Looking for alternatives to social media marketing?
Or maybe you are thinking of employing social media marketing to scale your business?
In this post, I share why you should not just focus on social media marketing alone.
By the time you read to the end, I will share with you 4 alternatives to social media marketing that actually works.
Let’s go!
Have you ever stopped and thought about your marketing strategy?
Is it too social media-centric?
Are you neglecting other methods and only focusing on a method you believe is the best?
Before you completely invest in a marketing strategy, make sure you have done your research in other available methods to see their advantages and disadvantages.
Having a strategy that only focuses on social media might get your name buzzing in a short period, however, it should be balanced with other forms of marketing.
Pros and Cons of Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing plans have their plus points that tend to impress and attract businesses, but they also have their negative aspects that need to be examined accurately.
For example, as mentioned above, social media is a very fast and growing platform.
To introduce your product or service on social media, you must make your product stand out, which includes having a strong brand.
Make sure your company logo catches the eye. Having a unique logo will allow customers to retain your advertisement for a longer period and you can create one easily with this free logo maker: www.graphicsprings.com
Poor branding can ruin a campaign which leads us to another negative aspect of social media marketing.
It is very difficult to stay relevant.
You must continuously be active to keep yourself in the light which can cause burnout in an organization if you have not well planned your marketing strategies.
While it has downsides, social media also has plus points such as being very cost-effective compared to other methods. You have a much larger audience reach within a shorter period and often don’t need to spend a cent.
Examples of Other Marketing Methods Apart From Social Media Marketing
If your marketing plan is too social media-centric, you must start looking into other methods you can incorporate to maintain a good mix.
- Word of mouth
The word of mouth method is when customers start to spread information and news about your product through discussion and oral communication. This is considered a more ancient method compared to others but with the right planning, marketers can create authentic word of mouth opportunities for their businesses and products.
- Offline marketing
Offline marketing is a range of traditional marketing methods that marketers are using alongside new technologies. In this method, you use channels that do not have internet access such as television, billboards, newspapers, posters and leaflets.
- Direct Marketing
This type of marketing is similar to offline marketing but is a form where companies directly communicate with potential customers. Marketers usually call customers, email them, and hand out coupons and flyers.
- Cross-media Marketing
Cross-media marketing is very self-explanatory; it is a method of marketing that crosses different methods for an overall marketing strategy. This concept might be the most ideal as it allows the business to introduce multiple methods and not just stick to one.
You can promote your product through different platforms such as a YouTube video, infographic, or image. This method can be considered as one that creates a balance by introducing different means of media rather than limiting yourself to only one.
Diversify your marketing
While there are a huge amount of users of social media, there are many that aren’t. When creating a marketing strategy, never limit yourself to only one type of method. Mix and match methods to create a customized plan that fits your business the best.
While social media may be working well for your business, it won’t hurt to mix it up with more traditional ways of marketing. If you only focus on social media then you’re never going to have the widest possible reach.
Author: Benas Wells
Editor: Adewale Adebusoye