traditional advertising in the internet ageVirtually everyone with a small business or website understands the importance of having a well-thought out online strategy to promote their business or site. This may include a robust SEO plan, a solid social media presence and perhaps the use of email campaigns to reach a  targeted audience.

In the internet age, these advertising techniques are absolutely vital.  However, many people seem to have forgotten about the more traditional forms of advertising that can help to effectively reach different audiences.  In fact, as more and more people make use of ad blockers on their browsers, traditional methods may be even more useful. Here are just a few “old-school” types of advertising that can be used to round out your advertising strategy.

Flyers

Flyers are an excellent way to reach large numbers of people, and are a very effective example of print media advertising. Flyers can be distributed on street corners, in stores, and through direct mailings.  They can also be included as inserts in magazines or newspapers. One of the advantages of using flyers is that that they can be targeted to reach specific geographical audiences or markets. For this reason, they are especially effective when you are promoting a specialized service or product.

It is also possible to produce different versions of a flyer to even further refine the message that is being transmitted to particular audiences. Large numbers of flyers can be produced affordably and easily, especially with the availability of flyer printing online. Flyers can include high quality images, logos, and can be printed in a variety of sizes and on different qualities of paper.

Magazines or Newspapers

If your goal is to reach large numbers of people with less concern about reaching a specific market, then newspapers and magazines are an excellent option – despite the prevalence of online media, the fact is that many people continue to read newspapers, making this gold standard form of print advertising a viable option today. In addition to reaching potentially millions of people, newspapers and magazines are published regularly, allowing you to connect with potential customers more than once.

Outdoor Advertising

Outdoor advertising is any form of messaging that people see when they are out and about. This includes things like billboards, posters, bus shelter posters, car advertising and even sky-writing! These ads can be targeted to reach specific areas or can be used to reach millions of people at the same time. They are excellent ways to transmit a broad message that raises awareness of a particular service, product or event, especially if placed in an area that a person will pass repeatedly (such as a bus stop). They are less effective at transmitting detailed information because they tend to be part of the background of a person’s daily travels.

As you can see, there are ways to effectively reach new audiences though the use of tried-and-true traditional advertising methods. Be sure to consider these methods as you think about ways to reach new audiences to promote your business, website or blog.