In recent years, small businesses and corporations around the country have begun to invest time and money into social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to connect with customers and market their products. But according to marketing experts, it's essential for these companies not to lose their focus on offline marketing strategies as well.
"Social media is not a panacea," said Al Lautenslager, a marketing consultant and co-author of Guerilla Marketing in Thirty Days. "Social media is one more marketing tool in the arsenal ... but at the end of the day, people do business with people, not with websites."
So while new media may expand the options available for companies looking to build buzz, it's equally important to find ways to connect with your customer base in person.
"If you are doing something online it is really important to try it and get feedback face to face, whether a product, or service or even an online offering," said Beth Schoenfeldt, a small-business expert who has helped launch thousands of companies.
The best way to make this kind of in-person connection may be to resurrect some of the tried and true marketing tricks businesses relied on long before people had ever heard the phrase "social media."
Hosting events and networking
Just because it's offline doesn't mean you can't still do some serious social networking. According to Lautenslager, businesses looking to attract attention should host and attend events where they can network and get their brand in front of the right people.
Sometimes this might mean a partnership with a nonprofit for a charity event to broadcast your company in a positive light. Or it could mean the simple act of grabbing a table at a trade show to expose your company to the people in your industry.
Hand-written thank you notes
Lautenslager emphasizes the importance of adding a personal touch when reaching out to potential customers. As an example, he suggests that small businesses mail hand-written thank you notes to customers whenever possible.
"People like personal attention, not mass marketing," he said, which is why he believes sending personalized notes can be more effective than "blasting out tweets online" to thousands of customers at once.
Along the same lines, Lautenslager recommends holding a customer appreciation event. At one event Lautenslager helped organize recently, the company announced beforehand that they would give out customer of the year awards, and ultimately gave an award to every person who attended.
"Needless to say, all the customers loved it," he said.
