What is traditional marketing and how can it be used for your business?

The world of marketing is a tricky one to conquer. The truth of the matter is a well targeted, traditional marketing campaign can be massively effective in hitting home with your audience and creating a sustained and memorable link with your company.

Research carried out by Royal Mail revealed that printed materials have a much higher retention factor than anything seen online and that they are a far stronger call to action in terms of encouraging people to spend. So, while your digital campaign is important, make sure you don’t rule out traditional marketing methods to reach your target audience.

Traditional marketing means any kind of marketing that isn’t online. It could be taking an advertisement in a printed version of a newspaper or magazine – or even on radio or tv – or using a billboard, poster site or direct mail.

1. Traditional marketing methods grab the attention of your target market! If your traditional marketing materials are visually appealing and feature enticing promotions, customers will likely visit your store to check your offering out for themselves. Banner stands with special offers which showcase one, or a number of price cuts items, which are a great way to capture the attention of your potential customers.

2. Traditional marketing raises brand awareness. At the same time, A well-placed banner attached to a fence or near a car park – with the owner’s permission of course – can also raise awareness of your store and drive customers your way. With a bit of market research, you’ll be able to determine where your target market shops so you can strategically position your fence banner in an area you know they’ll see.

3. Traditional marketing gets people talking. It enables you to get in front of a new audience or to remind old clients that you’re still about. By distributing flyers to passers-by or by targeted mail drops, you remind old customers as well as make new potential customers aware of your brand, enticing them into store by featuring discounts and a call to action in the copy.

It’s not surprising that many people ask themselves if traditional marketing methods are still effective. And the short answer is – yes.

Traditional marketing techniques have been around for decades and still very much have their place in the modern world. Print is often considered much more credible than digital advertising as well as being believed to be much safer and secure.

Traditional marketing channels tend to carry more authority and make customers know they have recourse in the event something goes wrong. Organisations like the Advertising Standards Authority ensure that marketing materials adhere to a strict code of conduct, giving reassurance to anyone considering a purchase.

- Leaflets
- Flyers
- Posters
- Banners
- Brochures
- Promotional boards
- Business cards

They certainly cover a large range which is good news because it means you can pick those best suited to your business. It may be that you’re a regular at networking groups in which case you will need a decent supply of business cards or flyers. Alternatively, if your shop is located on a bustling high street, you’ll want to pop bright and engaging posters in your window to make your store stand out from others around it.

It may also be a good time to consider refreshing your branding to make it stand out from the crowd. An eye-catching logo, an interesting colour combination and even your name will all help you become memorable to your potential customers. It could be that you have never really considered your brand identity – if that’s the case then now is definitely time to right that situation.

There are many benefits to traditional marketing methods, such as:
- Promotes brand awareness
- Gives you more control of your message and values
- Provides an opportunity to push your brand identity
- Shows customers that you invest time and money to get their attention
- Gets in front of customers who may otherwise miss your marketing campaigns online

If this is all new to you, it might be worth asking other businesses in your area “what traditional marketing methods do you find most effective?”. If you are in a street with a number of different shops then it’s definitely worth looking at a joined-up initiative, from which everyone can benefit.

If you need further convincing, look at the example of Bishopthorpe Road – or Bishy Road as it’s affectionately known – in York. A quiet area which was hit badly by the recession and local factory closures, all of the remaining businesses worked together to create a smart and quirky destination which hosts and promoted a number of events. Now it’s part of the York tourist attractions and that’s been good for everyone’s businesses in the area.

Hopefully, you can now see the benefit of using traditional marketing methods and understand that using printed, bespoke products can resonate with your target audience in ways that other types of marketing may not be able to.