Perhaps as recently as ten years ago you could get by with promoting yourself just through the local paper ads and word of mouth. But in today’s world, where everybody is using some sort of gadget to surf the net to find anything they might need, your business doesn't stand a chance against the competition, if you don't employ at least the essential tactics for branding and marketing yourself online. See full article here - http://www.gomungoseo.co.uk/establish-online-presence-why-seo-services-best-choice-for-any-business.html
The fact is that this is still possible. Thousands of businesses each month generate hundreds of thousands of visitors with viral marketing methods that have allowed businesses to step off the SEO ladder slightly. Many marketers swear by these methods, but for a ultimate killer strategy then SEO, viral marketing & email marketing methods should be deployed. Thanks for the article, was an interesting read.