Discover some tricks that can help you reach new audiences and build brand awareness, which are less used or forgotten in more recent years.

Just like tides and fashion, trends in marketing also have a cyclical pattern of coming back into relevance. Many online marketing channels are becoming less important with the rise of new ones, and updates in algorithms, trends and styles can also affect a marketing campaign in a way.

In this article, we’ll offer five strategies that you might have forgotten about, that could help your business get noticed in the year to come.

Offline guerilla marketing

The adoption of unusual marketing methods is known as guerrilla marketing. Since online marketing channels are specialized, narrowly structured and have lots of conditions you need to meet, offline guerrilla marketing can be an opportunity to let your creativity loose and impress people in the real world.

Here are some ideas for guerrilla marketing:

• Pop-up stores in malls
• Murals, graffiti and art installations in public spaces
• Handing out branded merchandise on the streets
• Funding art or cultural events that you are thematically close to or share their values
• Donating branded notebooks, pens or bookmarks to learning centers or libraries
• Applying stickers to electricity poles or in public toilets (or toilets of clubs and cafes, if the business owners allow it).

Business Administration

Event marketing

Throwing an event is one technique to garner publicity. This may be a launch party or an announcement, and if you make the event attractive enough, you’ll almost certainly attract some attention.

Regrettably, not every firm has a newsworthy announcement to merit regular press conferences. Or they simply cannot afford company events because of the prices of venues and logistical costs.

There are, however, various sorts of events for which you might obtain coverage. A competition, for example, may be launched with an interesting reward and become newsworthy as a result of the value it delivers to the readers/viewers of that media. An online giveaway “lottery” show, a webinar, a Zoom lecture held by one of your experts, or simply an open day for hiring or prospective clients can fit this purpose.

For a small business, taking part in trade shows also proves to be very useful. The coronavirus isn’t going anywhere, but seeing countries are reopening and allowing bigger events to be held again, maybe you should start handing out business cards to potential clients on trade shows again!

Promotional merchandise

Do you want to get more use out of your events and presence at trade shows? Giving out promotional presents is an excellent trick to do this.

Many businesses these days overlook methods like this one because they take longer to produce results and don’t scale as well as SEO, but don’t be fooled.

One of the main advantages of promotional gifts is that they help you win over more allies and friends among your customers and within the industry. Just think about how often you’ve first become aware of a business because of a laptop sticker, tote bag, someone’s lighter or notebook. It helps spread the word about a business and leaves a content customer with some goodies that they never paid for.

Sometimes, the tried-and-true old-school methods are the best.

Tote bag and blouse for Maquina Coffee Roasters. Credits: Behance

Local magazines and newspapers

A great way to make the offline world show interest in your business is to be featured in traditional media. Let’s be real: grandpas don’t care or trust in social media marketing, so if you’re operating in a more traditional industry or have to reach a specific demographic, marketing your product or service in newspapers, magazines and public bulletin boards will be more useful.

People still read magazines and newspapers in print. When you advertise in them, you’re placing your message in front of a very specific group of individuals who are more likely to respond.

If you offer a local service and place an ad in your local newspaper, for example, a higher number of people are likely to react since they know your business is close by.

The same is true for niche publications because people who buy a magazine about a particular topic share a similar interest, which you can adapt your marketing message to.

“Behind the scenes” social media

Many business owners overlook the fact that offline initiatives might help increase marketing. This may be accomplished by simply photographing all workplace events and pleasant daily activities.

When people see what a company is up to and that they are relatable, everyday people with normal office life, they can get really interested.

For instance, if a corporate representative is giving a lecture or conducting training, film it and post it to relevant social media networks!

Raw images from the offline world reveal the company’s personality as well as the nature of the working environment. It can also enhance engagement and reach over time.