Old School Marketing May Help You Stand Out
Many modern marketing strategies focus on digital options when you need to drive traffic to your business, The default setting is often digital.
But to be noticed, sometimes you need to test techniques that others have left behind. Many old-school marketing techniques can be incredibly effective. And hybrid solutions of old and new can be powerful tactics too.
If you’re wondering which ones should make it into your advertising plan, here are a few worth adding.
Coupons
Coupons are a classic way to drum up new business.
In total, 94 percent of consumers use coupons. Plus, 89 percent of Millennial shoppers are willing to try something new if they have a coupon or discount.
Ideally, you want a multi-faceted coupon strategy. While email and social media are preferred to find coupons, 57 percent of customers still use newspapers for couponing. Going old-school and adding some newspaper coupons to the mix can potentially broaden your reach within your local area, which could be beneficial.
Designing a stellar coupon isn’t as challenging as you’d expect.
Typically, you need an eye-catching image relating to the discount, the specifics of the deal, a code that you can input into your payment system or checkout process to apply the coupon, and any acceptable print terms and conditions. You can use a coupon template to get started or reach out to your local newspaper to see if they have guidelines you can follow.
Make sure that any coupon you create is filtered through your core brand message. It can be a chance to be funny, ironic, or profound. And for B2B companies – it can even be a playful message to attract attention – since no one in your category is using that communications method.
Coupons don’t have to be about price and discount. Think beyond what everyone else does and maybe you can find a clever way to bring prospects value.
Flyers and Mailers
A fantastic old-school option for local businesses is flyers.
You can connect directly with customers in your physical area, all without the risk of getting lost in a sea of emails, online ads, or social media posts. Plus, it’s typically low-cost, and plenty of helpful templates can make designing your ad simple.
With flyers, you’ll need to figure out where to post them or hand them out.
Begin by reading local laws in your area, allowing you to determine if certain public places are off-limits. If not, utility poles in high-traffic spots, entrances to local parks, and similar regions might give you access to the most people.
You can also speak with other businesses with similar customer basis. They may agree to a cross-advertising agreement if you aren’t directly competing. In exchange for displaying your flyer, you’ll feature one of theirs, creating a win-win.
If you want to reach local customers directly, you could try mailers instead. Like flyers, there are plenty of direct mailer templates available. You can also target your campaign with the help of the USPS Every Door Direct Mail route mapping tools.
A clever alternative to a flyer came to my driveway from a company that sold beautiful stones and boulders for gardens. The company dropped a plastic bag filled with a few pebbles and a postcard inside the bag. I didn’t keep it – but it said something like these baby pebbles will grow up to be beautiful boulders that can grace your garden. Scan the QR code to see examples.
Clever and low cost – and it wasn’t another email.
Business Cards
The business card was once a staple for any business owner.
While they fell out of favor as people began relying on smartphones to track contacts, having a well-made business card is still a smart move. It is also an opportunity for an unusual shape, texture, or color to be handed to someone new – and to give them a physical way to remind them of your connection.
Handing a person a business card creates a different opportunity for engagement.
It feels far more personal, and the tactile element helps it make a lasting impression. Plus, it’s far more visible than email and gives you a chance to establish your branding differently. Finally, making personalized business cards is simple with pre-made templates from a business card maker, allowing you to customize the look with images, text, color schemes, and font, all within a few minutes.
Using a QR code is a clever way to bridge old school and digital too. Drive people to your YouTube video about your business.
Slogans
Technically, slogans never disappeared from the marketing landscape. However, they’re technically an old-school technique since they’ve been around for centuries.
A standout slogan works wonders for your branding. Along with being catchy, they showcase your brand voice, highlight priorities, and set expectations about the experience ahead.
The Maxwell House coffee “Good to the Last Drop” slogan – first created in 1907 – is a classic example of a memorable tagline that’s stood the test of time.
Making an excellent slogan part of your strategy is essential. You can create one yourself, using the principles above as guidelines while focusing on brevity. Otherwise, you can try a free slogan maker and see if it gives you the right results.
Old School Meets New School
Other non-digital advertising tactics can bring your brand to life.
Imagine you run a daycare center for 1–5-year-olds. Hiring an artist to draw your URL on the sidewalk at a playground can be a fun way to reach parents and make a different impression. Or maybe you run the local T-Mobile store and want to have some fun with the brand at a local community event. Think chalk.
Before you jump into the digital world, think differently.
This is a guest post collaboration with Jeff Slater and Marcus Lansky, founder of https://abilitator.biz Marcus was born with a spinal condition so severe that his parents were told he would never walk. Lansky was a spunky child, and despite all the odds against him he learned to walk with the help of countless doctors, physical therapists, and cheerleaders.
Photo by Apollo Photography on Unsplash
Photo by Kevin Grieve on Unsplash
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
