Marketing is a lot like fashion. Every day, there’s a new marketing trend that surfaces. And as an entrepreneur wanting your business to succeed, it can be tempting to try out all of the new trends that come to light.
Sure, trends are important to monitor. However, there are also oldies but goodies that never go out of style. Sometimes the best marketing strategies you can use are the ones that aren’t fresh, crazy, or fancy. Sometimes the best tactics are the evergreen marketing strategies that never go out of style.
Marketing strategies that never go out of style
Is it time to go through your closet of marketing strategies and ditch some old and unsuccessful tactics? Before you retire some of your business’s marketing tactics, keep these six marketing strategies that will never go out of style in mind.
1. Standing out by being different
In the business world, you’re not going to get anywhere by blending in. And, failing to differentiate yourself could spell doom for your venture.
One of the oldest tricks in the marketing book is making your business stand out by being different. Sure, this tip is a little obvious. But trust me, there’s a reason why it’s an evergreen marketing tactic.
To make your business stand out from the competition, make sure you know your target market inside and out by doing a market analysis. And, scope out your competitors to see what they have up their sleeves. Take your time and do thorough research to find out customer pain points and opportunities in the market.
Figure out what sets, or can set, you apart from your competition and roll with it.
2. Personalizing your marketing efforts
Did you know that 80% of customers are more likely to purchase from a brand that provides personalized experiences? That’s a whopping 4 out of 5 people who crave personalization from businesses.
Although personalization isn’t a new marketing trend, it has evolved over the years. From online ads to marketing materials to the shopping experience itself, you have to think about personalization.
To personalize your customers’ experience, you need to be relatable (aka share your flaws and startup story) and transparent with customers. Customers want to shop from a business they relate to and trust—not one that is generic and doesn’t truly care about what the customer wants and needs.
You can also personalize your marketing materials, such as emails. When personalizing your marketing materials, include the customer’s name. Also, consider the customer’s purchase history and interests as well as whether they’re a potential or existing customer before sending them any marketing materials.
3. Using reviews to your advantage
Ah, good old-fashioned reviews. Whether they’re on paper or online, reviews are reviews. People trust reviews … a lot. In fact, 93% of consumers say online reviews impact their purchasing decisions.
Using reviews in your marketing efforts can show potential and current customers that they can trust your company for the long haul. Not to mention, you can use feedback left in reviews to better your business.
As far as I can tell, the world wide web isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. So, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use your positive customer reviews to your advantage.
Scour different platforms, such as Google, your business website, and social media for reviews. Then, weave those stellar reviews into your marketing campaigns (e.g., in emails, on your website, etc.).
4. Utilizing word-of-mouth marketing
If you want to create a buzz about your business, you have to get people talking about it. You might be wondering, How do I do that, Mike? I’m glad you asked.
Word-of-mouth marketing.
There’s no way of really knowing how long word-of-mouth marketing has been around. My guess? Practically forever. And, you can count on word-of-mouth marketing to be here for many more years to come.
Approximately 74% of consumers identify word of mouth as a major influencer in their purchasing decisions. Customers trust recommendations from people they know. Your customers will always be your best brand ambassadors.
If you want to boost your business’s word of mouth, go above and beyond for customers, share positive reviews, and consider creating a rewards program. The more good things you can give your customers to talk about, the better.
5. Humanizing your brand
Before the internet, businesses didn’t have to worry about humanizing their brand. But in this digital age, the majority of outreach happens online, making it somewhat difficult to connect with customers and show them who you really are.
One marketing strategy that won’t go out of style (as long as the internet is alive and well) is humanizing your brand. Humanizing your brand shows customers the faces behind your business.
To do this, be real and transparent, especially if your business is 100% online. You can do things like discuss your startup’s history, spotlight employees on your website, and add photos of your employees to other platforms (e.g., social media) to humanize your brand.
To humanize my accounting and payroll software company, Patriot Software, I like talking about my startup story. Like many other entrepreneurs, my startup story isn’t glamorous. I started my company in the basement of a factory. We had blankets for walls and rats, birds, and flies for customers.
My startup wasn’t perfect. It sure wasn’t easy. But, those startup horror stories are what made my business what it is today. And you can bet your bottom dollar that I don’t regret a single second of it.
6. Networking in your community
Connecting with other businesses and individuals in your community is the secret ingredient to success. The more people you know, the better off your venture will be.
Networking isn’t going anywhere. As long as there are people out there, there are opportunities to connect. Take some time to get to know your community. Community events are a great way to expose your business more and show others the face behind your business.
Consider attending some of the following events to build brand awareness for your business:
- Community showcases
- Trade shows
- Conferences
Mike Kappel is a serial entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of Patriot Software Company, and its subsidiaries. Patriot Software, LLC is a developer of online payroll and accounting software for U.S. small-business owners. Connect on Twitter: @PatriotSoftware.
Marketing stock photo by Wirestock Images/Shutterstock
