With the sheer number of new marketing strategies available, you would have thought that the market for retro approaches would have dried up. But that’s not what’s happened at all. In fact, there’s more interest in these old-school methods than ever before.
But why is this happening? Primarily, it’s occurring because these strategies still work. SMS, email, and direct mail are becoming more popular as other channels are increasingly saturated by millions of brands, all trying to compete for the same on-screen real estate. Going back in time is helping many companies communicate with their audiences in more meaningful and impactful ways.
What Is Retro Marketing?
Retro marketing is a relatively new term to describe marketing methods that had their origins two or more decades ago. The category now includes:-
- SMS: Short message service, or text messaging, is one of the oldest and most widely used forms of mobile communication. SMS allows you to send short, concise, and timely messages to your customers, such as reminders, offers, coupons, surveys, and more.
- Email: Email marketing is one of the most popular and versatile forms of digital marketing, allowing you to send personalized, relevant, and valuable content to your subscribers, such as newsletters, promotions, tips, stories, and more. It also has a high open rate and is a great way to become less dependent on major social networks and distribution platforms.
- Direct mail: The most retro of them all, direct mail involves sending customers physical postcards, flyers, and letters with marketing materials in them. Companies like to use them because they help them stand out among the competition.
Why Does Retroy Marketing Work?
Retro marketing works for several reasons, but most have to do with its powerful impact on customers and your target audience.
Create A Sense Of Nostalgia
For instance, retro marketing can create a sense of nostalgia, a powerful emotion that drives human behavior. When audiences receive direct mail or an SMS, it makes them feel happy because they think about their past and the time they enjoyed. For many millennials, receiving a regular text message is still a special experience. These consumers grew up in a time when getting a text on the phone was an exciting event and really meant something.
Build Trust And Credibility
Another benefit of retro marketing is its ability to build trust and credibility. Customers are much more likely to remain loyal, recommend you, and buy from you if you communicate using old-school methods.
This phenomenon is something the mass texting service, Text ‘em All, knows a lot about. The SMS marketing automation service is heavily involved with helping clients reach their audiences with conventional text messages and driving engagement.
Texting, the firm says, is highly effective because of the form messages take. While most consumers will ignore marketing emails or funnel them into “promotions” folders on their email clients, many of those same people will open text messages automatically. For psychological reasons, ignoring SMS is significantly more challenging than email.
Part of this has to do with the strict rules around who can send mass texts over mobile phone networks. While any firm can send emails to its customers, operators apply strict criteria for who can send texts. Consumers must sign up first.
This trust, Text ‘em All says, is what makes SMS and other old-school strategies so compelling. Companies can bulk-text their audiences and get far higher engagement than through saturated social media or SEO channels. Once they sign up, firms have a direct line to their inbox, allowing them to market at will, whether that’s to sell promotional offers, build relationships, or simply provide notifications.
Personalize Your Brand
Old-school marketing approaches are also an excellent way to personalize your brand. Firms that use email or SMS immediately stand out from the competition, enabling them to grab the audience’s attention.
Text ‘em All says that personalization is pretty straightforward. Companies simply need to program systems to respond to specific words using specialist software. “Research shows that text messages with personalization can yield a 4-12% better response rate,” the company says. It’s perfect for when firms want to fill a shift or ensure more congregational members read a daily devotional.
Engage And Interact With The Audience
Lastly, retro marketing works because it enables firms to engage and interact with their audiences more successfully. Engagement is critical for maintaining interest and getting audience members interested in your brand. It’s also valuable for getting people to share content and take action when you provide a CTA.
Direct mail and email are both two-way communication forms, letting customers and brands send each other messages at will. According to Text ‘em All, the same is true of mass SMS. Firms can use software that enables them to respond to individual responses, automate replies, or forbid customers from sending return messages to them. These features can enhance dialogue while making the interactive experience more compelling and efficient.
How To Use Retro Marketing
So, with that said, how do you actually use retro marketing effectively in your business?
Know Your Audience
Before you choose any retro marketing method, you need to know who your target audience is, what they want, what they need, what they expect from you, and how they prefer to communicate with you. Having a basic understanding will make it easier for you to supply them with relevant material.
Integrate With Digital
Another tip is to avoid using retro marketing in isolation. Instead, firms should use it to complement their digital marketing efforts, integrating it with various online channels, including their website, social media platforms, and landing pages. The more you can create a joined-up approach, the more effective it will be.
Test And Measure
Also, like any other marketing method, you need to test and measure the effectiveness of your retro marketing campaigns. Setting clear goals and KPIs for each indicator and tracking them on Google Analytics or CRM software can help you see what works, and what doesn’t.
So, what are you waiting for? Retro marketing is still alive, so use it.
