Traditional marketing– also known as “offline marketing”– refers to all those strategies aimed at promoting the products or services of an entity through tools that do not use digital technologies. Some examples of this are paper materials– folding brochures, flyers, letters, advertising pages in magazines and newspapers, catalogs and posters–, live events, and radio or television advertisements.
Although it is true that, with the arrival of digital technology, the key to the success of an advertising campaign is based on a cross-media strategy, in which online tools are mixed with more traditional ones, it is also true that the media analog are sometimes really irreplaceable and will never go out of style.
Traditional marketing is especially interesting for local businesses, such as companies in the hospitality and entertainment sector, shops, gyms, and beauty salons that want to expand their visibility locally to increase their clientele. In this article, we are going to see what the main advantages of analog marketing are and how they can be used for communication initiatives.
If you belong to Generation Z, life before all the technological advancements is something you either have no recollection of or remember vaguely. It all depends on the year you were born. The age we live in is the age of wonders, which you as a young person in your prime can testify to. In this day and age, starting up your own business and brand is easy. You have the Internet to serve as your best ally. It helps you every step of the way – from acquiring the necessary marketing skills for growing your business to placing your products on the market and getting followers on social media, the Internet does it all.
Also Read: Internet Marketing: A Novice’s Overview of Online Marketing Approaches
But, do you ever wonder how companies promoted their products before the social media and Internet era? The traditional marketing tactics they used allowed companies to become household names and remain at the top of their game for decades. If it worked for them, why can’t it work for us in the 21st Century? They say you should never mess with a good thing, and we couldn’t agree more. The following traditional marketing tactics are certainly worth your attention. At the very least, try to integrate them with the advancements of the 21st Century.
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Advantages of traditional marketing
1. Emotional impact
The emotions aroused by a lighted poster or display can be much more significant than those aroused by a banner ad or a web page. This also applies to smaller format materials, a printed catalog can attract and fascinate customers, offering them a whole sensory experience: for smell, for the scent of cellulose; for the touch, for the finish chosen for the paper; and for the eyes, for the vivid colors of the high-definition images.
2. Versatility
Unlike digital marketing, traditional marketing can favor cross-media communication strategies and increase the visibility of any online campaign by directing customers to a company website or social platform through brochures, posters of different types, and other printed materials.
Traditional marketing poster
3. Materiality
Some traditional communication tools have another undeniable advantage: that of leaving a tangible memory. In a time of continuous media bombardment, handing out printed material to potential customers will make them remember you at the most opportune moment for the purchase. If, for example, you deliver a promotional brochure with a discount code valid for one month, the interested person will be able to keep it where they see fit, it will serve as a reminder, and use it when they decide to make their purchase.
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Promote a local business through traditional marketing
Let’s take the example of a newly opened restaurant and see how traditional marketing can solve the different needs of the manager of a new location. In fact, with a few changes, these tips can be applied to any local business that wants to advertise using traditional marketing strategies combined with web initiatives.
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Make yourself known
The owner must publicize the name of his restaurant in the city, explaining the type of cuisine it offers, the spaces available to the public, and possible extra services, such as receptions, take-out service, or home delivery. For this reason, two of the most used tools in traditional marketing, brochures, and posters can help you gain visibility. Combining classic online banner ads with billboards and flyer distribution in mailboxes and strategic locations around town can increase marketing effectiveness.
Personalized business cards and brochures. Copyright: Pixartprinting
Encourage visits
In order to be able to turn a profit quickly and avoid going out of business in the first few months of opening, the restaurant should give the first customers a good reason to come back often. Needless to say, the quality of food and service will play a big role in this, but giving a discount coupon valid for the next dinner will earn you some extra points.
Build a good reputation
After the first months of “seeding”, the manager will be able to reap the fruits of the promotional initiatives carried out and earn a reputation as a good restaurant, either through word of mouth or by building a solid online reputation. To facilitate this process, he can give his business card to the most satisfied customers with the instructions to leave a review of the place on his Facebook page or on TripAdvisor.
Aim even higher
We know that competition in the hospitality industry is relentless, so a good entrepreneur must know how to continually innovate in terms of their marketing strategies with the aim of expanding and diversifying their clientele. Organizing theme nights, cooking courses, and tastings can serve this purpose if such initiatives are properly promoted through digital media and with paper material such as invitations and posters. Another good idea to expand your clientele is to host events organized by other companies and associations, taking advantage of their promotional channels to increase the visibility of the premises and you, what traditional marketing methods do you use to promote your business?
Leave a paper trail by using flyers to promote your business
Remember those days when you would go out of your house, head for work/school, and end up with a bunch of flyers in your hands? You would find ads for anything – from new fast-food courts to upcoming cinema premiers – there was nothing you couldn’t find. Probably, this still happens to you every once in a while, although it’s becoming a rare occurrence. There is a very simple reason behind this – digital marketing has taken over the world and caused traditional marketing tactics to take a back seat.
While no one is saying you shouldn’t be as contemporary as your rivals, you can be smart about it. Stick to the old-fashioned tactic of distributing flyers for promotional purposes all the while advertising your company’s products online. If nothing, you will surely get the attention and win the hearts of the older generation, who likes to reminisce about the bygone times.
Also Read: Internet advertising: kinds and instances of online advertising
Billboards can never go out of style
Sure, no one is interested in seeing a person’s giant face span over a huge billboard. At least, the part of the population who would find that appealing is slim. But, if you play your cards right and put up something simple, yet striking and with a loud message, people would be drawn to what you’re selling. And yes – depending on the part of town and the location, putting up a billboard can cost an arm and a leg. But this investment is sure to come back to you tenfold in revenue.