So many options with social media - free, fun, immediate. But, there are still some tried & true options that may work for you…direct mail, newspaper ads…as a compliment to your social media marketing. A guy in my office receives a postcard in the mail every year from a nearby sushi restaurant a few days before his birthday with a special offer. And, every year, he and 5 or so of his friends spends his birthday there. Great return on investment…the cost of a postcard and one meal…to generate 5 (and a cocktail or two!)
Value added incentives in a newspaper ad can have the same impact. If you are spending the money on a newspaper ad, why not create a value-added of some sort? It might be just the thing that tips a customer to your restaurant or retail shop versus another, and it is a great way to track the effectiveness of the newspaper buy.
Direct mail? Coupons? Newspaper ads? Not sexy at all. Dry, boring and not free. But, at the end of the day, this old stuff still works.
