Are you still relying on old-fashioned marketing techniques? Not only could they be failing to attract any customers but some of them could in fact be harming your business. Here are just a few marketing methods that are no longer necessary and what you should do instead.
Phonebook adverts
Phonebooks used to be the number one directory that customers would use when searching for a company to call up. Nowadays, practically no-one uses a phonebook and that’s because internet search engines have taken over. Building a website and investing energy into SEO (search engine optimisation) is a far more effective strategy at attracting customers. Digital marketing companies such as this one at this website can help you to build a digital presence. The only time you should ever invest in phonebook advertising is if your customers are largely older, in which case they’re less likely to use a computer.
Billboards
If you’ve noticed billboards disappearing, that’s because they’re no longer particularly effective. They’re expensive to produce and whilst they’ll attract more attention that your average poster, it’s unlikely you’ll get that much business out of them. Few drivers notice them unless stuck in traffic (and even then, most drivers are checking their smartphones rather than reading billboards).
Snail mail
Most business are now trying to go paperless in attempt to cut costs and be eco-friendlier. As a result, traditional mail has fallen out of favour. Email is a much better option – although you should still be careful of being too spammy. Just as many of us shove unopened letters straight in the trash, many of us simply ignore or delete spam emails. Ads, social media posts and emails/SMS mailing lists are a much less invasive way to keep people in the loop and are likely to be more effective for this reason.
Cold calling
Telemarketing has always been viewed as a bit of a nuisance by consumers. Despite this, it was quite effective at one point in time – before mobile phones there was no way of knowing who was calling you and so people would answer and get hooked into these sales calls. Nowadays, mobile phones tell you which number if ringing you so you can tell immediately if it’s someone you don’t know. Most phones also have means of blocking numbers. As a result, cold calling has become pretty useless in most B2C situations (it can still be effective in B2B situations, only because companies still primarily use landlines). Instead of cold calling, focus your energy on getting people to phone you by advertising your number on all your branding.
Keyword stuffing
In the early days of the internet, it was possible to make your website rank highly on Google by stuffing it with keywords. Search engines have long since altered their algorithms so that keyword stuffing no longer works – in fact it can have the opposite effect and cause your website to rank even lower. You’re better of using natural SEO tactics such as link building, whilst strategically choosing keywords based on research. An SEO company may be able to help you with this. There are also keyword research tools available online for helping you out.
