Everything is digital these days. Marketing seems to be the most effective when it is done in a digital way from start to finish. The traditional marketing models are dead.
Or are they?
There is no doubt that digital marketing is the best way to build a brand or grow a business. The model is great as it is efficient as it is effective especially with so many people connected to their phones. But there are times when taking marketing back to the old ways does make a lot of sense. There are still some things that can be done offline that pay dividends.
Like most things, it pays to have a well rounded plan that doesn’t rely too much on one way or another.
In this article, I will go over several ways that digital marketing can be more effective with some analog marketing thrown in for good measure.
Swag still works
Everybody loves free stuff. Think about how many times you see somebody wearing a shirt with a corporate logo on it. And I don’t mean brands that make apparel. I mean a local construction company or a software start up.
Any company can benefit from casting a wide net when it comes to branding. And getting things like shirts, personalized pens and other freebies in the hands of people is a great way to do this.
Start out by getting wholesale t-shirts printed with a fun graphic and clear branding and then encourage your workers to wear them and give them to friends and family.
Direct mail
If I had a dollar for every time somebody says that direct mail is dead, I wouldn’t be writing this article. I would be sipping mojitos on a beach somewhere counting my money.
Direct mail is an incredibly effective marketing tool. Especially nowadays with how much detailed information you can get about your ideal market.
Just to be clear, we are not talking about the same type of junk mail that clogs people’s mailboxes and gets them annoyed. That’s a sure way to turn people off of your brand and marketing effort.
Instead, I am talking about mail that is targeted well so people that get it see the value in it immediately and are happy to receive these types of offers. People don’t mind being marketed to when they feel like it benefits them or solves a problem they are having.
Networking
Networking is as important as ever and should not be ignored.
Shaking hands and putting a face to a brand is extremely important. People want to connect with businesses that are easy to identify and have a human aspect to it. If your brand is not humaized in any way, then you’re not likely to create many fans of your offerings.
When you network with other people and businesses, you create a symbiotic relationship in which you help others and they help you.
This creates goodwill and puts your brand in the best possible light. Join organizations that sponsor networking events. If you have a product as your business, then do trade shows that put brands and consumers together.