognized worldwide. These short, to-the-point statements have always been important in marketing, and today they still build excitement and spell out your brand’s strength and personality.
Our tagline is “Building Brands for Good,” and we believe this speaks to audiences in more ways than one. Not only do we build a strong foundation for brands through our work, but we strive to give them a positive image to their audience for years to come. Sound good? We agree.
Conferences/Events
There has been talk about conferences becoming obsolete, but we couldn’t disagree more. For example: In the WordPress community, WordCamps and Meetups are not only a great way to network with other WordPress professionals but they also provide an opportunity to meet with potential clients who could use your services. Also, networking has become more and more important over the years, and events offer the perfect environment to get your name out there where it matters most (and meet other businesses who could refer you to one of their clients). If going to networking events and conferences isn’t on your 2017 business goals, we strongly recommend you add this to your list! For starters, come to our next All Things WordPress Meetup! We would love to introduce you to some folks who could help your business.
Contests
According to a study from Kickoff Labs, new campaigns acquire a 34% increase in their audience when a business runs a contest. Even if there’s a high attrition after the campaign comes to a close, you audience engagement is still higher than it was to start. Contests are one of the oldest marketing tactics on this list, but it has proven itself worthy to sat relevant today. Of course, unlike the early days where you fill out a form and mail it into a PO Box, you can have this contest completely digitalized and integrate social sharing as a part of submission.
It’s simple: People love a chance to win something, and if your business can be the one offering them this opportunity, you will have participants. Whether it’s a free product, service or something irrelevant to your business (like a cruise), consider holding a contest to grow your list of leads!
Just because you are using “old school” marketing tactics, it doesn’t mean you’re taking a step back in your marketing. Like we said earlier, they have proven they can stand the test of time and can be just as engaging as that flashy new app your competitor dropped a boatload of money on. Bottom line: do what’s right for your business, regardless of when the tactic was/is popular.
To learn more about traditional marketing tactics, contact GreenMellen Media today!
