That’s right! Contrary to popular belief, traditional marketing methods are making a comeback in a business world that, thanks to advances in technology, has almost solely adopted contemporary digital promotional methods. Don’t get me wrong, digital marketing is a definite way to attract a much broader spectrum of customers from areas around the world; but in terms of your local community, digital marketing just doesn’t compare.
To fully embrace the essence of traditional marketing, you need to look back to the good ol’ days, as the old-timers would say; back to a time when the Internet was unheard of. It is here that you will find the foundations for traditional marketing.
The newspaper and radio, for example, were a primary means of promotion at one point in time. If old man Jenkins was having a sale on color televisions, he’d raise officials down at the local newspaper to assist him in taking out an ad. Believe it or not, in a world where the newspaper is slowly being phased out, you would be surprised at how many business owners are still choosing to take out a local ad. That must mean that folks still enjoy reading the paper. The same goes for the radio. Who likes a quiet car ride to work? Nobody! This makes the radio a vital marketing asset when you consider that almost everyone that is on the road has got the radio playing.
One piece of traditional marketing that has flourished through the years and is still widely used, arrives in the form of promotional products. Three or four decades ago, promotional products were basically composed of business cards, pens, and baseball caps. Now though, well, let’s just say you can slap a logo on anything (literally!). From a basic tomato-shaped stress ball, to stainless steel sports bottles to a culturally-relevant recycled shopping tote, more and more printing companies are sprouting up that are just bustling with creativity, that feature a wide variety of diverse products.
Often overlooked, one of the tried-and-true methods of traditional marketing that still works wonders, even today, occurs sometimes without you even knowing it is occurring. I am referring to what is known as word-of-mouth advertising. Simply put, word-of-mouth advertising is basically talking, marketing of the mouth, gossip, etc. It is generally accepted that a good product or service will market itself. For instance, if you manage a salon that employs phenomenal massage therapists, and 100% of your customers walk away smiling, it is probably safe to assume that they would recommend your salon to anyone looking for a good massage.
Traditional marketing methods worked several years ago, and still work today. However, if you really want a concoction for success, try implementing a marketing campaign that incorporated both traditional and contemporary advertorial methods. In doing so, one can expect to attract new customers from as close as around the block, to halfway around the globe. As any business owner knows, more customers translates out to more revenue. Who couldn’t use more of that?
