Relationships are built on trust. Trust is built on interaction. Interaction is based on knowledge. Knowledge is given by communication. Communication is marketing.
Traditional marketing tells us:
- We must follow rules.
- We must invest certain amounts of capital in radio, television, print, yellow pages, etc.
- We must conform to rules in what we say, how we say it, and how many times.
- General statements about customer service, levels of care, and hours.
NO! Break the “rules” and let’s see Traditional Marketing Gone Wild!
Traditional marketing should be:
- The standard mediums we use to send a message
- The ability to use the advertising space to educate a society.
- To drive emotion, connection, and trust
Now what is traditional marketing? It is print ads, radio, direct mail, phone books, billboards, and other market advertising such as shopping carts, fliers, and new home wagon wheels. We use these “standard” or “traditional” marketing mediums to create a dynamic pieces that transcend the “rule” followers. We do rise above boring marketing by following some social media playbooks.
Social media has taught us that people want to be educated and not sold. It has showed us the value of relationships and the power of communication. Yet, many fail to take these lessons into the traditional ad space and just build name awareness. We consistently see things like:
- Where we care for you and your pet.
- Convenient hours to serve you.
- Your pet’s home away from home.
- Your neighborhood veterinary care.
Dare to say something meaningful.
Direct mail pieces are great mediums to drive new business. There are many services today that can narrow down your search parameters and help you get your mail into the homes of pet owners. You have the names, you have the meter machine, now what to say? Talk about a new treatment for a common illness or ways to help protect pets during the seasons. Help your future customers better understand the pet(s) they have and give them a reason to believe that you are well qualified to care for their furry family.
Phone books are traditional, yet still carry value. Use this medium to drive people to your website that is clean, fresh, educational, and easy to understand. Utilize yellow pages for your senior customers who don’t use search engines, but take advantage of the online capabilities these phone book companies offer for the X and millennial generations.
Radio and newspapers are very broad mediums reaching entire markets. Unless you live in a very small town or have multiple locations, I would not suggest these mediums as a primary source. If you do use these mediums, educate. There is a radio commercial called a donut where an announcer speaks in the front and back of the ad and the business representative speaks in the middle. The middle 10 seconds of the radio advertisement is a great way EDUCATE. Radio is also great if you can partner with a local personality and have an on-going multi-week discussion about pets. These relationships are tough to get but have great returns.
Bottom line: Traditional marketing is a correct method of advertising when done properly. Educate your market and watch them come to you for more information.
Now, here is your homework: Take a look at your marketing spend per year. Do you budget? Do you market on a whim? Do you have a plan? Take note of the things that you are doing and the money you are spending. You could potentially spend the same amount next year and get double the results just by changing a few things. First, determine what outcomes you are seeking. Next, its time to form a plan of action. Want some help? Contact me at 904-304-6154.
Learn more at www.vetdoctors.com