As an online marketing company, we will never tell you to ignore SEO or to never consider PPC. SEO puts your name in front of potential customers’ faces when they search for something on Google. Are you a personal injury law attorney? Then you must have good SEO so that when your local audience is looking for a personal injury attorney, your name is one of the first ones they see. Are you opening up a new restaurant or firm? You need to get your name out there, and PPC ads will get your brand in people’s heads.
But SEO and PPC are not everything.
If you operate in a small town and everyone knows your name, but they’re not coming through your doors, you need to expand your marketing tactics. Having good SEO and PPC is important to building a foundation for your business, but sometimes you need an added step to push someone to make that final step.
Non-SEO and Non-PPC Marketing Tactics for You
Let’s talk about some non-SEO and non-PPC marketing tactics that you can use to get leads, purchases, and more. Some work for some industries, and some don’t. It wouldn’t make sense for a tactic that works for a law firm to work for a pizzeria.
Present to Audiences
When we say present, we’re talking about seminars, conventions, panels, and presentations. If your business provides a service, such as a law firm, you want to take the time to explain what it is you do for people. These people will then go out and tell other people. This works as both a short-term and long-term tactic to get you leads. Telling people about what you do in this formal setting connects with them on a deeper level than running ads. SEO will make sure your business is listed when they search for help, but hearing you talk is what will make them choose you, even if you’re #3 or #4 in the search results rather than #1.
This is a tried and true method that I use for ENX2 Marketing. I attend marketing conventions and seminars on SEO, but my favorite places to go to are law schools. ENX2 Marketing specializes in legal marketing, so interacting with classrooms filled with the future generation of lawyers is perfect for us. When they need someone to help them market their startup firm, they’re going to think of us.
The same principle applies to other businesses that provide services. This non-SEO marketing tactic doesn’t work the same for a business that sells products rather than services, but it’s not worthless to them. There are seminars and conventions designed around showing off and presenting your product. This means your product dictates how well this tactic works for your business. Technology and entertainment industries have many conventions a year where they can sell their products, for example.
Participate in Local Events
Local events include things like local festivals, conventions, parades, etc., going on around you. PPC ads make sure that everyone knows your name, but putting your address on an ad doesn’t make you a part of your community. You become a part of the community by showing up through this non-PPC marketing tactic.
Restaurants and other businesses that provide products in a storefront should go to local events to sell their products to new audiences. Festivals give you the chance to get products such as food in front of people where they can’t ignore it. Is your pizza not getting the attention it deserves? Having it out in an open space where people can smell it before they even see it will create a memory they won’t ever forget. If your business has any crafts or artistic merit to it, selling them during a festival or helping to create for a parade helps.
Not all events have to be large, once-a-year situations. Every holiday, make your store a place to be. Decorate and put up flyers about deals and specials you’re doing in the spirit of the holiday and the many days leading up to it.
Even if everyone else is participating, not participating won’t make you stand out in the way you want. By not being an active part of the community, the community will treat your business as if you aren’t a part of it. The more tight-knit your community is, the more they’re going to expect you to be a part of it if you operate your business in their area.
Partner with Local Businesses
A partnership is a non-SEO marketing tactic that can take form in many ways. This can be partnering with a local school or college. They may let you present your service or on your industry to a classroom. Make sure the locals who will provide for your community and therefore, your business with their future income, want to come to you. Maybe you even want your name on their minds so you can find your future employees.
If you sell a product or service, especially food, partnering with schools can get your products in their school store or cafeterias. Better yet, make sure you’re a part of the first week when freshmen learn about the community. Make sure they know you’re the restaurant or the storefront to go to, and that’s at least four years they’re your customer.
Other examples would be partnering with a business that is not a competitor. If a restaurant and shop are neighbors or even relatively close to each other, you both have nothing to lose by having something as simple as flyers for each other in your shop. Leverage your audience to help another business, and they’ll do the same for you. Then other local businesses will want your help and help you in the process.
Partner with a Marketing Firm That Can Help
Few marketing efforts do not have merit. There are plenty of non-SEO marketing tactics you can use to improve your revenue and grow your user base. Marketing isn’t only ever in one place, you have to have a diverse range of marketing strategies.
This makes marketing incredibly difficult. Balancing your online marketing efforts with everything else can be a full-time job. Connect with a marketing firm that can find conventions and seminars for you to join, recommend local partners to reach out to, and do so while maintaining your online presence. Contact ENX2 Marketing, because we’re the team that can do it all.