Top 5 Most Effective Forms of Traditional Marketing for Events
Hosting an event for a business or brand is a great way to garner attention while generating leads and sales. However, attracting attendees to your event is the first and one of the most important steps to take that must not be overlooked.
Knowing the most effective forms of traditional marketing for events can help to optimize your time and your ability to appeal to prospective customers and clients.
1. Direct Mail
Direct mailing is one of the oldest, yet most effective forms of marketing, especially when marketing events.
Sending direct mail to advertise an upcoming event is an intimate way of communicating with prospective clients, partners, and even potential investors who have a genuine interest in your business.
Direct mail has an average ROI of 29%, making it a leading form of offline marketing in all industries across the board. Using direct mail also provides the opportunity to pinpoint specific demographics and target individuals based on their exact locations, zip codes, and specific neighborhoods relevant to your business and brand.
Using direct mail to reach a potential audience also allows you to get to know those you are targeting better and on a more personal level. Direct mailers offer a great opportunity to showcase your services and products without the same time constrictions as online ad campaigns and promotions.
2. Stickers
One can never underestimate the power of visual imagery and branded messaging, especially for launching effective marketing and advertising campaigns. Did you know that the mega community Reddit owes its success to a measly $500 sticker marketing budget?
Using sticker marketing is not a new tactic, but it is one that is known for its powerful ability to go viral and reach millions of potential customers and clients with the right strategy.
Sticker marketing is an ideal method of spreading brand awareness using guerilla tactics that are not expensive or difficult.
Sticker strategies might include promoting stickers on social media, giving them away to “street teams” or volunteers, or even using hashtags printed on the stickers themselves to drive online chatter and traffic.
3. Banners
Using banner ads is a great way to expand your event marketing into the online realm.
Banner advertising is one of the most popular traditional marketing for events choices, as it provides plenty of flexibility in terms of budget and in terms of banner placement.
When launching a banner ad campaign, you can do so by choosing specific websites you wish to advertise on, along with specific demographics you intend to target.
Digital top banner ads are preferred by 57% of advertisers, as they help produce the greatest ROI and source of traffic.
Not only are banner ads great for attracting recent visitors and prospective customers to a website, but they are also an ideal source of inspiration to spread brand awareness. Banners are extremely visually stimulating, and can help others to become familiar with your business and brand, especially if you are launching a new business or are entering a highly competitive and saturated market.
4. Branded merchandise
Using branded merchandise is not a new form of traditional marketing for events, but it is highly effective.
Research shows that up to 85% of consumers could remember and recall an advertiser if they were given branded merchandise directly from the brand, such as a hat or a t-shirt.
Providing branded merchandise at events, during giveaways, or even for promotional campaigns is a great way to boost brand awareness and to get others talking about your business and brand.
From traditional t-shirts and hoodies to branded messenger bags, hats, and office gear, the options are virtually endless when creating your very own custom branded merchandise. Not only is branded merchandise a great way to visually spread awareness of your brand, but it also provides ongoing advertising even after your event or campaign ends.
Branded merchandise is a brilliant solution for ongoing advertising that continuously promotes a business or brand as long as an individual is wearing or using the merchandise.
5. Print Ads
Print advertisements might seem old or even outdated, especially if you own an online business with clients internationally.
However, most times, print advertising is still precious and provides plenty of opportunity to generate leads, sales, and new prospective customers.
In 2016, a study was conducted that showed that Americans still trust print ads over digital campaigns and online promotions. Other studies have shown that individuals have a much easier time recalling print ads than when attempting to recall online or digital campaigns, even if the campaigns were targeted at them specifically.
Print ads are often much more affordable and longer-lasting than digital campaign spots. If you are building a business from the ground up or if you are launching a local company, using print ads may be the way for you. Print ads are engaged with differently than online ads, which provide a unique opportunity to connect with prospective customers, even in the comfort of their own homes.
Using print ads is a way for you to take advantage of a classical form of advertising without eliminating other elements of your online marketing campaigns.
Understanding the most effective forms of marketing for events can help you in your next strategy brainstorming session. Whether you choose to use traditional direct mailing or unique branded merchandise, implementing any of the most effective forms of marketing with your next advertising campaign will always render better results.
