There will always be new trends in the world of digital marketing, but that doesn’t mean you should overlook old school methods. These tricks are still popular for a good reason – they work! Whether you are putting together a magazine ad, a radio commercial, or a social media post, some strategies never go out of style.

From Pixabay.com

Let’s take a look at 4 tactics that still yield results.

Tactic #1: Get Endorsements from Authorities & Influencers

It’s human nature to play “follow the leader” when it comes to making buying decisions. When we notice that someone we admire is endorsing a product or service, we sit up and take note.

Businesses have long understood the power of influencer marketing. Before the advent of the internet, they would ask celebrities to appear in their commercials. Another common tactic was to seek endorsements from doctors. Nowadays, they ask influential users of social media to include them in their posts.

Note that influencers need not be famous in the usual sense of the word. In fact, research suggests that consumers are more likely to be influenced by non-famous bloggers that nevertheless have a devoted following. Non-celebrity social media users are ten times more likely to influence in-store purchases than celebrities.  

You can reach out to influencers directly, or you can connect via influencer marketing agencies. For example, IMA prides itself on linking businesses with bloggers, vloggers, and social media users who can reach their target audiences.

Example: Naked Juice teamed up with Instagram influencer Kate La Vie to promote their drinks. Kate began incorporating bottles of the juice in her daily photos, showing her support for the product.

Tactic #2: Give Your Audience Something to Remember

The average person sees up to 5,000 advertising messages each day. If you want to stand out and get people to remember your brand, you need to provide them with something memorable. If you can produce a series of videos or posts, so much the better ­– this will drive ongoing engagement.

Think about the kind of emotion you want to trigger in your audience. Do you want to shock them, make them laugh, or even make them slightly angry? Make sure your vision fits with your brand values – you can produce an amazing piece of content, but if it doesn’t fit your image, your audience will feel confused.

Research shows that campaigns designed to elicit significant emotional reactions see great returns 31% of the time. By contrast, campaigns that merely communicate facts and rely on logical reasoning only translate to large gains 16% of the time.

Emotional responses are a particularly valuable advantage to a modern marketer who has only a fraction of a second to grab someone’s attention. It takes significantly less time to have an emotional reaction than it does to put together a rational response to a stimulus.

If you can provide your audience with humorous content, this may put you at an advantage. Research shows that 72% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase if a brand can show a sense of humor.

When it comes to choosing the right format, video clips are particularly effective. Eighty-three per cent of consumers say they appreciate it when brands share videos, whereas only 58% feel positively about GIFs.

Example: Eggo’s Stranger Things campaign, which used the popular Netflix series Stranger Things as a point of departure, featured social media posts themed around the show. The photos, gifs, and videos formed a darkly humorous campaign that appealed to many fans.

Tactic #3: Start A Conversation with Your Audience

Advertising is not a one-way street. Your audience don’t want to be told what to buy and why; they want to feel as though they are buying from someone they know and trust. Social media is all about relationships, so don’t be afraid to show some personality.  

Revealing your business’ more human side can feel risky at first. Interactions with consumers doesn’t follow a script, and there’s always a chance it could go wrong. On the other hand, asking questions or responding to queries in public can quickly push your company into the public eye.

According to a 2017 survey , consumers want to buy from brands with a transparent, friendly image (86%). Only one-third said they favor brands that present themselves as sarcastic or political.

Example: When Wendy’s was asked by Carter Wilkerson how many retweets he would need to get on Twitter to earn a year’s free supply of chicken nuggets, they saw a golden marketing opportunity.

By replying “18 million,” they set Carter a memorable challenge that captured the popular imagination. As a result, millions of people engaged with the brand, and it earned the company extensive media coverage.

Wendy’s could have ignored Carter, but they were smart enough to realize that lots of people would probably be interested in helping him meet the goal. If someone asks you a strange question, consider leveraging it to your advantage.

Tactic #4: Be Timely

If you can capitalize on a social concern or news item, you might be able to capture the attention of millions around the world. This requires imagination and sensitivity, but can get you great results.

If you are commenting on a global issue, don’t neglect your international audience! When writing content for consumers in other countries, be sure to use The Word Point for perfect translations every time. If you have hit upon a great campaign idea, there’s no reason to exclude people who don’t share your first language.

Example: The New York Times released their multi-media campaign, “Truth Is Hard,” to educate the public about the importance of unbiased, fact-based journalism.

The creators wanted to tap into recent conversations about what constitutes “truth,” and who consumers can trust. It was the most searched-for brand online during the Oscars ceremony. Overall, it generated an impressive 753 million impressions.   

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