Throwback Thursday: 4 Marketing Techniques That Still Work

It is the digital age. Content marketing, social media, and videos are everywhere. However, despite all the technological advances that marketing has made over the years, some effective marketing techniques have not changed all that much in decades.

While some of the old-school advertising and marketing methods do not have all the sexiness and allure that some of the new methods have, they still get the job done.

1. Promotional gifts. Giving promo gifts is a terrific example of an old-school marand free, something everybody loves! It is a tiny investment that can gain some serious ROI with years of loyal consumerism.
keting technique that has existed for decades yet still works. This method is a fairly cost-effective way for brands to build visibility and trust with consumers; there is little effort on the brand's side, while the consumer gets something practical

2. Mailing lists & lead buying. While we see mailing lists make the complete jump over to email marketing, traditional mailing efforts are still used by brands and still can generate ROI. Buying lists of qualified leads can be a reliable revenue channel because this is mostly employed by businesses trying to garner some local customers. For some businesses that our LA marketing team has worked with, this is one marketing method that worked, even over options like PPC ads.

3. Coupons and mailers. While this method has been showing less and less ROI potential, it still has the great potential to allow businesses to target a very specific geographical area. As long as the business understands the demographic they are targeting, this method can allow them to craft a very personal and effective message for their audience. This can increase consumer sales and trust with the personal coupon that opens the door for purchases.

4. Jingles & slogans. Jingles and slogans are used in advertisements to this day. How many times do we hear a commercial come on TV or the radio and sing the jingle? Or how many companies can we identify just by hearing the slogan? They get into our minds and create a sense of trust between the consumer and brand. Songs and other sounds are easily memorable, which brands capitalize on every day.

So while the world of marketing is changing, there are some methods that still work. Digital marketing is a great thing but there is still something captivating about old school marketing techniques. 

Move Over Millennials, It's Time to Obsess over Gen Zers. 6 Tips How to Market to Them

For the last few years, especially the last few months, it seems that every marketer is thinking of ways to reach through  to Millennials. Every marketing blog and article out there talks about Millennials. They're a great generation but you can't fault a creative for having "Millennial burnout."

It's now time to focus our efforts on the next group of consumers coming through the funnel, Generation Z. Approximately 26 percent of the United States population is made up of Zers and they total around 2 billion around the globe. They have tremendous purchasing power, which is growing, as they have $44 billion to spend every year.

So how can we tailor our marketing to this new generation of consumers? It won't be easy. They are an interesting mix of pragmatic (courtesy of their Gen X parents) and tech-saturated (like their Gen Y/Millennial siblings).

1. Show your brand's personality. We have talked about this regarding Millennials, so it should come as nothing new that brands need to be personal and real. Have a human touch and be willing to leave the stiff, straight-laced mentalities at the door. When brands show their fun side, their vulnerable side, or their lovable side, they will be successful at winning Gen. Z.

2. Don't use a filter. Sure, you don't want to create a PR disaster for yourself but don't be afraid to craft content, in whatever format, that is real. The brands that are utilizing YouTube stars see this in action and are getting ROI from it. Why? Well, the teens love the authenticity of the YouTube stars and feel they can connect with them. Look how many people have risen to fame from a site like YouTube, it's because those people were being real and laying out invitations for viewers to connect with them. These people were not being forced into the spotlight be corporate executives.

3. Champion a cause. Generation Zers are like their Millennial counterparts in that they want the brands they support to have a purpose beyond making money. However, Gen. Z are a little more serious and cautious consumers. If a brand is able to connect with a cause that helps make the world a better place, that brand will have a better chance winning Gen. Z consumers. For example, look at the brands establishing connections with anti-bullying campaigns or campaigns that deal with hunger, etc.

4. Go to where they live. The phrase, "Build it and they will come." doesn't work with this generation. In fact, it hasn't worked for a while. Brands have to go where the consumers are. In 2015, it's the social realm. People in Gen. Z are collectors, sharers, and spinners of influence and information for their peers. Each platform of social media cultivates a different side of this generation. Again, this is where brands can benefit from tapping the YouTube stars and other social media stars to do some promotion.

5. Be the vessel for interactions and friendships. A brand that can establish a channel for Gen. Z to find people like them, then you will majorly win the respect and love of these consumers. They want to connect with like-minded peers and build relationships, not be slapped
across the face with advertisements and traditional promotional tools. Be the vessel that helps them do this. Be the catalyst.

6. Bust through the noise like Kool-Aid Man does walls. There are distractions everywhere, it can be difficult to know what to say or do so the kids notice you. All the access to the internet makes it both hard and easy to grab their attention. The content that brands produce needs to be entertaining, helpful, informative, relevant, and fun. Yes, you can pick which of those to embrace but the entertaining, relevant, and fun are essential, so you sort of get to pick & choose.

Hire a marketing firm that can help your business do this. Call or email Integraphix, a Los Angeles marketing agency. 

Contact us and get a free marketing analysis! 

5 Reasons Your Company Should Be Blogging Right Now

The purpose of blogging has expanded from updating your friends about your recent travels and opinions to the business world. Just about any business can benefit from the wonderful tool of blogging and here are five great reasons your business should be doing it.

1. It is made for sharing ideas and opinions. Your business can use its blog to share is ideas, what it represents, its perspective on industry trends, and whatever you want it to talk about (note: keep it professional and relevant). Yes, you can do these things on other platforms like social media but it's not really welcome there, at least not in long text. You can then use this opportunity to engage with other people, such as industry experts, and build connections and web traffic. If you do it right, your blogging can become a major search engine optimization tool and sales lead tool.
2. You can reach a mass audience in a shorter timeframe. The internet is a beautiful place; you can spread news and information to thousands, even millions, of people in just a few minutes. One way to do this is to mention your blog posts on your social media; from your social media, it can be shared, commented on, liked, retweeted, favorites, etc. Now you have great material for your social media marketing efforts.
3. You can position yourself as an expert. When you talk about your industry subject matter, you can sound like an expert and become a resource for other people. The more people see you as an expert, and hopefully Google, the more web traffic you have and better brand visibility. Your business will be building and exposing its credibility, trustworthiness, and expertise. 
4. It will be a sales tool. When you engage with other people and show that you are an expert, other businesses and customers will be more likely to do business with you because they can already have that trust. You can also be more direct with (some) posts and promote a new service or product. 
5. It puts (more) content on your site. Whether or not your business wants to do serious external search engine optimization, having content on your site is important; content is all the verbiage and images on your site. Search engines like to see that on your site, better yet, they like to see fresh content on your site regularly. Any great SEO company will tell you that fresh, relevant content on your site is a great idea. 

Does your business now see why blogging is so important? We sure hope so. Do you want to begin blogging but don't know how or don't have the time? Then email or call Integraphix, a Los Angeles marketing agency with over 25 years experience. 

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