Is “old school” marketing kicking online social media’s butt? – Re-post

Note:  Some people had difficulty with the link to the previous posting, so I’ve reposted this blog.  – BWH

Social media is everywhere. It’s in the pages we read, the shows we watch, and the discussions we have at the watercooler.

People are tweeting, blogging, posting, friending, connecting, and sharing everything. For some, it’s working. For others, it’s not.

Enter “old school marketing.” I want to share two different “old school” marketing tactics that are kicking social media’s butt in many sectors.

CASE #1: MAIL
When email entered the picture, people shouted “Hallelujah” over the fact that they could cut print bills and postage costs. Unfortunately many also cut their response rates. And their sales. And their profits.

I’ve spoken to a dozen friends, clients, and associates in the past week about their mail habits, and everyone (about half of them) who has returned to snail mail or never abandoned it is glad they did.

Why? Despite the cost, these companies are getting measurable ROI results. Something that can’t be said of MANY social media campaigns.

Now I’m not saying social media isn’t necessary. Quite the contrary. What I am saying is that social networking, for many business sectors, has not delivered on its promise for tangible monetary results.

The above examples include law firms, sporting goods manufacturers, non-profits, and even investment brokers.

CASE #2: FACE-TO-FACE MARKETING
Another series of discussions I’ve had lately focused on what business professionals are doing in their “personal selling”. While my sampling is small, about 30 conversations, the results are unmistakable. Those who meeting, face to face, chatting, pressing the flesh, and spreading their own gospel, are winning new business.

The most successful technique we’ve seen…small, intimate, yet informal gatherings. We know one financial professional who gathers about 6-8 people once a month. He buys lunch, brings one or two of his associates in, and mixes up the group with attorneys, insurance reps, wealth managers, etc. It’s just lunch and chit chat. And it’s working. The firm is getting business out of it, and the invited guests are, too.

The takeaway here is not to abandon social media. And it’s not to start mail or meetings, per se. It’s to see how you can connect with your audience (clients, prospects, referral sources, etc.) in a meaningful, accountable way that truly drives business to your bottom line.

When everybody is going left, try going right. Try simple, yet proven forms of communication. Try talking and conversing, not virtually, but literally.

Hmmm…real mail, real meetings, real people? They deliver real results. Really. What a concept.