With the ever continuing evolution of digital marketing, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that any other marketing techniques are no longer valid. Particularly those that we may view as old fashioned.
But that is rather like the – again, old fashioned – analogy of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
What if some of the more traditional marketing techniques could be combined with the processing and analytical power of the best digital marketing tools of today. Could that be the best of both worlds?
In this article we take a look at five tried and tested old fashioned marketing techniques and how they could be deployed effectively by your digital marketing agency.
Face to face meetings
There is still nothing as potentially effective as face to face contact to create a positive and authentic relationship with your customers. So, look for every opportunity to get out there and meet with current and potential clients. Think of:
- Publicity events;
- Targeted meetings;
- In-store promotions;
- Trade fairs;
- Local and community events;
- Volunteering as subject specialists for local news, business and education forums.
For B2B marketing, the effectiveness of the above can be further increased by skilful use of ABM (Account Based Marketing) to identify face to face events that are likely to either feature or attract key prospects, providing the opportunity for personal interaction.
Word of mouth
Traditional word of mouth marketing already features in the 21st century in two significant ways. Influencer marketing and customer reviews.
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Influencer marketing
The influence of influencers continues to grow and grow. So if you can get one or more reputable influencers on board your marketing strategy, this has got to be good news.
See our article The rise and rise of influencer marketing for some great ideas as to how to use it effectively.
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Customer reviews
An estimated 92% of consumers trust recommendations from other consumers, even if they do not know them personally. In our article The increasing importance of online reviews we cited research that indicates that online reviews can increase click-through rates by as much as 153%.
Online reviews can also be of enormous help in establishing the reputation of your brand, and giving you the opportunity to interact publicly with reviewers. The feedback in reviews can sometimes also help you to improve your business, and your response can demonstrate to other customers that you are open and receptive to ideas and feedback.
Cold calling
If you think cold calling is ancient history, think again.
When you consider the huge amount of emails hitting inboxes every day, a phone call can come as a welcome interlude. If the prospect picks up, you can have a proper two way conversation which gives them the information they need in a short space of time. Even if you just get to leave a voicemail, this may attract their attention more than an email.
Cold calling can be even more effective if you identify viable prospects in advance either by using AI tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, or by building intent data into the mix. Intent data can help to identify customers who are already looking for a solution similar to yours and may be ready to buy.
Direct mail
Another surprising marketing trend is the resurgence of direct mail. It is proving to be a very powerful marketing channel that consumers remember, and often act upon. One of the potential reasons suggested for this is that as most consumers now pay bills and conduct personal administration completely online, the arrival of physical mail now has more pleasant connotations than it did before.
If you can combine direct mail with digital marketing you may be onto a winner. So, for example, if someone visits your website why not follow it up with a physical letter – perhaps with a voucher – a relevant postcard, or even a small gift. Any of these may be more effective than just another email.
Freebies
We just mentioned the option of following up customer visits with a small gift. Always bear this in mind as an effective marketing tool.
Whether it is a physical gift, special offer, or branded merchandise, it is likely to grab attention and generate engagement.
And on the subject of special offers, many consumers prefer to get more of something rather than receive a discount. So it’s worth pitching your special offers to enable them to receive a greater quantity than what they are paying for, rather than offer them money off. They are likely to see this as more of a gain.
So never let your customer walk away empty handed if there is the chance to give them something extra.
And, perhaps in the spirit of “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”, you will often get something back from a consumer to whom you have given a gift. Psychologically, a consumer is likely to feel obliged to you if they have been given a gift, no matter how small.
In this article we have explored five old-fashioned marketing techniques, and how they could effectively be combined with digital marketing tools and techniques.
Check back soon with us at Xcite Digital for more helpful tips for your digital marketing agency.