We’ve all heard the usual marketing strategies that are getting all the attention these days; Facebook, Instagram, Google Adwords, SEO, LinkedIn, content marketing etc… No question, these all work and they bring in great results. Just because these are effective and perhaps have made marketing even easier in a sense, doesn’t mean these marketing channels are the only way to bring in new customers or leads. There are a range of others that are less hyped, less competitive and often just as effective (if not more so). Let’s take a look at a few of them….
Gumtree
Now, anyone who’s read the blogs I’ve written on this site will know I’ve raved about Gumtree and it’s effectiveness before. Gumtree, for those of you not acquainted with this amazing platform, is an online classifieds site. Similar to Craigslist if you’re in the U.S.
It’s incredibly popular for buying and selling household items, cars and other miscellaneous goods. It’s not being effectively utilised by many businesses. Whether you offer services or goods, I would highly recommend getting your offering into the relevant category on this platform. Due to the relatively low competition in many areas, it doesn’t take a lot to stand out. I would however, recommend spending some time optimising your headline and images in particular, as these are what tend to stand out.
Flyer Deliveries
Believe it or not, these little bits of paper that you pull out of your letterbox are still effective ways to market your business. That’s right, not only are flyer deliveries still utilised by a number of businesses, they still very much generate results. You will want to ensure they are designed in a way that gives you the best possible chance of success of course, and there are a few nuances to this.
Firstly though, you have to understand that, like practically every other form of marketing strategy out there, getting marketing materials delivered is a numbers game. Be it flyers, pamphlets, brochures or a world class visual presentation, a large portion of them will end up in the bin. Most of them in fact. Not everyone is going to be interested in your service, you just have to remember that these are aimed purely at the individuals or businesses that potentially are.
So, what works? From all my years in the biz, the best strategy I have seen is to offer something of value, particular if there are no strings attached. For instance, one of my real estate clients offered a free coffee to anyone who signed their name and number onto the back of the flyer. They got dozens upon dozens of names for their database, almost certainly resulting in a number of leads for property buyers and sellers.
The old letterbox is still one of the effective marketing channels for your business.
With real estate agents in particular, although this does apply to a range of businesses, flyer deliveries are about building a brand longer term. It’s name recognition and the possibility of a potential client hanging on to your flyer if they’re considering selling 5 months down the track.
In terms of design, I really don’t think it matters as much as you may think. I’ve seen the blandest looking layout on a simple piece of white paper work just as well as the most beautifully designed, colourful, glossy, folded A4 brochure. It will heavily depend on the industry, but sometimes the simple approach can give off a local, personal touch.
Sales Letters
This is probably a replica of flyer deliveries in terms of a marketing channel, however there are a couple of differentiating factors.
Firstly, unlike a flyer, sales letters are, as per the name, in a letter format. So they are written too somebody, even if it is just in a generic sense. They follow the traditional letter format in terms the Dear Mr…, to an introduction (the recipients pain point ideally), an introduction to your services, a brief spiel (perhaps an offer) and then the sign off and contact details.
I find these work best when placed in an envelope with a business card or fridge magnet attached. The response rates in my experience have been 3-4x what they have been for flyers with those two inclusions. They can work incredibly well.
Cold Calling
Ahhh the dreaded cold call. Bane of every small business owner over the last few decades. Immortalised in movies as the ultimate in slimy sales techniques.
I’m sure you were celebrating the age of digital marketing predominantly for the fact it meant you wouldn’t have to pick up the phone again! To tell you the truth, you don’t. Cold calling isn’t as essential as it was when we didn’t have the option to craft ultra-targeted campaigns on Facebook or Google. It may not even be as effective. However, it still works (in certain industries at least).
The key is to have a strategy going in to the call and ensure you’re talking like a normal human, not a sales robot who won’t take no for an answer.
Cold Emailing
Just like cold calling, sending out emails to new prospects is still an effective way to market your business. I think with older style marketing channels like this, we tend to look at how the results used to be, versus how they are currently. If the numbers are down, even slightly, we look at the method as outdated and ineffectual. That’s not always the case. Even if open rates and leads have dropped by a few percent, it can be an incredibly worthwhile tool to reach prospects in a direct fashion.
I’ve found the key is to ensure the email is personalised to the recipient, not just their name at the top, but in the content as well. Try and speak to them and their problem or issue that you can solve or provide an answer to.
This is a great article with a few different templates on how to craft an effective cold email.
What are your thoughts? Are there any other less-renowned marketing channels that you’ve had success with?
