This is a trick question, but let’s write a post about it. The answer: It depends.
The type of marketing you need to reach potential clients can depend on a few things, including the size of your business, where you’re located, the type of industry you’re in, audience demographics, shoe size, and hair color. Okay, not really the last two. But there are a bunch. Additionally, there isn’t always one type of marketing that is best, but sometimes multiple types depending on these factors as well. Take a look at the characteristics of the following marketing tools to get an idea of which one(s) may work for you, and let us know how we can help.
This form of marketing may seem obsolete with the domination of online marketing that’s taken place over the last decade or so, but there are a few advantages to a direct mail strategy that can’t be found online. Here are two: it’s easier for customers to understand and more cost-effective. If you’re a smaller company with a tight budget or if your audience isn’t glued to their phones 24/7, this may be a great option for you. You can also get creative with what you’re mailing, and in which form the mail comes whereas an e-mail is always going to be an e-mail. If you’re in an industry that allows for creativity, then direct mail is a viable marketing tool to express that creativity. Finally, direct mail is still proven effective for companies seeking to draw from people located nearby (e.g., dentists, restaurants). If you’re thinking about going this route, check out our 8 Secrets of Direct Mail to learn more about how to succeed.
Enogarage: Wine glass invitation (Mayvendev.com)
We can all relate to Annette. We are Annette. Annette is us. Few things can feel more invigorating in the world of e-mail than unsubscribing from a company’s futile marketing attempts, but if you do it right, then it doesn’t have to be yours.
Annette Lawless/Twitter
E-mail marketing is reported to have the highest ROI of almost any marketing tool (depending on how its used) and the reason that’s known is because of how easily measurable it is. If you want or need an exact measure of how much you’re spending vs. your results, then e-mail marketing is a great tool for reporting. If you’re a small company with not too high of a subscriber list (less than a few thousand) then this can also be a budget-friendly way to reach your audience. For larger companies, it can get expensive, but can often prove to be more profitable than direct mail. E-newsletters are good for companies trying to drive specific actions on their website or if you have a broader audience that can’t be reached in one (or a few) specific neighborhoods.
Short, sweet, and to the point (for the consumer, that is). Pay-Per-Click advertising can be a more successful marketing tool for larger companies with higher budgets who have a very specific niche and target audience. Note: PPC can work well for smaller companies too but may take up most of the marketing budget. This strategy allows companies to reach people who are actively searching for a product or service. If you’re looking to drive sales in real-time, PPC could be right for you. It also helps if you’re already somewhat established with a solid website and great Google reviews (in addition to having a real, live unicorn as your mascot and logo, we’re sure). This can be a time-consuming part of your marketing plan that may require an outside agency or contractor, but if you have the budget then it could be worth your own time, too. PPC can give great insight to industry information and competition while still allowing you to choose your own budget. You already stalk your competition anyway, PPC just allows you to make it an official part of your strategy.
Probably one of the most effective, important types of marketing that no one (besides a content marketer) really understands. The reason it’s so hard to define is that while almost anything can be considered content, not all of it is part of a strategy. That’s where the marketing part comes in. Content Marketing is for companies looking to reach consumers through education and building a brand. Awareness is key. If you are just starting out or already rolling and looking to build awareness, then content marketing could be one of the best strategies for you. If you’re an industry expert with a lot of information to share about your field, then content marketing can be very profitable. It can come in many forms of blogs, articles, images, or video, so if this is a tool you want to invest in, it’s best that you work in an industry where at least one of these outlets can be heavily utilized. Check out some lessons on the popular publishing maven, Buzzfeed’s content strategy to learn more about how it works.
BuzzFeed/SmartInsights.com
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