Marketing has changed in a major way since internet use became widespread. We live in a world where fast access and home delivery are keywords to any business’s success.
Methods entrepreneurs used as little as five or six years ago now seem like ideas from the dark ages.
It may seem like madness, but it’s amazing when you think about it. Making business digital ensures startups stand a better chance of success, and existing businesses can aim for worldwide acclaim.
And, from a consumer point of view, everything is so much easier now. Finding your favorite brands doesn’t mean walking through endless shops anymore. All you have to do is click a few buttons to find that thing your heart so desires. Even better, the browsing capabilities of the internet ensure that we can all find the exact thing we’re looking for, every time we search.
But, is there a downside to this emphasis on digital marketing? We’re not here to tell you that an online presence isn’t necessary. It’s the most important method any business in the modern age has access to. The problem is that, with so much focus online, other aspects of businesses are neglected.
How often do you now walk into a shop and leave disappointed? How many times, in recent years, has a company’s branding stuck with you? When you think about it, this shift in marketing has done a lot of damage to the things we used to look out for.
On the one hand, businesses can’t be blamed. They’re trying their best to keep up, and something has to give. It’s a difficult challenge to develop social media campaigns and still focus on making their shop front look fantastic. Besides, all advice and evidence suggests that storefronts will be all but obsolete soon anyway. Some companies are even choosing to operate solely online, to save costs and get ahead of the game.
But the fact that others have taken their eyes off the old marketing ball gives your enterprise an in point. You do, of course, need to focus on developing a solid online marketing campaign. Though it might be worth entrusting this to your employees. That leaves you to tackle the marketing everyone forgot. When starting out, standing apart from the crowd is what you need, and this method could well do it.
How can you get your business back in touch with marketing methods no one uses now? This guide should give you some idea.
Understand How Old Marketing Worked
There are countless guides out there about digital marketing. Just about every business post you come across will mention it in some form.
But old marketing methods are harder to find out about. There’s barely any advice out there about creating a shop front with wow factor or developing an advertising campaign for billboards and such. Is it any wonder, then, that few new business owners focus on these aspects? You can’t master what you don’t understand.
Which is why you owe it to your business to take the time to understand. There may not be easy guides out there, but there is help if you know where to look for it.
If you’re old enough to start a business, you’re old enough to remember how things were before. And, a blast from the past may be the best starting point.
Nothing beats looking to successful marketing campaigns of old. So, that’s where you should start.
Brands like Coca-Cola were creating marketing hype with their ads way before the web. And, they did it better than any of the new brands we see today.
Take some time to think about adverts you remember from your childhood. Write the memorable ones down, and search for them on YouTube. As you watch, take note of what worked. Simple methods, like taglines, are neglected far too often in the modern age. And, they are most often the thing that made old adverts stick in our minds.
It’s also worth focusing on alternative advertising outlets, like newspapers and magazines. Once upon a time, a double page spread in a top tabloid was a sure way of catching attention and shouting about your brand. Only the most successful businesses could afford the privilege.
The good news for you is that online advertising means physical spaces like these have seen a major reduction in price. So, a full-page spread is much cheaper now than in the past. And, if you put effort into making it look good, it’ll still have that touch of luxury.
As you can see, the more creative you get, the better chance you have of re-engaging old methods. But, this is also a make or break situation. There’s a reason these methods have gone out of fashion, and if you don’t get them right, you could be out of pocket.
To ensure that doesn’t happen, it might be worth embarking on something like this masters of marketing. That way, you’ll develop a good idea of how effective marketing strategies work. As such, you’ll stand a better chance of making your alternative route a fruitful one.
Understand Your New Audience
When companies focus on digital marketing, they concentrate on a particular group of people. Young, technically savvy individuals are sure to head online above all. But, that’s still a relatively small amount of the population.
Your other forms of marketing could lead you to a whole new audience. It’s important to know what that audience wants, so you can ensure your efforts hit the mark. To work out who they are, consider the types of people who don’t rely on technology. These examples should give you some idea.
The older generation often shy away from online activity. Unlike youngsters, they haven’t grown up with extensive use of the internet. The old advertising methods you’ve been considering are sure to work well for this audience. As online shopping isn’t an option for many, they’re also much more liable to visit a physical space. Politeness will also take you far, with many older people valuing excellent service above all. So, a return to good old face to face customer service is sure to go down well.
The extrovert may spend less time online, and more time out and about. Online activity is introverted, after all, and it doesn’t suit everyone. Extroverted individuals love to chat and thrive in social situations. So, it’s worth thinking about customer service here, too. Encourage your staff to make conversation. A small conversation could be enough to see a client returning at a later date. If appropriate, you could also offer hot drinks. That way, extroverts will feel at home straight away.
Community spirited individuals may also stay offline when it comes to their shopping. These are people who opt, instead, to support local businesses. Despite the digital climate, there are more people like this than you’d expect. But, don’t assume you can automatically earn their custom by focusing on your shop space. Community spirit doesn’t support lifeless brands which fail to reflect the needs of the town. So, make sure to fit your image to the shop units around you. It may also be worth taking part in local fundraisers to show that you have a community spirit of your own.
These aren’t the only customers you stand to gain, but they give an accurate idea of the values your marketing should focus on. A look at even this short list highlights the importance of an appealing shop space and friendly brand. Neither of which you’ll get online!
Apply What You’ve Learned
Once you’ve got an idea of what it takes to get traditional with marketing, it’s time to install your methods. This is where you’re going to take everything you’ve learned and make it work for you. So, where do you start?
Get going by organizing the physical space you’ll be working in. Until you find a space, you’ll find it difficult to envision the image you want to develop. So, don’t hesitate to take care of this aspect.
Once you have a space, remember to consider the audience you’re catering for. You need to make this a fun and appealing place, which feels like a home away from home. Personality is essential in setting yourself apart from the online world. To ensure you cram plenty in there, talk to your staff about what home means to them. This needs to be a place that appeals to everyone, so the more opinions you get, the better.
Once your physical space is underway, you can focus on your advertising. Remember the original, memorable adverts you looked at during the start of your journey? Do your best to recreate them. Pretend you’re living in a time when that was the only chance you had to catch your customer’s eyes.
What would have the most impact? What tagline would best represent your brand? You never know; if you get this right, your brand may be as memorable as all the ones you remember from childhood!
This article was written by an outside contributor.
