4 Traditional Marketing Methods Your Business Needs

Julie Starr • August 31, 2024

The modern era has undeniably removed the need for many "old-fashioned" or analog activities and materials. This can be seen in many areas, including business marketing. The rise of the digital way has revolutionized how businesses reach people, allowing for a more targeted, cost-effective approach to marketing techniques for better results. And honestly, this is only a good thing.


However, does this mean you need to discount all traditional marketing methods and embrace a fully modern and digital approach to marketing your business? Absolutely not. In fact, that is the last thing you should be doing. These days, companies can reap a myriad of benefits from marrying the old with the new and utilizing virtual techniques and approaches for maximum impact.


Interested? This post will explore some of the more old-school marketing techniques and materials that your business can benefit from in 2024 and beyond.


Banners

An eye-catching banner can be extremely beneficial in marketing. Whether you're setting up a stall at a trade fair, advertising in a local area, or simply wanting to draw attention to something in a store, a banner can be a powerful tool that you can use repeatedly as long as you care for it correctly. This longevity provides a sense of security in your marketing efforts.


From banners that can be hung over doors to
retractable banner printing for banners that can be moved and put away as required, the versatility of banners empowers you to use them in various settings. For instance, a banner for a therapist can be erected in a doctor's office, guiding those in need of mental health support to your services. This adaptability gives you the power to reach your audience wherever they are.


Direct Mail

Direct mail isn't dead and buried just yet. In fact, it can be more effective than email. One study found that direct mail has a response rate of 3.7% compared to the 1% delivered by email (source: Impact Group Marketing). This reassures you that direct mail can still be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.


The key to effective direct mail is to know your customers and send out communications that are relevant to them, their needs, and their connection to your business. General mailers might not achieve that 3.7% response rate, but segmenting ordnance like you owls for email, making it personal, and delivering direct, relevant information can secure the results you need from your direct mail outreach.


Flyers

We've all had unsolicited flyers posted through the door or handed to us on the streets we don't necessarily want. However, contrary to popular belief, flyers can still be effective marketing tools. Take Domino's in the UK. Each year, they deliver over £10 million in flyers. That sizable investment would be something they do if it didn't work for them.


The key to effective flyer distribution is strategy. Only distribute them when it can benefit the customer. Do you have a promotion or special time-limited offer going on? Get it on a leaflet and hand it out. Want to run a coupon promotion? Giving out flyers can be a great way to do this and ensure people retain your flyer and use them. It's not simply a case of printing a flyer for no reason. Use them strategically and they can be invaluable.


Promotional Merch

Lastly, promotional merch is still a good investment. However, like all of the above, you need to be intentional about it. You should not just print anything and everything with your logo on and throw it to an uninterested audience.


You can start with things like a printed bag for customers in your store, adapt branded uniforms for employees, sell clothing with your logo on it, or give out branded beanies for useful items that people want. All you have to do is look at big brands like
Nike or Adidas and countless others to see how well their branded merch/clothing lines sell and promote the brands.


If you're a B2B business, braiding items those in your industry use is a good idea. Sell fitness equipment? Branded water bottles, protein shakers, or towels can be a great idea. If you're dealing with corporate businesses, then USB sticks, pens, pads, sticky notes, laptop bags, etc., might be a better decision for you. Know your audience, select your branded merch wisely, and let them work for you.


Traditional marketing methods
shouldn't be brushed aside in favor of more targeted digital outreach options. Instead, they need to form part of your effective marketing strategy and be cleverly utilized alongside other options to yield the best results.

By Julie Starr August 9, 2025
Running an online business can feel like a constant balancing act. You’re trying to grow, keep customers happy, and still have time for yourself. The trick to making it all work long-term is to build habits and systems that last. You don’t need a complicated plan or endless resources to do it either. Here are five straightforward ways to make your business more sustainable without overcomplicating things. Focus on long-term customer relationships If you want your business to last, you need customers who keep coming back. That doesn’t just happen because you’ve got a good product or service. It’s about making people feel valued every time they interact with you. Simple things like remembering their name, following up after a purchase, or sending a quick thank-you email can make a huge difference. People are far more likely to support a business they feel connected to, so keep those relationships personal and genuine rather than purely transactional. Make your marketing work smarter A big part of sustainability is making sure your marketing isn’t draining your time or money. You want it to be efficient and get results. This is where working with seo consultants can help. They know how to make sure people can find your business online without you throwing cash at random ads. Even if you can’t hire someone right now, you can start by focusing on keywords, improving your website’s loading speed, and posting valuable content that answers the questions your customers are already asking. Streamline your products or services It’s tempting to try to offer everything to everyone, but that’s rarely a good idea. The more you offer, the more time, money, and resources you’ll end up using. Instead, focus on the things you do best and make them as good as they can be. When you streamline what you’re selling, you can put all your energy into perfecting it, which makes it easier to maintain quality over time. Customers notice when you consistently deliver something great, and they’ll trust you more for it. Keep an eye on your finances No matter how much you enjoy the creative or customer side of your business, the numbers are what will keep you going long-term. That means knowing what’s coming in, what’s going out, and where you can cut costs without cutting quality. Set yourself a monthly check-in to look at your spending and profits. If you spot something that’s not working financially, don’t leave it for months, hoping it will improve. Tackle it early and you’ll avoid bigger problems down the road. Look after yourself You can’t run a sustainable business if you’re running yourself into the ground. Burnout isn’t just bad for you, it’s bad for your customers and your bottom line. Make sure you’re setting boundaries, taking breaks, and switching off when you can. That might mean scheduling a full day without work every week or turning your phone off after a certain time. The more balanced you are, the better decisions you’ll make, and the easier it will be to keep your business moving forward without constantly feeling like you’re in survival mode. Sustainability in business isn’t about doing one big thing; it’s about making intelligent, consistent choices that build over time. Start small, keep checking in on your progress, and before you know it, your business will feel a lot steadier and more future-proof than it did before.
By Julie Starr August 8, 2025
Are you hoping to build a heavy industry business? It’s the kind of company that can have globally sweeping positive and negative effects. On the one hand, you’re contributing to the industry, ensuring there’s enough supply to meet demand, and you can do your best to operate in a sustainable way that prioritizes the environment. But on the other hand, the heavy industry has long been the most significant business polluter in the world. Despite advancements in industry technology and usage, their ranking relative to other sectors, such as food and beverage , and shipping and logistics, has remained unchanged as of 2025. Requiring extensive use of large, heavy, and expensive machinery, the fumes produced by heavy-duty factories in sectors like mining, aerospace, nautical, and metal production regularly cause harm to both human and animal life. It’s why anyone interested in investing or scaling within an industry like this needs to focus on their company’s carbon footprint. There are various ways to ensure you’re limiting your harmful output and waste, and you’ll want to use as many as possible within your operation. Check out our recommendations below. Work with Green Suppliers No matter what stage you sit at in the hypothetical supply chain, you’re likely to source at least part of your overall production material from a supplier. If that’s not the case, you’ll still need to work with companies that provide machinery and equipment, as well as replacement parts for these industrial items. All in all, to make as sustainable a choice as possible, you’ll want to commit to working with a ‘green’ supplier who makes eco-conscious choices at every step. Eco-friendly suppliers will strive to both implement sustainable practices within their production line, as well as provide sustainably made and/or extracted materials. The products and/or parts they send out are likely to be recyclable when they reach their end-of-life period, or they’ll run a scheme where you can send old or broken parts back to them. Offset Your Carbon Emissions Offsetting carbon emissions converts the waste output from your operations into something more positive. If you’re interested in programs like this , you can use official government platforms or climate charity websites to contribute. You’ll be able to find a variety of projects that have been undertaken to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, and they’ll be located in various regions across the world. You can choose to patronise as many of them as you wish, but if you want to focus on specific types, you’ll also be able to do so. When approaching a program like this, it’s usually best to offset month by month, as this helps you stay on top of your carbon footprint. Be sure to invest in as much carbon removal per tonne as your business has potentially contributed to the atmosphere in the last month. But before you go any further, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind here: Carbon offsetting is just one sustainable practice you can turn to, but it’s not the only one your business will ever need to use. Yes, it’s one of the most sustainable practices a heavy industry business can invest in. But that’s only true when it’s partnered with real-time carbon-lowering efficiencies within day-to-day operations. Repair, Rather Than Throw Away Repairing is the best option if a repair is possible. This should be the first step when evaluating old or broken-down equipment. If it can be salvaged, it should be. Otherwise, you’ll have to replace the equipment in question. Not only is that expensive, but it also means more waste to manage. And not all heavy industry tech can be recycled. Sometimes it’s potentially hazardous and needs to be disposed of carefully, and this could have harsh impacts on the surrounding environment. Repairing is your best bet, at least 80% of the time. You can get back up and running faster, and you don’t need to account for a large investment at short notice. And more equipment can be repaired than you might think. It’s not just small, singular parts that can be pulled out. Entire internal systems in even large vehicles, such as freighter ships, can be replaced by secondary parts. A marine logistics provider or deep-sea fishing operator would save a lot of money just by ordering a Cummins Rebuild Kit for one of their vessels. Deciding to put the ship out of commission and eventually scrapping it will contribute to the large-scale waste common in companies like this. Aiming to repair and limit environmental damage will get that same boat back onto the waters in seaworthy condition. Operate with Lower Emission Logistics Shipping your products to businesses and markets always generates a carbon footprint. Unless you’re operating only within the local area and you’re able to transport products back and forth on foot, this is an unavoidable issue. And seeing as you’re a heavy industry business, that’s not very likely. But some shipping options are better than others. Indeed, there are low-emission choices to be made, and you’ll want to look into these logistic partners only. You’ll likely find that air travel is a total no-go zone. Alternatives to this are long-haul road transportation or a traditional shipping company that operates via sea. Yes, even trucking your products over land generates a lot less carbon waste that can damage the environment than flying something! Staying Green as a Heavy Industry Player Working sustainably within the heavy industry is a career-long project. You’ll need to continually make moves to consider what could be streamlined into something greener and less consuming next. In the end, this can help your long-term costs decrease and stay low. Fewer risky investments, fewer fees from environmental bodies, and more productive time within your business. So, it’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it