According to most people, offline marketing is a thing of the past. This becomes especially true if you own an online business, which is the case with more and more individuals. Of course, anyone who claims such a thing needs to look further. Offline marketing is still as beneficial as it used to be, and can bring in a lot more business for your online company. It’s just a matter of keeping up with the latest trends, being creative, and knowing just what tactic to apply.
1. Build relationships with customers
This can be a tough one when we’re talking about an online business, but it’s not impossible. People do business with those they like and trust, so it’s important to show them you care. There are a few easy ways you can do this. For example, you can send greeting cards or gift baskets for the holidays. It can be a uniform greeting card for all the customers, or you can tailor them to each individual. It all depends on your goals and needs.
Another idea is to hold company events and invite all your customers. This can be a great opportunity to bond and expand your network of people. It’s also easier to read people and do business with them in a relaxed environment where they’re open to new ideas and making friends.
2. Pay attention to detail
Of course, the design of your offline ad is very important. A good design can be the difference between acquiring new customers and not. Your design should be eye-catching but not flashy or tacky. It’s very hard to draw the line between genius and corny, but it becomes easier with experience and the right graphic designer. To make your ad pop, you should use contrastive colors as they’re bound to grab the passer-by’s attention among the grey of the surrounding buildings.
As far as detail is concerned, you should take the time to choose the right font. Stay away from cursive regardless of its potential beauty as it will be hard to read and will automatically leave your viewer uninterested. Chose something that has style but can be read effortlessly for the best results.
3. Talk to the local newspapers
Even though we’re in the era of digital print, newspapers are still very popular among older generations. They make up half the population, so it’s no wonder newspapers still thrive in physical form. If this is your target audience, you are more likely to reach them when running an offline ad in the paper than on any internet site.
You need to enter their world and make yourself available if you want their business. This is why you should turn to the local newspapers and see where you can place your ad. It’s very important to pay attention to the paper section as well. People are more likely to pay attention to the ad and find it relevant if it’s related to what they’re currently reading.
4. Think of your location
No matter what kind of tactic you opt for, location is everything. You can have the best ad in the world and it will mean nothing if there’s nobody around to see it. The most obvious choice is to place your ad in the busy part of town where every passing person will be able to see it. This kind of exposure doesn’t always guarantee success though. You should try to reach your target audience with your location.
Find a business that’s related to yours, then place your ads somewhere close their headquarters. This way, someone who’s already on their way to the headquarters will realize they need your business, too. Another idea is to place your ads in specific areas of town. The suburbs work great for household services or items, while busy work areas are perfect for business related ads.
5. Turn to the radio
With so many streaming services available and YouTube taking over most playlists, you’d think no one listened to the radio anymore. Still, people tend to turn to the radio for their source of news and entertainment, especially when we’re talking about commutes to work or any kind of car trips. Even younger generations still listen to the radio, so running an ad on it is a safe bet.
It’ll help you reach a wider audience locally, and can even help with reaching your target audience. After all, certain age groups and types of people listen to certain radio stations. So, you should choose the ideal radio station according to the type of person you want to reach. As far as the content of the ad is concerned, make it concise and to the point but make sure it’s not dry and boring.
6. Think of something other than billboards
The first thing that comes to mind when we’re talking about offline marketing is billboards. Even though this is a reliable and effective method, it’s become a little old. They’ll get the job done, but getting creative and opting for something other than a billboard will benefit you way more. This is because people are just so used to billboards that they don’t pay them much attention at all. For an offline marketing campaign to be successful, it needs to grip the viewers’ attention, even if just for a few moments.
There are other bland surfaces around the city that could use a little color. For instance, in this age of expansion and building, you’ll always find a construction site in some busy part of town. It’s big, loud, full of rubble, and very hard to miss. The fences on those construction sites are the perfect grounds for your new ad because they’re close enough to the average passerby, they grab our attention, and they’re not flashy or annoying. Call up the construction site owner and ask them to run an ad on their fences, then turn to companies such as Fence Banner Mesh to help you seal the deal and make your ad pop. It’s guaranteed to bring in a fair amount of business.
7. Stick to a theme
Another tip is to come up with an ad and just stick to it or its theme for years to come. This way, people immediately associate that theme with your business. If you’re playing the offline marketing game for the long run, this is definitely something you should consider. Your brand and company should be tied to a certain type of emotion or theme from the very beginning as that will make you more relatable to your audience. The more loyal you are to that logo for the years to come, the more loyal your customers will stay to your company.
For example, if your business enforces family values, your ads should be all about families enjoying your services together. You can go a step further and create a whole mini-series of events the family goes through. A theme like that is bound to give you material for years to come and make your viewers think of you every time they think of family. Additionally, try to make it catchy and funny, as it’s more likely to make a lasting impression.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are still a lot of options for offline marketing. It’s not all black and white and it doesn’t have to come down to just running a few ads. Your campaign can be as elaborate as need be. It can help your online business reach a local audience and make your voice heard locally and internationally. Always keep an open mind about things like offline marketing, because you’ll only see and know how beneficial they are once you’ve given them a try. We’re confident your online business will blossom soon enough.
Nick Brown is a blogger and a marketing expert currently engaged on projects for Media Gurus, an Australian business, and marketing resource. He is an aspiring street artist and does Audio/Video editing as a hobby.