With all the current emphasis on digital marketing, it can be easy to overlook other outreach avenues. And that can be a big mistake. Yes, it’s important to have a strong, cohesive online presence. (See my previous post An Online Presence is No Longer Enough for important elements of online marketing.) But – is this where the majority of your customers will find you?
Consider the following marketing vehicles:
- Consumer press (online and print)
- Trade press (online and print)
- Press releases
- Advertising in trade publications or local or national newspapers
- Billboards
- TV and radio advertising
- Company magazines or newsletters
- Company brochures
- Events
- Invitations
- Postcards
- Posters
- Speeches
- Mailings
- Joining business or industry or local organizations
- Networking events
- Fundraising events – yours or other companies
- Conferences
- Product demonstrations
- Classes
- Word of mouth
- Company shirts or hats or mugs
These are just the first ones that come to mind; you can probably think of more. Depending upon the size of your company, perform some analytics or do a simple survey to determine the best way to reach your customers. You also need to look at your demographics. Generally speaking, older customers are not online as much as younger customers. You might be surprised with what you find, and you might need to adjust your marketing strategy.
1st Image courtesy of everydayplus at FreeDigitalPhotos.net — 2nd Image courtesy of pat138241 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
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