Running a successful business doesn’t only require you to offer excellent products or services. It’s also necessary to get the word out about your business, bringing in new customers and encouraging them to continue to choose your brand. Getting the word out is what marketing is all about, but in the age of digital marketing it can sometimes feel more complicated than that.
While digital marketing is here to stay, there’s nothing wrong with using some more traditional marketing tactics to complement your digital strategy. Going back to basics can help you reach customers that may have been overlooked and allow you to engage with your audience in new ways.
Best of all, many traditional marketing strategies are cheap, meaning they don’t need to compete for space in your budget. Simply by investing your time and energy, you can up your marketing efforts and increase awareness of your brand within your local community.
Not sure where to start? Take a look at some of our favorite strategies below.
- Promote your business with a new mascot.
If your brand doesn’t already have a mascot, now is the time to create one and introduce it to the world. If you’re under the impression mascots should only be reserved for more youth-centric brands, think about the Geico lizard or the Michelin man.
Mascots are effective marketing tools for audiences of all ages because they allow customers to put a face to the entity they’re building a relationship with. In other words, a mascot can help you avoid becoming just another faceless business.
- Design a company blog that’s worth a read.
Even as platforms like Twitter promote short form content, blogs are still a useful tool for businesses. Posting on a company blog gives you the chance to connect with customers, both existing and potential, without feeling hampered by a character limit. You can delve into topics that require a bit more explanation and provide the useful information your audience is looking for–information that can’t be found in tweets and captions.
Blogs are also great because you can use them to boost the SEO of your website. Posting consistently and including keywords that are frequently searched for will signal to search engines that your website is reputable. As a result, you’ll improve your chances of cutting through the noise of the internet.
Then you can link to those blogs through your social media accounts. This gives you double exposure as your blogs potentially rank in the search engine results pages and as your followers on social media see them.
- Present interesting data in an easy-to-digest format.
You may not realize it, but the data behind your business tells an interesting story. Run the numbers to see what details come through–perhaps you’re about to reach your 1,000th client, 500th review, or another important milestone.
Don’t hesitate to share these numbers with your customers, whether by putting out a physical sign or posting online. To go one step further, plug these numbers into an infographic that is both eye-catching and informative.
- Host a workshop or other event.
One way to draw in new customers is to provide them with a free opportunity to learn more about your industry. By hosting a workshop, class, or similar event, you can bring individuals who are interested in what you offer right to your door.
A successful event can also instill customers with confidence in your professionalism and trust in your knowledge as an industry authority. Moreover, it will show you appreciate not only paying customers, but also those who value what your industry is doing.
Once again, this type of promotion can reap additional benefits as you promote it through social media, in-store signage, and through other media avenues.
- Collaborate with a complementary business or charity.
Have you been struggling to reach a certain target audience? Gain access to a new customer base by partnering with a business that offers products or services complementary to yours, or even a charity that works in a similar field.
There are a few ways to go about this, such as jointly hosting an event, promotion, or giveaway. Depending on your goals and the organization you team up with, this partnership could be temporary or long-term.
- Put your values on display.
While it’s ideal to avoid controversy, there are some things worth taking a stand for. Taking a stance on an issue that is important to your business and your customer base is one method for getting noticed while holding true to your values. It’s possible you’ll lose a customer or two who disagree, but you’ll also strengthen bonds with those who are more likely to want to support your business.
Beyond issuing press releases, writing blog posts, and volunteering with charities related to the cause, you can also register on the platform called Help a Reporter Out (HARO). You’ll respond to reporters’ questions on specific topics, and could get your business’s name in the news as a result.
With these simple ideas, you can be on your way to a more robust marketing strategy. By going beyond clicks and stats with your marketing efforts, you can show a different side of your business to both potential and existing customers.
