Out With The Old, In With The New: Modernising Your Marketing
Is your company still relying on dated marketing strategies? Whilst certain forms of marketing have stood the test of time and remained effective, others have lost their impact. Modern technology has allowed for most cost-effective and exciting marketing methods that are better for getting people’s attention. Here are just a few ways in which you can modernise you marketing methods by doing out with the old and getting in with the new.
Out with: Door-to-door flyers
Many companies still post flyers through people’s door either as a way of getting new customers or encouraging old customers to stay loyal. However, nowadays most people see flyers as a nuisance – when was the last time you got a flyer through your door and got excited about it? Most people throw them straight in the trash without looking at them. Considering how much they cost to print and how much time it takes to post them through people’s doors, they can end up being a waste of time and energy compared to other forms of marketing. It’s also not a very green form of marketing – many companies are actively trying to lower their paper consumption to appear more environmentally-friendly and printing off flyers goes against this modern ethos. Flyers can sometimes still be effective if specifically targeted, but in the case of posting them through random doors, it’s not a very productive strategy.
In with: Social media
Social media is one of the hottest new ways for generating leads. Like posting flyers, social media can be used for posting updates for existing customers or attracting new customers, however it’s much less invasive and more interactive. You can share videos on social media, create polls, host competitions and get involved in discussions on hot topics. Having social media accounts is now becoming as necessary as having a website – a large social media following can be valuable for your reputation. It’s possible to hire a social media marketing company to handle this form of marketing for you if you’re not social media savvy, however you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself. The likes of Facebook and Twitter allow you to pay a little money to promote posts, which can help to gain new leads, and it’s also possible to sell products directly through Facebook.
Out with: Phonebook advertising
In years gone by, companies paid a lot of money to appear in a phonebook. Nowadays, very few people use phonebooks to find new business – it’s much easier to look up contact details on the web via a company’s website. Unless your audience is people over the age of 70 who aren’t regular internet users, there’s not much reason to pay for an advert in a phonebook any more.
In with: SEO
Appearing at the top of search engines is the modern equivalent of being the first to feature in the phonebook. Most people discover new businesses by using search engines and the majority of people rarely venture beyond the third page. SEO (search engine optimisation) is the practice of improving one’s rankings and has become a popular investment for companies that want to appear higher up the rankings. You can pay an SEO company to try and boost your rankings or you can run paid ads using services such as Google AdWords.
Out with: Radio advertising
Radio advertising isn’t completely ineffective – many people still listen to the radio and will remember a catchy jingle. The issue with it is that it’s very expensive compared to many other marketing strategies. Not only do you have to pay to get the advert created, you also then have to pay huge amounts to get it on air. It may be cheaper than TV advertising, however it’s still a very costly form of marketing for many small companies that makes it less effective compared to other forms of promotion.
In with: Video advertising
The internet has seen a huge growth in video advertising – whilst TV adverts are still out of most people’s price range, it costs very little to run a video advert on the web and it could be viewed by just as many people. Videos can be shared on social media, displayed on websites or featured on streaming platforms such as Youtube and Spotify – it’s possible to target these more specifically so that they reach a niche audience. There are production companies that specialise in corporate video marketing that can help produce an advert for you. Alternatively, you can get involved in your own DIY video marketing campaign by starting a business Youtube channel and filming short videos with a camcorder. Compared to radio advertising it’s a much better investment and a lot more versatile.
Out with: Telesales
Telesales is another form of marketing that is a dying breed. It’s rare that you’ll pick up any new business from cold calling people – most people find it irritating and most phones can now detect unknown numbers. There are even services to block certain numbers that can prevent cold calling altogether. In some cases, telesales can be effective for encouraging existing customers to stay loyal – if you want someone to renew a subscription or a contract, ringing them up can be a good means of doing it. However, for the amount it costs, you’ll rarely get any new customers by using telesales making it a strategy that’s best avoided.
In with: Email marketing
Email marketing is less invasive than telesales and has proven itself to be more effective. Whilst the majority of people may still see it as spammy and irritating, there are people out there that actively join company email mailing lists as a way of being alerted of new products and discounts. Emailing people is cheaper than calling people and you can offer more information. Creating click-worthy email headers and engaging content is an art and there are email marketing companies out there that you can invest in. Alternatively, you can try downloading a bulk mailing service yourself and come up with your own promotional emails.
Out with: Brochures
Brochures were once a valuable form of advertising for retail companies, giving potential customers a good idea of the type of stock that that company sells. Companies would post brochures through people’s doors much like flyers. Nowadays, printing and distributing brochures can be seen as a waste of money considering that it’s much easier to share a digital guide or brochure for free online. Like flyers, they also result in a lot of paper consumption, which makes them inappropriate for companies trying to be eco-friendlier.
In with: Apps
Apps are the modern alternative of brochures. By encouraging people to download your company app, you can create a platform that allows people to easily order and buy your product from any location on their phone. Developing an app is becoming less costly and there are plenty of app development companies out there that cater specifically to businesses. Apps can also be used for other purposes – you could create a digital loyalty card to encourage return customers or create a tracking service for people to track the delivery. You can also make money with apps through exclusive services and ad revenue – this could allow you to make back the money spent on building an app.