Marketing has shifted dramatically since Google, Amazon, and other convention-bending corporations emerged. But the ultimate purpose of marketing is the same as it was decades ago: To get your products or services to your target market. You want to guide consumers through the multiple-step process of making a purchase.
Successful small business marketing requires you to develop (and regularly modify) strategies for communicating, interacting, and building connections with existing and potential customers. Then, you must maintain those relationships.
There’s no denying the importance of digital marketing in this day and age, but traditional marketing methods are still proving to help companies achieve growth and long-term success. In this blog post shared by Zumvu, we’ll discuss various marketing options and provide simple tips for how you can incorporate them into your team’s functions:
While Google played a critical role in disrupting marketing, the digital revolution made perhaps a greater impact. Most traditional marketing and advertising strategies are going digital, even extending to digital, animated, and interactive billboards.
The reasons are clear: digital marketing, especially when an interactive element is involved, provides new ways of targeting and communicating with audiences. Social media, for example, is an excellent way to connect with customers. And thanks to online tools, you can create a Facebook ad in a short amount of time (using pre-made templates). This means you can quickly put together a campaign and see the impact almost immediately.
Not surprisingly, most of the marketing campaigns you see today revolve around a robust digital strategy. But the most impactful campaigns combine digital and traditional elements to create integrated marketing. Not surprisingly, executing an integrated strategy can help you maximize your outcomes.
It’s difficult to overstate the importance of building and maintaining a professional network. Some experts would even argue that your network is more valuable than your financial assets in regard to long-term success. And the smaller your company is, the more crucial it is to cultivate your network. Your direct and indirect contacts and relationships will prove to be the primary driver of bringing in new clients, customers, and partners.
These days, a large portion of networking occurs on social media and other digital channels. But as a small business owner, you will want to constantly seek ways to strengthen and expand your in-person network by attending events “in real life.”
This means going to trade shows, industry conferences, award events, seminars, workshops, etc. Furthermore, look for networking groups related to your industry and/or community to start connecting with other professionals and business owners, exchanging ideas, and trading services.
When many people think of traditional marketing, this is what comes to mind. Using printed marketing materials can still help businesses of all sizes reach new audiences and boost sales. If you run a service-based company, you might see an influx of clients if you create attractive flyers to hand out around town and leave at other local businesses. If you haven't created any flyers yet or are uncertain about how to make a flyer, you can utilize a free online flyer maker to easily design professional flyers. These tools let you customize pre-made templates so that they accurately reflect your brand and messaging.
Depending on what kind of business you run, you might benefit from taking out a billboard on one of your town’s major highways as well. And don’t hesitate to create vibrant yard signs for your customers to display in front of their homes!
Making business cards is another way to get the word out about your business. This type of tangible asset offers customers something that digital marketing cannot offer: something to hold in their hands.
Business cards can make a positive and lasting impression on your audience by giving them something to touch and feel, in turn leaving your company top of mind. Additionally, you can even make your own digital business cards with the help of companies like Zumvu.
Becoming a sponsor can go a long way in boosting your business’s visibility and image. And any type of company can benefit from sponsorship. Being a sponsor leads to visibility for your small business, and it can do wonders for improving your image.
On a corporate scale, one of the best examples of sponsorship is when Felix Baumgartner flew 39 kilometers into the sky and parachuted back to land. The sponsor was Red Bull, and it earned the brand much more media coverage and generated many more sales than any paid media campaign would have accomplished.
On the local level, sponsoring a community event or a local sports team can keep your brand name top of mind among residents. It can bring more traffic to your business, but it can also solidify you as an integral part of the community as a whole.
You can start a customer loyalty program whether you sell products or services. This is another excellent tactic for increasing foot traffic while also growing your online presence (if that’s a goal). And when you use customer relationship management (CRM) software, your loyalty program will be much more efficient, easier to manage, and more professional. Consider Amazon Prime.
Consumers love this loyalty program so much that they pay an annual fee to use it. Along with unprecedented delivery time, excellent customer support, access to on-demand video and music, and many other perks, Amazon Prime is a shining example of a model that works.
Start by finding CRM software that your team can operate to provide users with a top-notch experience. Then, gradually add loyalty management to your processes. Even if you don’t use CRM tools, you can develop an impactful loyalty program, even if it is as simple as giving your customers cards to receive stamps for each purchase and incentives after they make a certain number of purchases.
Businesses of all sizes must embrace digital marketing if they hope to pave the way to long-term success. But that doesn’t mean you should throw traditional marketing, like designing flyers or brochures, out the window because it can still help your company grow.
The best approach is to integrate both traditional and digital marketing initiatives to develop a strategy that maximizes your reach and influence. The information and advice above can go a long way in helping you start strong. But keep learning about tried-and-true traditional marketing methods that can propel your small business forward.
