Classic Marketing Rules for the Modern Marketer

When you hear the phrase “traditional marketing” do you instantly imagine a group of branding geniuses, clad in their power suits, brainstorming over a wooden desk that’s covered in creative briefs, mock-ups, discarded notebook paper and half-empty coffee mugs? Do you ever wonder how our marketing predecessors were able to get their hands on late-night snacks, without a delivery app, while burning the midnight oil just waiting for inspiration to hit? Did you watch all seven seasons of Mad Men with bated breath? Are you feeling unnecessarily nostalgic or brazenly bitter right now? Then you, my friend, must be a modern marketer.

Us modern marketers may have Twitter followers, snaps, grams, data, and analytics, but old-school marketers must have gotten something right because…well, here we are reminiscing about them. So take a page from the marketing history book and check out these 4 classic marketing rules that can turn modern marketers into smart marketers. We could all use a little help from the traditional marketing tenants of our sepia-toned, Sierra-filtered fantasies.

Build Relationships

Modern marketers love leads but strong relationships have always been the sliced bread and churned butter for good ol’ traditional marketing. Before email opens and website clicks were incorporated into the rules of marketing, classic marketers were focused on shaking hands and kissing babies to build as many positive relationships as possible. Whether that means sending holiday cards in the mail or creating an easy-to-use live chat feature, develop personal touchpoints that your audience will value. The best and most rewarding relationships are forged when businesses approach every person as a worthy connection.

Pro tip: Instead of accumulating one-time interactions, spend time nourishing and solidifying long-lasting, high lifetime value relationships with your audience.

Keep Your Customers Happy

You know that one server at your neighborhood diner that has your usual order memorized AND remembers your birthday every year? Every aspect of your business strategy should reflect the same level of genuine interest in and careful attention to your customers. By adding traditional authenticity to your strategy, your brand will be able to up customer satisfaction in ways that steep discounts can't. From personalized emails to timely product reminders, your brand can ace the rules of marketing by becoming familiar with your customers. Know what they want before they ask for it and remember important details. Even if most of your interactions are digital, find simple ways to nurture meaningful customer experiences.

Pro tip: Find creative and genuine ways to connect your company to the people you serve.

Say Thank You

Many new-age marketing strategies are centered around audience engagement and customer feedback. That's expecting a lot from your customers. In the midst of stacked spreadsheets and relevant data, it can be hard to remember the most important aspect of a relationship. Of all the marketing rules on your radar, never forget to say thank you. Take a second to think about your typical convenience store bag that has "Thank You" printed in rows on each side. Now go and incorporate that same relentless gratitude into every customer touchpoint that you have. It’s the polite thing to do.

Pro tip: A simple smile and "thank you" will go a long way with your customers.

Remember Word-of-Mouth

Perhaps one of the most important marketing best practices that modern marketers need to be reminded of is the importance of reputation. Word spreads fast in the age of tweeting, texting, trolling, but the same was true before each of these marvelous innovations. Back when every referral relied on positive word-of-mouth, it was even more important to understand that an unfavorable remark from a neighbor or an unsatisfactory customer experience could halt business and deter future customers from choosing your business.

Pro tip: A good reputation or a solid recommendation will last longer than you think.

Moving Forward

Sure, today’s marketers have an arsenal of high-power technology that can predict, optimize and grow their business, but nothing beats the classic tradition of having a great product, reliable service, and quality customers. Remember these marketing rules and you’ll grow from a modern marketer to a smart marketer (with a classic approach) in no time.