Offline Marketing
Just because technology seems to have taken everything online does not mean there isn’t room for offline marketing. In fact offline ads are still critical for building and promoting your brand. Offline adds can drive traffic to your website and can definitely help create prospects convert customers. Traditional ads give you the opportunity to advertise different messages in different mediums to a wide range of people. Traditional ad mediums work to create brand awareness and are used to target people who may not otherwise use the internet to find you. Traditional offline advertisements usually fall into four categories: print, broadcast, direct mail and cold calls. While cold calling is not as popular as it once was, print, direct mail and broadcast are all very popular and effective ad types for most businesses.
As you develop your offline ads remember your brand and vision. Use the same logo and colors to create a consistent and professional image. Do not under estimate the person who will see or hear your ad, but at the same time do not give them too much credit. They need to be told what to do and how to do it. Your ad should be easy to read and understand. As with your website, your ad should have a clear call to action guiding the person to the next step. It needs to state your contact information, website and your social links. If you are making an offer, clearly state how that offer can be redeemed. Your ads need to stay fresh and relevant to your business. Running the same ads over and over reduce their effectiveness. People get bored and start ignoring ads they have seen repeatedly. This all seems like common sense, but take a look at your competition and you can pick out several that could be improved.
There are many well-known, traditional ad types. Like T.V., radio, direct-mail, flyers, magazines, newspapers, billboards, and yes, the old phonebook. However, there are many other not-so-obvious ad placements you should consider. Everything from sponsoring your local Little League team to swag that can be handed out at bars or concerts. There are even talking toilet and urinal tabs. Pretty much anything and everything can be printed on these days, you just need to make sure your ads and their locations portray the brand image you set out at the beginning. There are also some nontraditional, offline marketing activities that can be used. Get yourself on the news, write a book, or start speaking at conferences and seminars. Make yourself the authority in your industry offline too. This influence is just as important as it is online. Feel-good, pay-it-forward efforts, such as supporting your neighborhood or the military, are excellent ways to get your name and brand out there while doing something worthwhile and it makes great social media content to.
Most importantly remember the symbiotic nature of advertising we discussed early on. This theory is especially true with offline advertising. Your offline ads should support and drive traffic to your online presence. You do this by making sure your domain name is prominent, as well as your social profiles and review site links. This is one reason a good domain name is so important. You can also use a QR code that can be scanned to take the person directly to the page on your website you want them to land on that supports the printed material. This is a good way to use both offline and online messaging to make the sale. It is true that traditional ads are taking a backseat to digital marketing, but that does not make them irrelevant. While traditional advertising used to be a primary focus it is now complementary form of marketing. If your offline ads are designed with this in mind it can be a very effective tool for creating brand recognition and trust.