Well, from my previous posts, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m splitting up my “free time” between marketing and product development. Talk about opposite sides of my brain 🙂 Anyway, it struck me today that there is a very distict line for marketing. There’s physical, which to me is banners, business cards, “swag”, etc… and there’s digital, white papers, blog posts, Adwords, etc…
It’s funny because I just noticed today that my partner has handled everything physical. Everything I’ve done has been in the digital world. So that begs the question… “How important is physical marketing?”. Now I ask because obviously trade shows help get your name out there, but in our few appearances, it has generated any rabid fans, must less customers. We have another show coming up in October, which is just a regional ASUG (come see us in Columbia, SC if you’re in the area). In these venues, physical stuff is important. We also plan to hit the big SAP MFG show in the spring… But how important is it? I ask because like any newbie marketer, I’m trying to figure out where our dollars need to be focused. In my mind, it’s been all digital, but maybe you guys can chime in.
To me, physical marketing in general is lost on me. if i pick up a pen at a tradeshow, I use it till it breaks and then throw it away. I’ve never looked at the name and then gone on-line to learn more about them. A business card is just something kept in my pocket/wallet until I move the information into my digital contacts. Rarely if ever, do I read the details. And if I pick up a piece of paper from a booth, unless I plan on buying, I usually recycle it before I head home, or it ends up in a filing cabinet never to be looked at again.
BUT… I know I’m am not at all a typical person. If you’re read me for any length of time you already know that. So, here’s where I Need your help. In your experience, how much attention do you pay to business cards? how often do you look at a pen, see a company name and wonder what they do… wonder enough to look them up? Do you take a paper/brochure from a booth and look at it again? What makes a company memorable? (besides giving away big ticket items or having models at the booth?). I’d love to hear from you guys to know what works…
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your feedback.
As always, thanks for reading and don't forget to check out our SAP Service Management Products at my other company JaveLLin Solutions,Mike