Welcome to the digital age. Don’t worry; everything will work out just fine as long as you embrace change. There is a lot of buzz going around these days saying social media will kill traditional marketing.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn—they’re just brand new baby brothers and sisters to the budding marketing family. We live in America gosh darnit! And that means we have a choice when it comes to marketing our businesses; nothing is truly black and white.
To run a successful marketing campaign you need various shades of grey; a melding of genre and medium, to maximize your reach.
We can fast-forward through commercials, and watch our favorite shows right on our lap tops. In other words, we’ve all become a little annoyed by the bombardment of advertising and have found ways to avoid it. Not because we don’t like those advertising, but because the advertising isn’t relevant. In other words—we’re not getting anything out of it, except a case of the gimme’s.
The difference between marketing and advertising is that marketing involves interaction, where advertising is a one-way street. This is where social media comes back into play. Social media is not a cure-all for your marketing, but it is a very effective tool for communication.
Interaction and relationships are what drives the modern-day consumer, so by all means—keep your Facebook account, post new listings on your pages and on Twitter. Social media is the platform you will use to create relationships with your clients and keep your audience informed. In other words: social media is your communication tool, but traditional marketing is what actually gets people to your door…or your site.
The best way to reach out to your community is with marketing that is useful. Commercials do nothing for the consumer, but make their mouths water. However, taking small steps to make your presence known in the community can do enormous things for your image and your brand.
For example, sponsor an event or spots team. Let your neighbors know that you care about your area as much as they do. Donate high school Football Schedule Magnets to area schools. Or supply the team with Bag Tags to attach to their equipment. Small, but useful gifts from a local business gets kids excited, which in turn gets their parents excited.
Direct Mail is another traditional marketing medium that often gets grumbled about or scoffed at, but is in fact, one of the most effective marketing tools. Mail Calendar Magnets to your farm areas to keep your branding prominent in the community. Tangible marketing, or marketing gifts, helps build your identity to those that don’t know you directly, and is also a reminder of your business.
Even Forbes Magazine admits that traditional marketing is not losing its flare, and probably won’t. Take a look at this informative Forbes article for tips on visual branding.
See. I told you the digital age wouldn’t be too scary. Don’t cut your traditional marketing to accommodate social media. Consumers will come to you (via social media) when they want to communicate. Of course—spurring conversation helps; however if you want to reach out to your community, the safest bet is to appeal to your audience with useful items that reinforce your brand and your image.
Happy marketing! Feel free to contact Magnets USA if you have any questions about sponsoring a local event or donating promotional items throughout your community.
Have you sponsored a local event? Share your experiences in the comments section below.
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