Offline Marketing: Still Important, Still Valuable: Full Guide

It’s important to realize the value of offline selling strategies because before the internet, it was the only way to let the world know your business existed. Since the average time spent using the internet from any device is around six hours and thirty-one minutes, some marketers believe offline marketing strategies are outdated, but the statistics prove otherwise.

In fact, they are very potent and effective for driving sales. Offline marketing may take some time to show results, but they are proven strategies that have helped brands grow and expand much before the world was smitten by the charm of the internet. There are multiple facets to consider and here you will find enlightenment on the subject!

What Is Offline Marketing?‍

Some people might ask, “is offline marketing dead?” You might be wondering what it means to market offline, and this might be a foreign concept to younger folks who were born with the best technology for advertising. Marketing offline entails all the physical and tangible ways whereby you can spread the word of any given business and effectively grow.

Working Of Offline selling

When you market offline, it requires you to shift your mentality and begin thinking outside the computer screen. Adjusting your strategy to include the classic methods of advertising will definitely expand your reach and strengthen your brand awareness. According to Triadex Services, offline marketing strategies like direct mail marketing still have some of the highest conversion rates among other marketing techniques. There are a lot of opportunities that can arise with offline marketing strategies.

Who Should Use Offline Marketing?

Both small and large businesses can benefit from using offline strategies to further their interests. Anyone seeking to expand their horizon and find new customers to engage with should use offline strategies to market their particular brand. If you take your business seriously then you should know that marketing both online and offline is important. Those who believe offline marketing doesn’t work in the modern world probably haven’t explored it well.

Types of Offline Marketing Strategies

The best strategies try to include both online and offline ideas to improve the brand and gain the right exposure to your target audience. Here are some of the traditional ways you can market your brand.

Adverts in a Local Paper

Newspapers have been around forever and it’s one of the most common ways to market offline. If your target audience is older, let’s say middle-aged or seniors, it may be beneficial to use newspaper advertisements as they are most commonly read by those over 35 years of age, not only that, a large majority read newspapers on their daily commute. Make sure you’re tracking your marketing efforts by using a coupon or a specific telephone number so you can differentiate which leads come from newspaper ads and which ones don’t.

Niche Magazines

These are important magazines where you can display your advertisement to an audience that is already interested in similar products. It’s more likely they will purchase your product because they are curious about the details and opportunities within any magazine. Know your niche and then try to market through them with an appealing ad!

Local Radio Station

This is another option to consider that is of great value because the radio still reaches a lot of people. In fact, there is a very large radio audience with opportunities to grow your business through the airwaves. It is an incredibly valuable advertising source that is still viable and you will reach many (you can also combine this with streaming apps online such as spotify to maximise your reach).

Billboard Advertising

This is another classic staple of advertising strategies that spans back many years to the inception of big businesses. Billboards are more effective than most people realize. Around 71% of people look at messages on roadside billboards, and because there are so many cars on the roads these days, the number of people who will see your billboard is quite a lot, making them a brilliant offline marketing strategy.

Sponsorship

Getting sponsorships is another important way to progress in the business and is still a highly viable method to use. You can effectively find someone to share and represent your product in a good light as an affiliate. From there, they will drive sales for you to other people in an offline environment, it could also be beneficial online if they have a good following where they are more commonly referred to as an “influencer”.

Provide Coupons

Offering coupons, special discounts, and loyalty programs are great ways to make your clients feel privileged while improving sales and leads. You can advertise these offers in the local newspaper or magazine or on other print media types. You can even offer a free trial to show customers how great your brand or service is to convince them of a sale. This can also help improve brand loyalty and awareness.

Cold-Calling

This is a method that will yield mixed results, but you will reap the rewards of lengthy labor if you’re dedicated to it. Cold-calling is a lot like fishing and sometimes they just simply aren’t biting. But the prospect of fish is better than nothing at all so this method is still useful for offline advertising.

Flyers, pamphlets, and brochures

Offline market strategies can involve detailed flyers, informative pamphlets, and free brochures that list many products you’re offering. These offline market channels are designed to spread the word and keep people engaged with your business on a more personal level. It gives them a physical representation of your services.

Trade Shows

Trade show allows you to meet targeted customers and explain to them about your products and services. Such events also allow you to participate with your competitors under one roof and understand their marketing strategies better. You can also note how they pitch customers and compare them with your own.

With trade shows, you can get ample opportunities for networking with people directly. This is something that is limited in other modes of offline marketing. When you interact with people directly, you can understand their needs and expectations better, which will help you improve your products and services.

To encourage people coming to the trade show to explore your business more, you can offer free product samples or discount coupons that they can utilize later.

Branded Merchandise

Merchandise like pens, t-shirts, notepads and other items can be branded with your company name and logo and given to people for free. This is actually a great way to promote your brand. People love getting free stuff and if you can utilize such an opportunity to promote your business, you must do it without a second thought. 

Brand merchandising is also related to brand perception. When you use good quality products and use them for branding, people perceive your brand to be honest and trustworthy. But, if you invest in poor merchandise just for the sake of promoting your brand, people will have a negative perception about your business. 

Ensure that you produce branded merchandise in bulk because as word-of-mouth spreads about it, expect more people to flock in. However, this only means more brand exposure. You can also add exciting offers for people opting for your branded merchandise such as a discount coupon or a lucky draw which will be eligible when people shop your products or avail your services for the first time or refer their friends and family. 

Benefits of Offline advertising

The main benefit of offline advertising is you have access to a completely new revenue stream. Not everyone utilizes the internet, and some only use it seldomly but don’t really shop online. Another benefit would be the valuable loyalty schemes that you can introduce after a customer makes a certain number of purchases. There are also various distribution methods like direct mail and television ads that each have their own advantages.

How to track offline advertising

It’s important to keep track of the books when you’re marketing offline and there’s nothing that says you can’t use software for this. You can store the relevant data regarding statistics like how many people took flyers or were receptive to your cold calls. Tracking your progress is imperative to see if things are working according to plan. Oppizi can help track offline marketing campaigns effectively so that it’s right there at your fingertips!

Conclusion

Even though online marketing has taken the major share of the limelight when it comes to effective marketing strategies for businesses, the truth of the matter is that offline marketing channels are still relevant and valuable when used properly. 

Radio is one of the most powerful advertising mediums and has stood the test of time. Offline ads like direct mail are also better at creating a lasting impression compared to online ads. Moreover, with brands rushing behind online marketing strategies, it is easy for brands to get lost in the sea of ads that appear online. Offline marketing is comparatively a less competitive space that can be explored by businesses looking to create a lasting impression in their target audience’s mind.