There’s a continued need for offline marketing, even though the world is becoming increasingly digital. And, startups and small businesses need all the help they can get. Small businesses often choose to focus on online strategies while ignoring offline marketing, and vice versa.
But, every business can benefit from blending the two and making them work together. Digital brands can use print, real-world events, swag, etc. to reach new audiences. If done right, offline campaigns that complement online strategies will boost your customer base.
Target Offline and Online Content in the Same Way
Content is king, especially for niche businesses. And, if you’re just starting out, it’s best to target one niche and to do it with precision. While print and other offline content often target a broader audience, it does not have to be the case.
For the best results, your print should be almost the same as your online content. When creating print, use your best posts as an inspiration. If you think they would work well on printed banners and flyers, you could straight-up copy them. You can use analytics tools to find out which visuals and headlines work best for your target audience and then use them offline.
And, just as you would do online, you can mix things up a bit. You can tweak your message a bit to make it more suitable for a specific medium. However, your messages need to be consistent. A bit of variety is great. Too much of it will send confusing messages.
Both your offline and online content must have a similar feel if you want to reinforce your digital brand. If your writing is plain and minimalistic, but your Instagram is filled with pastel whimsy, you’re sending a conflicting message. Even if it costs more, picking a brand image and sticking with it will make your brand values are recognizable across all mediums.
Use Resources Which You Can Use Both Offline and Online
The best marketing channels inspire, entertain, educate, and have a practical purpose. They are helpful to the consumer. When generating offline and online content, don’t divide resources between the two.
Instead, create content that works for both environments. For instance, you may decide to offer mini-calendars each month to clients. The calendar design would include space for clients to make their own notes and pre-filled information on certain dates.
But, to make the most out of it, you can make it downloadable for customers and optimize if for both print and on-screen use. You can also give it to customers as a physical gift at events.
Point to Your Online Presence
Whatever piece of marketing you send out into the real world, it should always include your web address, email, etc. Your mugs, pens, lanyards, business cards, and other swag should always point to your online “whereabouts.”
But, if you have an online business, it’s important that the consumer sees the human side of your business. And, to show it, you’ll need more than print offline and online ads. Organize real-world events in which you will engage with your target audience.
Workshops and seminars can go a long way. Don’t forget that the average consumer is not loyal to a website. You may have catchy taglines and CTAs, but they don’t work on everyone.
So, go beyond that and show your investment in the consumer’s life in person. Make sure to provide something of value to the consumer.
And, at the end of the event, offer to send them an online guide or presentation related to the event, but make sure to include a questionnaire. That way, you’ll get to learn even more about your target consumer and encourage them to interact with your digital brand.
Tech-Savvy Print
When it comes to directing your targets to your online channels, you can go one step further and use tech-savvy print. AR features and QR codes can help you bring both your digital brand and your print to life.
You can attract millennials and Gen Z-ers to your website by using features they respond to best. The number of AR users is on the rise. Using AR in print ads can allow your audience to instantly connect and interact with your brand. The viral and “wow” effect is just one aspect of it. For instance, customers can check out and book products directly from the sign, banner, or flyer.
QR codes are already widespread. Embedding QR codes into your offline channels allows you to measure the impact of your offline campaigns. You can do that by using QR codes that lead to customized landing pages.
QR codes will allow you to tackle one of the biggest drawbacks of outbound marketing—the difficulty of measuring performance. By using QR codes, you’ll get to see how much traffic your offline ads direct to your website and where it is coming from.
Conclusion
By focusing solely on one channel, you are limiting the visibility of your digital brand. Real-world advertising isn’t popular among web-based businesses, true. But, most of those businesses fail to see how online and offline marketing can work together. Developing an offline presence that’s in harmony with your online strategies and vice versa will allow you to gain that extra edge.
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