In today’s digital landscape, an increasing number of businesses operate online. While some companies maintain bricks and mortar stores or physical offices, a significant portion of firms only operate digitally.
For these companies, digital marketing seems like an obvious way to increase brand awareness and boost sales. However, companies that only utilise online marketing tools could be missing out.
Offline marketing is still highly relevant in a digital world. Whether or not your business operates digitally or physically, offline marketing methods are effective at increasing profitability. To learn more, take a look at these key offline marketing tools and find out how they can grow your digital business:
1. Trade shows
Exhibiting at trade shows give you a unique opportunity to engage with an active audience. Not only are attendees part of your target demographic, they’re actively showing an interest in your industry, products and services. In essence, trade shows give you the opportunity to meet with potential new customers or clients on a face-to-face basis.
Of course, simply showing up a trade show isn’t enough to secure new business. You’ll need well-designed roller banners, stands and displays if you want to attract peoples’ attention. Furthermore, you’ll need a team that are personable, friendly and able to sell your brand if you want to maximise results.
2. Direct mail
Studies have shown that direct mail is still highly effective. Perhaps surprisingly, younger people are particularly receptive to receiving direct mail, which highlights the wide demographic that brands can reach via this form of offline marketing.
Whether you use brochures, postcards, flyers or letters, the ability to personalise direct mail simply enhances its effectiveness and allows you to engage with your targets more meaningfully. With advanced print methods, personalised direct mail can be produced at great speed and in large quantities.
Unlike digital marketing, direct mail gives you the chance to literally put your brand into the recipient’s hands. Luxury substrates, eco-friendly materials or embossing could be the ultimate way to showcase your brand’s qualities, for example.
3. Promotional gifts
Everyone loves receiving gifts, which is why so many companies see a good ROI from promotional gifts. From branded pens and pencils to mobile phone holders and USB sticks, there are endless options when it comes to choosing the right gift to represent your brand.
As well as impressing the individual that receives the gift, promotional items help to increase brand awareness. If you give away branded bags, for example, your logo and company name might be seen by hundreds of people every time the recipient uses it. Furthermore, their use of the bag acts as indirect endorsement for your brand, which is one of the key components of referral marketing.
4. Gain Trust with Offline Marketing
People like to engage with brands they trust, which is why it can take time for start ups to build up a customer base. Users are particularly wary of new businesses they see online, which can be a barrier to early success. Offline marketing helps to overcome this problem and enables businesses to flourish, even when they’re freshly formed enterprises.
When people see your offline branding, it establishes your business as a reputable firm in the eyes of your target market. By reassuring people that your brand is trustworthy, reputable and reliable, offline marketing helps to establish trust between the consumer or client and your enterprise.
Read also:Â 4 Powerful Offline Marketing Strategies to Practice
5. Combining Offline and Online Marketing
No matter what type of business you run, combining offline and online marketing can garner impressive results. When you widen the scope of your marketing activity, you have the opportunity to reach a new audience and acquire far more customers.
To really combine your efforts, why not include QR codes on your offline marketing materials? Giving people the option to go directly to your website or landing page via their smartphone or tablet, a QR code makes it easy to bridge the gap between offline and digital marketing.
It’s important to remember, however, that your offline and online marketing should be cohesive. While there are different considerations when using offline and digital tools, the marketing campaigns you launch should reflect your brand. Furthermore, make sure the objectives of each campaign are symbiotic, rather than at odds with each other.
With the right mix of tools and methodologies, offline and online marketing can transform your business. Delivering increased awareness, added authenticity and stronger loyalty, the short and long-term gains from a cohesive marketing strategy will help to grow your business.
Photos courtesy of gettyimages.com
