Marketing is an important business activity that plays a key role in creating a unique brand identity, making sales, and meeting revenue goals. Regardless of the size of your business, a sound marketing plan should include a balance of traditional and modern mediums to generate the best reach and results. Here, Nicasio Design explores the various must-have mediums you should include in your promotional activities.

Traditional Mediums

Traditional marketing mediums mainly consist of offline activities, which help to interact with customers in a physical setting. Here are three prominent options to consider:

• Handouts: Handouts are a great way to educate customers on your products, promote offers and create a buzz about your business. If you’re trying to establish a brand locally, consider placing flyers on all public pinboards and local businesses. Furthermore, create business cards that can be distributed to customers, vendors, clients, family, and friends. When compared to other mediums, a business card has greater recall value and makes it easy for customers to contact or refer to your business.

You can create flyers in just a few clicks by using online graphic design software. 

• Billboards: While billboards require a hefty investment, they provide your business exposure 24 hours a day. BMedia Group research shows that 75% of individuals passing a billboard will pay attention to it. If the billboard is placed on a busy highway or intersection, thousands of individuals will learn about your business daily, and possibly become loyal customers. 

• Print Advertisements: Depending on your niche, find the best newspapers and magazines to advertise in. Being featured in a magazine provides your business credibility and helps build brand awareness. Running ads in numerous magazines will establish customer recall and develop a brand identity.

 Print mediums are a great place to promote discounts as well. In the ads, you can provide a discount code that customers can use on your website. Not only will this increase website traffic, but help build a customer base and make sales. 

And don’t forget about the importance of a stand-out logo that will appear in traditional and digital marketing. A well-designed logo makes a strong first impression, builds brand awareness, and separates you from the competition. If you’re on a tight budget, instead of paying for logo design services you can use a free logo maker online to design an appealing logo on your own. It’s as easy as choosing a style and icon, then adding your own text. With this tool you can view an assortment of logos and adjust their fonts and colors.

Modern Mediums

As reported by Reputation X, 97% of customers conduct online research before deciding to buy from a business. To develop a strong digital presence for your brand, utilize the following mediums:

• Social Media: Find the platforms where your customers are most active and post engaging content regularly. Additionally, you can consider running paid ads to increase impressions, gain registrations, and make sales.

• Email Marketing: According to research cited on Daily Blogging, email marketing can provide an ROI of up to 4400%, making it a must-use medium in your marketing activities. Similar to your print materials, use an online generator to design emails to be used in your retention, promotion, and customer service efforts.  

Based on your customer data, you can email personalized discounts to customers at different parts of their journey. For example, new customers can be given discount codes for preliminary purchases, while loyal customers can be provided coupons for each individual they refer to your business.

• Video Marketing: Explained asserts that “90% of online shoppers found videos helpful in decision making.” That says a lot! Explainer videos in particular have been shown to create a stronger connection with customers. You can have a professional video created that provides the exact message and information you want to relay to your customers.

• Influencer Marketing: This involves finding the best influencers that fit your brand and working with them to promote your products to their social following. As influencers act as referrers, it increases the probability of conversions.

Along with maintaining a balance between mediums, the success of your marketing activities will depend on the messaging. A core component of messaging will be the brand slogan i.e. a short, unique phrase through which customers can identify your brand. Here are a few useful steps to help you create the best slogan:

• Keep it short, between 3-5 words.
• Use simple words, that are easy to pronounce
• If you’re a niche brand, use phrases and words commonly spoken by your target audience
• Focus on your brand’s voice. Are you abstract? Professional? Humorous? You’ll need to maintain this voice in all other promotional activities as well
• Take inspiration from successful brands. For example, Nike (“Just do it”), KFC (“It’s finger lickin’ good”), and Apple (“Think different”).

By incorporating a combination of traditional and modern marketing mediums, you’ll maximize your reach, create a strong brand identity and grow your business.

The web design and development experts at Nicasio Design can help you develop the perfect solution for your business, generating more revenue through the internet. Reach out for more info today! (912) 441-7011