Marketing agencies usually put all their emphasis on whatever the current trending advertising platform is, but growing companies will still want to look into the various legacy channels that are available to get the word out about their brand. In many cases, it’s actually possible to combine both traditional and digital marketing techniques. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than in the world of mass mailing.
Sending Out Physical & Electronic Mail
Vintage direct marketing campaigns may no longer work, but that’s no reason to abandon the format. In fact, no other type of marketing may be as successful as a properly segmented and targeted direct mail campaign. According to one study, a properly targeted direct mail marketing promotion can earn advertisers response rates of more than 600%.
Tech-savvy marketers can ask people to opt-in to their direct mailings on the web. Those who manually do so are far more likely to respond to a message by opening up their wallets. This kind of marketing may work exceptionally well for those in the healthcare and hospitality industries, which is where it’s traditionally been the most effective.
Companies that sell durable goods or technical products may want to initially reach out via an email missive before they send out a more detailed product catalog in the mail. Doing so may increase the chances that more expensive physical mailings only ever go to potential customers who are really interested in a firm’s message.
Combining Airwaves with the Net
Chances are that if you think of listening to the radio these days what you’re actually thinking of is some form of podcasting. Nearly 245 million people still listen to traditional AM/FM radio every week however, which means there’s a massive audience out there for you to reach over the good old-fashioned airwaves. Though there’s certainly been a downward trend when it comes to the consumption of conventional radio transmissions, it’s clear that it’s still a major player in the media space.
Content production companies will often produce shows that originally go out over the air and then are available later on for download. These digital versions will get sent out to most of the major podcast platforms and are usually pushed out to mobile device users. Partnering with an organization that produces this kind of material can get your brand promoted on both terrestrial radio broadcasts as well as online. Many fans will listen to a show live off the air and then grab MP3 files of it, later on, to listen again, which means there’s a good chance you’ll be able to increase your brand’s overall mindshare with some consumers by passively reaching out to them more than once.
Quite a few terrestrial broadcast stations stream their content live online as well, so getting your brand mentioned on a syndicated show can have it mentioned on a wide variety of Internet radio stations. Say you interviewed someone from a business show that played on a variety of news-talk outlets. Everyone who was streaming their local affiliate online would hear it at the same time those tuned in with their stereos did.
Exploring the World of Online Newspapers
Much like radio has evolved, so has the world of Internet news portals. While you’re probably most familiar with the large aggregator sites that contribute to the endless news cycle, there are also a growing number of so-called eNewspapers that provide an experience much closer to reading an actual printed broadsheet or tabloid. Most of these are attached to publications that were either once available in physical form or still are.
Getting your brand mentioned in a feature story in one of these publications may be as easy as reaching out to the editorial staff and letting them know you’re willing to share some information with their readers. Many are hungry for long-form content and would be happy to work with someone who represents an up-and-coming startup firm. Publications that still use conventional newsprint might put your interview online as well as in their hard copy version. Others release PDF and ePub versions of their papers, which can be downloaded and read on a variety of devices.
Bottom Line
There’s no reason why your digital marketing efforts only have to be focused on the latest technologies. There’s room for many different types of media, so reaching out to users of as many of them as possible will help you reach the greatest number of potential customers possible.