Traditional marketing is a broad term that refers to a variety of advertising and marketing techniques. It’s the most well-known form of marketing, covering the commercials we see and hear daily.
When it comes to marketing tools, technological advancements continue to overwhelm us with more possibilities than we can handle.
On the other hand, effective marketing sometimes involves a return to the basics. Today, let’s look at 12 traditional marketing channels and strategies with a staggeringly high return on investment (ROI).
When it comes to getting back to the fundamentals, nothing beats a phone call. Despite the current shift toward digital communication, research shows that customers still prefer phone calls to emails and websites to find businesses.
Marketers may prefer to call clients rather than send emails when communicating with them.
While all outbound channels are vital for organisations – such as emails, chat, and social media – phone calls are still one of the most effective ways to maintain client relationships.
Another vital point to remember is that direct mail may be worthwhile if your target demographic includes millennials. According to research conducted by the United States Postal Service in 2019, millennials are more inclined than Gen X and Baby Boomers to act on marketing mail. Sixty-seven percent indicated they “use marketing mail as an incentive to go online on a regular and infrequent basis.”
Direct mail, it turns out, has a significant impact on consumer purchasing decisions. For example, consumers are more likely to investigate direct mail materials like newsletters and postcards when they are closer to making a purchase, according to a 2019 study by Pebble Post.
According to the study, consumers favour promotional offers the most and newsletters the least, with brochures, postcards, and catalogues sitting in the centre.
And, since the pandemic, there’s been a surge in mail interest. According to the USPS, 67 percent of consumers have felt alienated, and nearly half (42 percent) now rely on mail more due to social distancing requirements.
Furthermore, direct mail may be most effective with existing clients or those who have shown interest in your business. According to the Pebble Post study, 68 percent of consumers toss out direct mail from unknown firms that contain content they don’t want.
The key to this marketing strategy is to send direct mail only to existing customers or people who have expressed a strong interest in your business. You save money and earn a shockingly high return on investment this way.
Marketers can connect with clients and nurture leads in person or virtually. A university marketer, for example, might arrange a face-to-face campus visit for potential students.
Face-to-face contact is extremely successful for sales and client retention. According to a poll conducted by Management Events, 79 percent of top-level executives use face-to-face meetings to generate leads.
Virtual meetings are becoming increasingly popular, and they can be a good substitute for in-person meetings. They provide many of the same advantages and can aid in developing confidence among leads and consumers.
Face-to-face communication is more effective since it allows you to interpret body language and change your approach accordingly. You only have words, tone, and emoticons to measure a lead’s interest when chatting by phone or email. This might lead to misunderstandings about a conversation’s direction or even the person’s intentions.
Speaking engagements can help you get in front of your target audience and raise brand awareness. The ability for brands to build face-to-face connections with customers is one of the reasons why events may be an effective marketing tactic.
According to a 2018 Demand Generation Benchmark survey, 68 percent of brands stated events, rather than webinars, white papers, or case studies, were the most efficient for generating qualified leads.
According to a Hinge Marketing research, speaking engagements provided roughly the same number of leads as recommendations and referrals. So don’t miss an opportunity to engage with customers, whether it’s virtual or in person.
The expression “print is dead” has been around for quite some time. Print, on the other hand, may be the best option for marketing.
According to a neuromarketing study done by the USPS Office of Inspector General and Temple University, physical commercials perform better for brand memory and ad identification. Not only that, but they’re metabolised at a faster rate in people of all ages.
People are more susceptible to paper advertising due to “digital fatigue,” according to one idea. Ad blockers were being used by 33% of Millennials in 2019, and 62 percent, on the other hand, will read print advertisements rather than throw them away.
Sure, the return on investment will vary depending on the campaign, targeting methods, and other factors. However, one thing is certain: print ads may be just as successful as internet ads.
When we talk about networking, we usually imply connecting with your peers and people in positions of power. Networking for lead creation, on the other hand, should take a somewhat different strategy.
Moving toward your target audience is required for business networking in the marketing setting. In the context of marketing, business networking entails approaching your target demographic. The idea is to better establish a connection with your audience to grasp their wants, needs, and pain areas. It’s also a chance for you to raise brand recognition.
On the other hand, peer networking is making connections with other professionals in the same field who may contribute industry knowledge rather than consumer knowledge.
If you can’t network in person, use the internet. People can connect online through community organisations, events, and apps.
One of the most often used digital marketing strategies is email marketing.
According to a 2018 study, 59 percent of marketers believe that email has the best return on investment. Furthermore, according to Litmus, an email marketing business, the average ROI for email marketing is 42 to one, implying that brands gain $42 for every dollar spent on email marketing.
Email marketing is also beneficial to B2B marketers, according to a 2020 Content Marketing Institute report, which named email newsletters the most effective lead nurturing method.
Despite its widespread use, email marketing is still underutilised by many businesses. According to MyEmma, 39% of marketers do not personalise their emails, and over half do not A/B test them.
On the other hand, these methods can help you increase your conversion rates, specifically your open and click-through rates.
Now that we’ve covered some traditional marketing outlets let’s look at some classic marketing methods you can utilise.
One of the most prevalent and efficient methods of increasing brand exposure is through guest posting. It’s also a popular choice among SEO experts for link building, which can help you improve your SERP ranking and drive more traffic to your site.
The guest posting comes with the caveat that the content must adhere to the brand’s standard requirements and appeal to its target audience. According to research by Influence & Co, 79 percent of editors reject guest posts because they are excessively promotional.
That’s why it’s critical for brands to pick and choose which websites they want to guest post on. It will almost certainly be a waste of time and resources if that audience does not match your user profile.
The goal of public relations (PR) is to maintain a positive public image (your audience). When things are going well, the value of having a PR team is tougher to quantify, but it becomes clearer during a crisis.
Customers make decisions about whether or not to engage with a company based on a range of variables. According to a 2019 Synup survey, 83 percent of shoppers use reviews and ratings while shopping for a retail store. Word-of-mouth recommendations are also preferred over social media suggestions and website content, according to respondents.
With this in mind, businesses will continue to place high importance on maintaining a positive public image.
Despite increased privacy concerns, studies show that consumers still desire tailored advertising. When communicating with brands, most Gen Xers and Millennials demand a tailored offer. According to a study conducted by SmarterHQ, 72 percent of customers will only engage with firms whose marketing messages are targeted to their specific interests.
Personalisation and privacy must, however, be struck in a delicate balance. Push alerts are 74 percent more intrusive to consumers than other channels, according to the report. They seek personalisation when it comes to products, such as recommendations, reminders, and special offers.
Consumers now want brands to be more transparent about the information they collect and how they utilise it.
Despite the social move toward web-based involvement, these classic marketing strategies have shown to be effective.
Adding a personal touch to all customer communications, whether it’s a handwritten letter, an email, or a product recommendation, leads to higher ROI.
Personalisation should be applied throughout the client lifecycle, according to another Kibo study. They discovered that businesses who recognised the value of personalisation across all touchpoints saw a 300 percent or higher return on investment.
This shows something that many of us have already experienced: when brands know what you’re looking for, you’re more inclined to interact with them. According to KPMG, personalisation is one of the six pillars of an outstanding customer experience, accounting for 20 to 22 percent of customer loyalty and advocacy.
Consider retargeting advertising to be that friend who is always encouraging you to “live a little.” It’s the practice of re-engaging customers who have previously interacted with your brand in order to move them further down the sales funnel in the marketing world.
It can be divisive among customers, with some believing it to be too obtrusive. However, when done correctly (and responsibly), it can produce even better outcomes than traditional advertisements. When it comes to remarketing, according to a Harvard Business Review research, transparency is usually ideal.
When respondents were told that the recommendations were based on information they provided to the company, they were 40% more inclined to click on the items.
Hence, these are some of the traditional marketing tactics that still work if you want to apply it for marketing. I hope this information was helpful for you. Every single tactics has its own benefits. Be smart enough to figure out which one suits your marketing needs.
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