5 Businesses Best Suited for Traditional Marketing

All businesses thrive on good marketing practices. Be it a product or a service, every enterprise needs to market itself in multiple different ways.

Broadly, you can classify marketing practices into traditional and digital, or a combination of the two. The good old traditional marketing channels include print, TV, radio, telemarketing, mail marketing, trade shows, outdoor advertising, word-of-mouth and face-to-face networking.

On the other hand, digital marketing embraces online mediums via the internet like social media, email marketing, search engine advertising, and more. The third is a blended approach of the two. 

As we shift to a more digital world, many organisations are taking up the digital route of marketing. Digital marketing is certainly here to stay; it is a fresher approach compared to the conventional mode for the dynamic world. 

This does not mean we completely disown conventional marketing approaches. Traditional modes of marketing are still prevalent in many lines of business. A number of businesses still rely on them to thrive in the ever-competitive market. These conventional marketing methods have been a fundamental part of several business promotional strategies and are still used today.

What are these businesses? And how do they succeed in leveraging traditional marketing practices in the digital age?

In this article, let us explore the 5 businesses that lean more towards the traditional approach in marketing.

1. Promotions and Marketing Collaterals

When it comes to marketing, it is vital to create awareness around your business offerings. However, for effective marketing, you need a channel of choice from the multiple options available. As an enterprise owner or a marketing manager, it is your job to effectively promote your product or service. But the question is – which medium do you choose?

Promotional businesses and marketing collaterals help you assess how and where your marketing message will truly succeed. These businesses design, print and produce promotional displays for your marketing needs, ranging from small flags to large branded gazebos with the ability to modify and tweak the designs to match your needs. 

These are B2B businesses that rely on one-on-one relationships. With a preference for traditional marketing over digital, they look for a connection with their customers on a more personal level. While they may receive business enquiries through email, phone and website forms, traditional marketing methods like display advertising can help form a real connection.

2. Automotive Repair Works

Automotive repair garages and car maintenance services rely on conventional marketing modes like print and outdoor advertising. While you may need a higher marketing budget for a television brand campaign, you can certainly post a print ad in the local newspaper to generate interest. Inserting flyers and postcards inside newspapers generates better local reach. 

Many car repair businesses use keywords like “car parts online in the UK” to rank on search engine results and generate leads online. Yet several businesses prefer offline contact as a customer may or may not know the exact part that needs to be replaced. As repair and maintenance is a lifetime process for automotive owners, using traditional marketing techniques like telemarketing can help build a long-term relationship with customers. A rock-solid relationship between a customer and a business is a precursor for repeat purchases and in turn, lifetime retention.

3. Construction Materials

The construction industry is one of the tightly regulated B2B industries. Any B2B business’s success depends on the quality of relationships you build and foster with your clients. 

Take, for instance, a nationwide business sourcing and selling sustainable construction materials, which needs to put forth the right message regarding its product offerings to the right customer. As a customer looking for sustainable concrete for your construction projects, you would rather choose to talk with the business at a trade show or exhibition than chat with an online chatbot.

Branding goes a long way in building customer trust and retention. This can hold true for the construction industry as well. Television and print media adverts can create a better impact in terms of customer recall than a single online search ad.

4. Car and Auto Showrooms

Investing in a car can be a big decision for many. Your customers are likely to put in a lot of thought, planning and research before stepping inside a car showroom. For example, they’re likely to browse through your website or access online brochures before making a decision.

However, when it comes to cars, nothing comes close to the real experience of touch. You may be able to book a test drive online, but the test drive always starts from a showroom. This feeling is difficult to reproduce through a digital medium. Television, print advertising and telemarketing work best for potential car buyers and help you build awareness of new car models, promote financing options and announce sale deals.

5. Hospitals

Hospitals and healthcare facilities also partake in traditional marketing activities. Hospitals with a national network advertise on print, radio, billboards and television. Local healthcare centres and nursing homes depend on community-building activities and word-of-mouth to increase their awareness and reach.

Hosting fund-raisers, reaching out to the affected communities and one-on-one relationship-building exercises between medical professionals and patients are some of the ways hospitals and care centres look to foster mutually beneficial relationships. Think about it – Would you rather receive a pop-up ad about dental surgery or read about it on a billboard?

Although hospitals and healthcare centres receive online inquiries from their website regarding procedures, surgeries and OPDs, traditional marketing channels aid in connecting with patients in a more effective way than digital channels.

In Summary

The marketing strategy for a business can depend on multiple factors, including the nature of the business, the type of product or service on offer, the reach, the type of customer and much more. While digital marketing channels are certainly full of potential, traditional marketing approaches cannot be written off just yet. Whether you use either approach or a blend of both, effective implementation is a must. You never know which traditional approach can make a surprise comeback!