“Don’t pick your nose or your brain will fall out!”

But it was too late. His nose was thoroughly picked, and his brain went flying across my living room.

The eruption of laughter that followed signalled that the game had been won.

Or lost. I’m not really sure how Gooey Louie works.

All I know is that when my three-year-old nephew and I are pulling long stringy bogeys out of Louie’s nose, it’s more fun than anything.

For the unaware, Gooey Louie is a board game where you take it in turns to pick the nose of Louie, a bizarre plastic head. You roll a dice which tells you how many bogeys to pull, and eventually the whole “brain flying out” thing happens and the game ends. Oh, his eyes fall out too. I probably should have mentioned that. Shocking stuff.

The point of all this is that Gooey Louie celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Snot rockets and flying brains have stayed relevant, and the game remains largely unchanged. It isn’t now an app, and it doesn’t have any video elements or electronics. It’s still just a big stupid plastic head, and it’s brilliant.

But let’s grow up for five minutes and give our noses a good blow. We’re here for useful and practical marketing tips.

So how about this: what classic marketing methods from the analogue age are still effective in 2025? Stick around to find out.

Isn’t everything digital now?

Before you call me a Luddite and accuse me of smashing up a stocking frame, let me give a small but important caveat.

Much of your presence will be in a digital environment, whether that be:

• Your website
• A directory like VouchedFor or Unbiased
• Social media platforms.

And you should absolutely focus on getting these basics right first. New and shiny things can be the downfall of even a great marketing strategy, so ensure you’re starting from a solid base. Then you can start building on your solid foundation by exploring new opportunities and testing out what does and doesn’t work for you.

Still, if you’re looking to innovate, sometimes it helps to reconsider methods that have been around for generations.

1. Underestimate the “free magazine” at your own risk

Like you, a large part of our job is listening.

We have a pretty vivid picture of what does and doesn’t work for financial services marketing, but we’re never done. The more we do, the more we learn. So, we understand that as an expert in your field, it can be easy to overlook things that feel antiquated.

For example, most places have a free local magazine that gets put through the door. It’s mostly filled with adverts, with a bit of community news and the odd desperate plea for somebody to fill in for naked Keith’s spot at the life drawing class (he’s going away to Corfu for two weeks).

But before you write free magazines off – after all, who reads a book full of adverts? – think about how you can weaponise them and stand out. Many adverts will be general “about us” spots, trying to shout louder than the one next to it. So, focus on giving value instead.

Demonstrate your knowledge and specialism, then tell them who to come to for advice and implementation. We’ve seen clients have success in local publications where they use an advertorial format, and talk about topical subjects like:

• Allowances to make the most of before the tax year end
• Post-Budget changes to be aware of
• Estate planning and Inheritance Tax
• General retirement planning
• What inflation means for day-to-day spending
• Keeping calm during volatile markets
• Life events and changes, such as divorce or bereavement.

Tailor them to your target client base. Spread them out through the year so they mirror what people might be thinking about or seeing on the news. Test what works – the advertising spots are usually cheap for the reach they get.

The key is to demonstrate value, which leads to you earning trust and confidence as a voice of authority.

2. P-p-pick up a pen(guin)

Penguin bars are not great. You can get much better chocolate biscuits. I will die on this hill.

But somebody has taken the time to write a little joke on the back, and that makes it a solid 9/10.

Taking the time to write something is powerful. And, if you’re being honest, when was the last time you wrote something by hand that was longer than a few words?

In a past life I must have been a doctor because my handwriting is unhinged. I can’t even read it, so I have to write everything in capital letters. But guess what? People want to see it!

Phil wrote this great piece a few months ago that explains why handwritten messages can be the secret to unlocking tonnes of referrals and reviews.

Essentially, you are harnessing the power of three things:

• Effort bias. Who would have guessed that people assign importance to something that takes effort to do?
• The note has been created just for that person so has a higher perceived value.
• A handwritten note will always stand out on a desk full of printed letters and labelled envelopes.

So, never underestimate the power of putting pen to paper, even if you have to blob out words in giant block capitals like me.

3. Physical presence still matters

When I speak to advisers and planners day to day, they often mention that when a client visits their office, it can be easy to overlook their experience of financial planning beyond the actual meeting.

This is understandable, they’re there for your advice. But think about what they’ll see on their journey to getting it:

• Do you have a car park?
• What will they walk past on the way to the door?
• Will they be asked to wait in a reception area?

And how can you enhance their experience?

• Reserved parking spaces. A few of our clients have installed plaques in parking spaces, and before the client arrives, they print out a “reserved for Joe Bloggs” sign. The sign is placed behind a clear panel in the plaque, so when the client pulls into the carpark, they have their own space waiting for them by the entrance. It’s a tiny detail, but it’s the sort of thoughtful perk that comes up when they then refer a friend or family member to you.
• Well-designed wayfinding. Is it easy to navigate your office? Can you clearly see the way to your reception area? Where are the toilets? Again, a tiny detail, but if you can implement an effective signage system throughout your office, it reduces stress and uncertainty. And if you can match the style of the signage with your branding, it improves consistency (through icon style, font, colour, and so on).
• Value-led waiting areas. Your clients may arrive a few minutes early, so naturally, you might want to keep them occupied with something to read. Common choices are company brochures, or general magazines and newspapers. Why not switch these out for things that add value and lead to deeper conversations? For example, clients of ours who take Yardstick Membership receive branded guides each month, on a variety of financial services topics. You can view and order back issues on our website. Some of our clients get them printed and leave them out in reception areas for people to read, which often reminds them of topics they wanted to raise with their adviser.

Of course, making your office a nice place to be isn’t groundbreaking marketing advice. But it’s often something that takes a back seat in the digital age.

Small, thoughtful touches can live with your clients for a long time.

For example, a few of our clients with high street offices have defibrillators on the exterior walls. Hopefully they won’t be needed, but it’s a gentle demonstration that you’re a part of the community and are making it safer. It’s not something you’d traditionally think of as “marketing”, but it strengthens your overall brand.

Bespoke marketing that puts your clients first

The way we work and play has never been more tied to the digital world. It’s easy to focus solely on things that appear on screens, but if you do, you’ll miss a lot of opportunities to add value.

And that’s where we come in. We listen, we learn, and we follow what has worked, whether that be a traditional marketing method, or a new piece of technology. Email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300.

And if you fancy a game of Gooey Louie, send me a handwritten note, and I’ll put out the reserved parking sign for you…