When you own a business, you have to manage multiple roles and responsibilities to make sure that your company can be successful. As well as things like admin, production lines, and employee morale, you also need to consider how to boost your company profits. There are a few different ways to go about this, but this post is going to focus on marketing.

Marketing is, in short, the method by which your company introduces itself to potential customers. If nobody has heard of your business, they can’t buy from it. In recent years, digital marketing has taken the world by storm, but it’s important not to neglect traditional marketing as well.

The Benefits of Traditional Marketing

Digital marketing is so popular because it works. It allows companies to reach more people and to have a further spread. Traditional marketing is usually limited to certain areas, while digital marketing can be global. However, this doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for traditional marketing techniques.

Traditional marketing can be more effective for certain business niches. For example, if your company is a service-based business, there isn’t much point in someone from the other side of the world knowing about your company. You want to focus on people who are actually able to take advantage of your services.

For example, if you cut hair or sell food, your most important customers are going to be those who live nearby. Even if you are banking on some tourists, your regular customers will still be your bread and butter.

Traditional marketing allows you to focus on the local market more than anything else. It’s also more effective for certain types of customers. Older customers, for example, are less likely to be interested in a great social media or influencer marketing campaign. You can also focus on people who are walking by in the street and who might drop in to your store.

Posters

One of the most common methods of traditional marketing is posters. Posters are cheap, easy to produce, and can be very effective at drawing the eye. The key to getting the most out of posters is good placement and a design that draws the idea.

Posters are especially effective when you’re trying to let people know about a deal or a promotion. You can put posters up in or around your business premises, but you can also find other places for them. Public walls can be a good place to put posters, but make sure to look up the local laws about poster placement. Other local businesses might be willing to let you put up posters, especially if you’re not a direct competitor. 

Another place to put posters is in community areas. Notice boards are a common place for posters, as well as walls and boards in community centers where people often congregate. These areas are designed for posters.

When designing a poster, you want to find a balance between easy-to-read text and a bold appearance. Cut down the amount of text as much as possible, while maintaining the message you want to convey. This means using good word choice, as well as images and a color scheme that stands out and reflects your brand.

Billboards 

Billboards play a similar role to posters, as they make sure that as many people as possible can see your advertisement. However, they’re both more effective and more expensive to use.

The first step is to find a billboard that is in a good location. It should be close to your business, but somewhere very visible. Most billboards are visible by design, so this shouldn’t be too difficult. You also have to check that it’s available to use and that you can afford it. 

Whether you use an electronic billboard or traditional billboard where you create a large physical poster, you need to hire the space, as well as the right people to design an advertisement that will be more effective. Billboards work because they’re big and people can’t help but see them, but if you have a badly designed billboard, your investment will go to waste.

Bear in mind that you’re hiring the billboard for a specific amount of time and the best billboards will be more expensive as you’re essentially bidding with other businesses. However, this investment can bring in a lot more customers.

Leaflets and Brochures

Another way that you can improve your marketing technique is by using leaflets and brochures. There are a few different styles of leaflet that you can use, and the most popular is concertina fold leaflets. 

Unlike posters and billboards, leaflets are designed to be text-heavy. They’re also designed so people can take them with them, which is very useful if you want to maintain interest or allow someone to come back. 

This is where you essentially introduce your company to someone. You want to have an eye-catching front cover so that people will be interested in picking it up and reading it. From there, make sure that the leaflet design is attractive and easy to read.

Use a mix of words and images in the leaflet to properly convey your message. You want the text itself to be interesting and informative so people will continue reading. Make sure that people understand how your product or service can improve their lives.

The best places for these leaflets are where people tend to sit and have time to kill. This might be in other local establishments like doctor’s offices, cafes, or community centers. You could also have leaflets in your business premises so that, if someone wants to learn more, you can provide a professional-looking leaflet to read in their own time.

Business Cards and Loyalty Cards

Much like leaflets, business cards are designed to be taken with a potential customer or client. However, they have a lot less information on them. You can leave business cards in other establishments as well, and they can be a great way to encourage customers to get in touch. If you do decide to ask other businesses to keep business cards, leaflets, and even posters advertising your business, make sure to reciprocate. This allows both companies to benefit.

A business card should be very simple. Ideally, it should be attractive and branded so it can be immediately associated with your business. It should also contain the relevant information needed to contact you or your business, such as a business name, a phone number, an address, an email address, a website, and a social media handle.

Business cards leave the onus on the customer to get in touch, but they can be a helpful reminder that sticks with an otherwise forgetful potential customer. 

Loyalty cards are different to business cards, but they can be great when marketing to existing customers. As the name suggests, loyalty cards reward loyal customers. So if they come back and make more purchases, you can offer discounts and deals. While you can use an app, many people still like a physical loyalty card when dealing with their local businesses.

Business Expos

Speaking of leaflets and business cards, one of the best ways to implement these is at business expos. A business expo is a great way to grow your customer base because you’re dealing with customers who are already willing to buy your products. They’re there to shop and to find new deals, so you can showcase your products and your business.

While business expos are great for sales, they’re even better for exposure. By handing out business cards and providing leaflets, you make sure that people who liked your products at the expo are more likely to find your business again. While you won’t turn every customer into a regular, you might encourage a few to come back.

When marketing your business, you want to not only grow your initial customer base, but you also want people to come back for more. This is why good marketing goes hand in hand with other customer facing roles like advertising, sales, and customer service.

Integrating Traditional and Digital Marketing

While traditional marketing definitely still has a part to play in the marketing scheme, the best strategy is to use everything you have at your disposal. So instead of only using traditional or digital marketing, use both.

As mentioned before, this means including website and social media details on business cards and posters so people can check out your business online. If you do take part in a business expo, make sure to mention it on your social media account so people who follow your business know when to swing by and get a good deal. 

The trick is to know how much to invest in different marketing strategies, and this largely comes down to your resources, your target market, and the niche of your business. Try different strategies or hire marketing experts to help you come up with the best strategy to help you gain more customers.