Whether you’re an entrepreneur or just running an online business, you’re no doubt wondering what the best physical marketing strategy is for your product or service. You want to make sure that you’re investing your time and money in the right places so that you can generate the best return on investment.
There are many different physical marketing strategies that you can use to promote your business. However, not all of them will be effective for your product or service. You need to choose the right one. To help you make the right choice, we’ve compiled a list of the best physical marketing strategies for online businesses. So, read on to learn more.
Traditional Marketing
Most entrepreneurs and businesses tend to favor this approach because they believe that it is the most effective way to market a product or service. However, if you’re a vegan blogger that specializes in health and wellness, you might disagree. Although this approach does generate a lot of interest, it usually doesn’t translate into actual sales.
Regardless, traditional marketing is definitely a good choice for a business that is looking to build a brand for the first time. The best part about this approach is that you can focus on one or two channels at a time. Once you start getting results from your efforts, you can then expand your focus to other areas.
Direct Marketing
This is a bit like traditional marketing but instead of relying on third parties to reach your audience, you contact your target audience directly.
You can implement this strategy for a number of different products or services. However, it is most commonly used to promote websites, products, and events. To determine the best way to target these individuals, you need to consider a number of different factors. These include the size of your target audience, the type of content that they’re engaged with, and your budget.
The first step is to assess your current marketing strategies. Are you currently reaching your target audience via social media, email, or other channels? If so, great! This is a sign that direct marketing is the right choice for your business.
Graphic Design Marketing
This is one of the more recent forms of marketing and it tends to focus on branding and visual identity. So, rather than trying to sell a product or service, you sell your expertise via design.
Since graphic design marketing is a relatively new approach, there isn’t a lot of evidence that it is more effective than older forms of marketing. However, what little evidence there is supports its effectiveness. When used correctly, graphic design marketing can be a powerful tool for brand awareness and identity development. It can also help your business to stand out from the crowd.
Product Demonstration
This is simply involving potential customers in your product or service. So, instead of passively encouraging them to learn more about your product, you get the chance to show them what it is and how it works. With a little bit of planning and research, you can ensure that this approach is as effective as possible. And who knows – it might even create some buzz among your target audience.
A lot of businesses use these kinds of tactics to great effect. However, make sure that you’ve got a good reason for bringing potential customers into your store. You don’t want to simply have them come in to look at your products because they want to see what’s there. You want to go the extra mile to get them to come back for more. Give them a coupon or special deal that’s only available to people who visit your store. Or offer free shipping for back-to-school items. Whatever it may be, find a way to tie it into your product demonstration.
In-Person Marketing
Sometimes, rather than using the above-mentioned tactics, you can simply go into person. This is a form of marketing that’s as old as time itself. You meet your customers in-person and encourage them to buy your product or service. Although this approach is clearly effective, you might not want to rely on it solely. In-person marketing is great for generating buzz and interest but if you want to drive actual sales, you can look into other tactics.
Radio Advertising
This is perhaps the most under-utilized form of advertising. However, it’s a highly effective one, especially for businesses that are looking to build a brand. You can either purchase time on a radio station or use online tools to create your own radio ad. The choice is yours.
The first step to effective radio advertising is to identify the right audience. Are you aiming for a younger audience or an older one? Does your product or service appeal to men or women? Regardless of the answers to these questions, you can narrow your target audience and focus on creating ads that will be most effective.
Pamphlets And Leaflets
Although most people think of flyers when it comes to direct marketing, you can actually use a range of printed matter to gain interest and establish your brand. From business cards and letterhead, to banners and posters, there are a lot of options available to entrepreneurs and marketers. You can use these to blanket your city or region. If you want to go even further, you can create mailers, postcards, and more.
The key with these kinds of materials is to ensure that there is enough of them. When we think about direct marketing, we usually assume that there will be a huge number of potential customers. However, the opposite can be true as well. If you spread your materials everywhere but fail to follow-up, you might as well not have bothered. Ensure that you put in the effort to contact every single person who has received your flyer. Sometimes, this can mean knocking on doors or even sending out follow-up emails to people that haven’t opened your pamphlet or emailed back to you.
Display Advertising
This kind of marketing is essentially what television advertising and magazine spreads consist of. However, rather than using these traditional media to reach potential customers, you use advertisements that are specifically tailored for specific platforms. So, for example, if you’re running an online business that sells health and wellness products, you might choose to advertise on sites like halo and healthista.com. Your aim here is to reach people who are interested in what you have to offer via a platform that they actively use.
Your choice of platform is based on a number of factors. First, you want to make sure that the site is actually relevant to your product or service. Second, you need to consider whether or not you want to run ads on free or paid platforms. Third, you need to make sure that the adverts that you’re running on these sites are relevant to your product or service. If you can meet these criteria, you can be certain that display advertising is the right choice for your business.
Flyers, Posters, And Business Cards
These kinds of materials are essentially what’s in the mail box every day. You know, the stuff that you get delivered to your house. These are perfect for in-person marketing because you can simply pass them out at a customer event or anywhere else that you think that your audience might see them. You can also create eye-catching, animated business cards to help you stand out among your competitors.
The good thing about putting these materials in the mail is that they’re relatively inexpensive to produce. And if you want to get creative, you can actually use a variety of items to create something new and interesting. From magazine articles to bookmarks, you can use whatever you have at hand to create an interesting bit of design.
Trade And Consumer Shows
These are expos, fairs, and conventions that are dedicated to selling a particular product or service. For example, the Canadian Tire Expo, which is held annually, is a great place to promote your auto care business. You can also use shows like American Apparel’s Fashion Week to promote your clothing brand. Just remember to avoid using overly aggressive tactics – people already know what your brand stands for, so there’s no need to drum up interest by bashing your competitors.
These kinds of shows are great for establishing a brand. But, if you want to see actual sales, you might want to consider other tactics.