Digital marketing is important these days for both e-commerce and local businesses providing a service. However, for local businesses, it seems a traditional marketing route is preferred to the use of digital marketing because they think that’s the only option they have. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should ignore digital marketing practices, it just means you should consider using both to help gain more exposure.
Leaflet distribution, postcard handouts, posters, and billboards are just some of the many traditional marketing methods available to local businesses. While they are still excellent marketing methods even today, there are other ideas that you can take advantage of to get the exposure you crave. Have a look at some of the excellent ideas below that have taken businesses to a whole new level.
Mix Digital Marketing with Local Classifieds to Promote Instant Interest
There are many free classifieds sites that can instantly promote interest in your products and services. While this is already a likely used marketing method to promote your brand, just posting advertisements isn’t the only way forward. By mixing digital marketing trends with traditional marketing methods, it’s possible to create a solution that can maximize results.
With your social media presence already felt, it’s possible to share your advertisements as content to better your marketing results. Sharing advertisements takes seconds and, if potential customers on social media recognise your brand with a popular classifieds site, it’s likely going to promote your brand further. If you’ve provided an excellent service to your customers in the past, the chances are, they’re also going to share your content on social media to promote your brand.
When it comes to traditional marketing there are, of course, offline classifieds within local newspapers and in store windows as well. If you’re using online classifieds, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t also take advantage of offline classifieds. Even though most of the world’s population are internet users, there are still millions who are not and that means you’re missing out on a lot more custom by not using offline classifieds.
Create a Local Event with the Help of a Charity
One of the most popular ways to gain exposure is to create a local event with a well-known charity. This might be an expensive way of marketing, but it’s one that is sure to provide the results you crave. Many businesses already opt for this marketing method because of the results that are almost guaranteed to happen.
Donating to the charity as a business yourself is also an effective way to show locals you care about well-known charities. An event doesn’t have to be anything spectacular; it just needs to get people involved. Usually, this can be done with a local obstacle course or a “race for life” type event that will get people active.
If you opt for this route, be sure you invest heavily in all the equipment and marketing signage to promote your brand. Try to get as many volunteers as possible to help share your event online and locally, and to help with the event itself. If holding such an event, make sure you have the necessary permission from your office. Ideally, you should have first aid qualified volunteers and CPR certification just as an added safety measure.
Attend a Local Event and Let Your Social Media Following Know
Local events are a sure-fire way of finding new clients. They provide a professional atmosphere so only people interested in the stands and events there are going to visit. Find local events in your area that are relevant to your industry so you can build relationships and boost your brand’s exposure.
While at a local event, it’s also a clever idea to get your online following included. Come up with an innovative way to interact with your online and offline audience to get your event bustling. This can be done with the help of setting up a video conference. Your online audience can call you via Skype or Facebook to get information on the services you provide, or you could even provide tips and tricks to help them help themselves.
This is an excellent way to get more followers online and ultimately that means you’re going to have a bigger audience to advertise to in the future. Your offline audience will already be at your event, so you can also give them the help they need and, in return, they’ll take a business card or follow you online.
Free Product & Service Reviews
This is something that many businesses frown upon because they don’t like giving out free stuff. However, it’s still an excellent marketing technique for both online and offline audiences. Using your social media pages to hand out free products or services will instantly create a frenzy, and a frenzy always leads to more visitors and customers.
Obviously, it’s not the ideal marketing solution if your business is new, but it’s still a solution that can work wonders. If you’re giving away free products and services online, be sure you do the same offline to create another frenzy.
Setup a stall in your local supermarket or use this technique at a local event. Invest in free accessories and complimentary food and drinks with your brand name on so your brand name is out there. This could prove to be an expensive marketing ploy, but it’s a powerful one that often maximises marketing results.
The whole idea is to market your brand by mixing both digital and traditional marketing methods that provide the same results. The results you get will always depend on how professionally you market your brand and how much money you’re willing to invest. The businesses that come up with unique ideas and invest huge sums of money into their marketing efforts are often the businesses that succeed.
However, many businesses miss out on more custom because they forget about either digital or traditional marketing ploys. Use them both and you will find your business will have a much higher chance of success.
