There has been tremendous growth in digital marketing in recent times with marketers turning to AI to predict consumer behavior.
A number of small and medium businesses have tended to concentrate their marketing efforts on social media, pop-up ads, websites, and email lists. While some of these methods have been effective in attracting valuable customers, others haven’t worked so well.
Many businesses haven’t hesitated in abandoning traditional marketing methods with the belief that they are outdated. Yet, evidence suggests that modern marketing methods are successful only around 20 percent.
That’s why it’s important that small business owners don’t abandon the original marketing strategies that still work to this day. Here are 3 old-school marketing strategies you should still be using.
1. Flyers
If you’re a local business, you may want to lean toward using flyers instead chasing down customers for business on the internet. It’s such a traditional way of marketing, yet it’s effective because it can be less competitive. People are bombarded with ads and offers on the internet which causes them to start to ignore it.
Instead, focus on building relationships in the community and putting up flyers in high-traffic and targeted areas. Be sure to include the details of your product, service, or event and offer or coupon code if you have a website. Putting up flyers is cheap outside of production costs because in most cases, you don’t have to pay for the ad space
2. Word of Mouth Referrals
Word of mouth referrals will always be an effective marketing tool. People want to hear recommendations from other people to help validate the business they are considering giving their money to.
This is why reputation and customer service are so important. When you’re looking for a restaurant or product, you will most likely head online to look for reviews or ask people you know who have tried it before for their recommendation.
In order to maximize your word of mouth referrals to boost your business, consider offering customer or client reviews on your website or encourage people to leave a Google review.
You can also encourage people to refer you to their friends and family or create an affiliate program for people to promote if they like your products and services. A generous gesture would be to send $5 gift cards to people who refer you to others to thank them.
3. Product Demonstrations
Product demos are fun and engaging. Consider setting up a booth at an event or expo to promote your business and hold a mini-workshop and pass out information.
Compare costs and event information to see where you’d get the most ROI. Be sure to choose an event where you know your target audience will be attending. This is a great way to engage with others and be hands on about marketing your business. It’s also more memorable than a Facebook ad or email campaign.
Summary
No matter the advancement in technology, these marketing hacks are expected to remain in use for a long time to come. If you’ve hit a wall with marketing, be sure to try these out and track your results!
