Even though the Internet has revolutionized the way we market our businesses, in many respects it’s still just a fragmented collection of local and global networks. In other words, online and offline marketing are still very much related. The success of your digital marketing efforts is directly correlated with your offline marketing efforts.
While some marketers may cringe at this idea – after all, how un-digital is that? – the fact of the matter is that offline marketing can be an invaluable asset to your business.
However, with so many different types of marketing out there, it can be tricky to know where to begin and what will be most effective for your business. To help you get started with your offline and online marketing campaigns, here are sixteen tips that will assist you in mastering them:
1. Review your existing strategies and tactics
At the very least, you should know what’s currently being done, how often, and how much it costs. This will give you a good idea of what’s working, what isn’t, and what you need to improve on. If you’re in the beginning stages of your offline and online marketing campaigns, a thorough review of your strategies and tactics will provide you with a solid foundation to build on.
If you’re already in the thick of your marketing efforts, conducting an analysis of what you’ve been doing to date will help you identify where improvements can be made. Keep in mind that not all campaigns are created equal. Just because something has worked for one campaign doesn’t necessarily mean you should use it for another.
It’s best to focus on the strategy behind your marketing efforts and not so much on the particular tactics you employed.
2. Go where your customers are
If you want to attract customers to your business, you’ve got to go where your customers are, which often means spending time at local events or in your community marketing at nearby places such as trade shows or conventions. Not only will this allow you to get your name and brand out there, but it will also help you to form relationships with your potential customers and contacts.
Local events are an excellent way to market your business to a wide audience – not just online, but offline as well the two are connected. If you have a brick and mortar store, you can also host in-store events to drive traffic. While this may be more applicable to brick and mortar businesses, it can also be helpful for online businesses to host virtual events and live streams.
Social media is another way that businesses can reach out to their local communities. For example, if you’re a landscaping business, you can offer free quotes to potential customers and offer discounts on services for those who live nearby.
3. Develop a solid marketing plan
Successful marketing campaigns are built on solid foundations, and this starts with having a marketing plan and goals. A marketing plan is a written document that outlines your branding strategy and marketing efforts, as well as the goals and strategies you’ll use to achieve these goals.
It should be tailored to meet the objectives of your business and be flexible enough to be adjusted as needed. While it’s tempting to just jump in and start marketing, it’s important to plan your efforts and create a marketing plan before you begin.
This will not only help you to stay focused, but it will also allow you to identify potential roadblocks that might stand in your way. Generally speaking, it’s best to focus on a few marketing channels at a time.
Trying to master every marketing channel at once can be overwhelming, and you’re unlikely to see any results from your efforts. Select a few channels to start with and add more as you see fit.
4. Find the right tools for the job
The Internet is full of digital tools and software that can be used to help with all aspects of your online and offline marketing campaigns. From content creation to lead tracking, you’ll find everything you need.
In order to find the right tools for your campaigns, you’ll want to first identify your needs and make a list of what you’re looking for. Once you have your list, you can then use online tools such as ProductHunt, or ProductHunt Pro, to find the right digital marketing tools to meet your needs.
Finding the right digital marketing tools allows you to focus on your campaigns instead of having to worry about building and maintaining these tools from scratch. However, make sure that you’re not buying tools just for the sake of buying them. Be sure to select the ones that will best meet your needs.
5. Don’t forget about email marketing
Email marketing may be a classic offline marketing strategy, but it’s far from outdated. In fact, it’s one of the most effective ways to market your products and services. Email marketing campaigns can range from simple newsletters and sales messages to more complex campaigns that involve triggering specific events, such as a product launch or a new product launch.
Some of the best digital marketing companies have found success with email marketing campaigns that trigger a customer’s purchase decision through a series of emails. You can also use email marketing to help nurture leads and track the effectiveness of your other offline marketing efforts. If you’ve been neglecting email marketing in favor of more newfangled marketing efforts, it’s time to give it another look.
6. Don’t neglect your website
Your website is your digital storefront. It’s where potential customers first see your brand and get an idea of who you are and what you do. Your website should be the hub of your digital marketing efforts, providing information about your business, products, and services.
It should also include a way for people to get in contact with you or reach out to you online, such as through live chat or a contact form. You should have a goal for each page of your website, and each page should also have a purpose. Your website can be a great source of traffic, and it can also be used to host events, create email lists, and more.
7. Plan for your offline marketing efforts
If you’re going to employ offline marketing strategies, you’ll want to plan for them well in advance. This can range from deciding on which events to attend to booking an ad in the local paper. It’s important to plan for these events in advance so you can make the necessary arrangements and have enough time to prepare for them.
While these events will not generate immediate results, they can help to build your brand and network, making it easier for people to find your offerings and services. Offline marketing efforts can also include building and improving your website, developing new content for your blog, and more.
8. Host an event for your online marketing efforts
As we’ve discussed, one of the best ways to market your business is to get out there and meet people. This can be done through hosting events related to your business, such as seminars and workshops. These events can be virtual, in-person, or a combination of both. Virtual events are particularly useful for those with a wide reach, such as bloggers and social media influencers.
Attending live events can also be a great way to network and meet potential customers and contacts. You can also use these events to launch new products, or even rebrand or reposition your business. These events can be particularly useful for B2B businesses and can help to improve brand recognition and generate leads.
9. Leverage email marketing in both your offline and online campaigns
Email marketing is often overlooked as a marketing tool, but it can be incredibly effective and help to increase brand awareness and improve sales. Email marketing campaigns can be tailored to suit the needs of your business.
They can be used to nurture leads, inform customers of special offers, or even help to increase traffic to your website. Email marketing campaigns are easy to set up and can be sent directly from an email marketing tool such as AWeber or MailChimp.
They can be scheduled for a specific date and time, making it easy for you to manage your campaigns. Email marketing campaigns can also be used in tandem with your other marketing efforts. For example, you can send emails promoting your social media accounts or blog posts. You can also use email marketing campaigns to host giveaways and drive traffic to your website.
10. Utilize social media in both your offline and online campaigns
Social media is an excellent way to market your business both online and offline. Aside from having a presence on social media platforms, you can also host events.
11. Commit to a paid marketing campaign
Paid marketing campaigns are one of the most effective offline marketing tactics. A paid marketing campaign allows you to target a specific audience with a specific message. If you’re new to paid marketing campaigns, it’s important to realize that not all paid marketing is created equal.
Paid marketing campaigns should be based on a specific marketing strategy and goals. There are several types of paid marketing campaigns that are worth considering, including:
- Paid search: This type of campaign is typically focused on driving website traffic and is often used by e-commerce businesses that want to increase their sales. You can also use paid search to promote your offline business by targeting specific geo-locations.
- Display and retargeting advertisements: Display and retargeting advertisements are great for building brand awareness. This type of campaign allows you to reach a broader audience through various advertising platforms, including social media and display ads on websites. If you’re looking to engage an existing customer base, this campaign option can also be great for encouraging customers to make additional purchases.
- Sponsored social media posts: This type of campaign is typically best for driving leads and encouraging engagement from your target audience. You can choose which social media channels to focus on and choose the types of posts that you want to sponsor.
- Paid content marketing: This type of campaign is best for increasing brand awareness, building trust and driving leads. Paid content marketing campaigns allow you to monetize your blog and bring more attention to your business.
12. Leverage email marketing for lead generation
Email marketing is another tried-and-true offline marketing tactic that most businesses should consider. Email marketing is a great tool for nurturing leads and driving brand engagement. It allows you to create an ongoing dialogue with your target audience and provide them with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions.
Also read: 9 Ways to Improve Your Mobile Marketing Campaigns for Success
If you’re new to email marketing, it’s important to keep in mind that this type of campaign requires a bit of finesse. You need to create an email marketing strategy that speaks to your target audience and provides them with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions.
You can use email marketing campaigns to drive leads, gain customer insights and even drive sales. When it comes to email marketing campaigns, it’s best to keep it simple. Sending one email per week to your list is a great way to start.
13. Host a workshop or event for existing customers
Hosting a workshop or event for your existing customers is another great offline marketing tactic. It allows you to engage with your customers and build stronger relationships with them. You can choose to host your event in-person or digitally.
If you decide to host your event in-person, you may be able to partner with a local business and share the cost of the event. Hosting an event for your existing customers is a great way to learn more about your customers and what they’re looking for in your products and services. It can also be a great way to turn your customers into brand advocates.
14. Attend local events to showcase your product or service
Attending local events to showcase your product or service is another great offline marketing tactic. It allows you to get in front of your target audience and showcase the value of your products and services.
If you’re new to the event marketing space, you’ll want to make sure that you’re picking events that are aligned with your brand and that make sense for you to attend. This type of campaign is best for B2B businesses. It allows you to interact with potential customers in a face-to-face capacity and gives them the opportunity to see the value of your product or service first-hand.
15. Utilize digital signage as an ad platform
If you’re trying to attract potential customers to your brick-and-mortar business and want to avoid the hassles of outdoor signage, digital signage is a great way to go. Digital signage is becoming increasingly popular as an ad platform, particularly in indoor spaces like airports and shopping malls.
If you select an indoor digital signage platform for your business, you’ll be able to control your ads remotely. This means that you can change your ads as often as you’d like and only pay for the ad time you actually use. There are a number of different types of digital signage systems out there.
If you’re interested in this type of campaign, it’s important to do your research and pick a system that meets your needs.
16. Create and market with a master brand plan
Creating and marketing with a master brand plan is another great offline marketing tactic. This is something that larger companies will likely want to do, but it can be useful for SMEs as well. A master brand plan is essentially a document that outlines all aspects of your marketing strategy.
It allows you to tie all of your digital and offline marketing efforts together and create an overarching marketing campaign that ties everything together. A master brand plan is particularly helpful if you’re just starting out and aren’t sure how to tie all of your marketing efforts together or if you’re trying to revamp your current marketing efforts.
How will you combine offline and online digital marketing?
Now that you’ve explored the different offline marketing tactics you can implement, it’s time to think about how you’ll integrate those efforts with your online marketing efforts. The best way to do this is to create a marketing campaign plan.
By creating a marketing campaign plan, you’ll be able to map out your overall marketing strategy and determine how you’ll link your offline marketing efforts to your online marketing efforts.
Most marketing campaign plans include a timeline and a budget. It’s important to think about how you’ll incorporate your offline marketing efforts into your overall campaign and how they’ll be tied to your digital marketing efforts.
How can I improve my offline business?
Now that you’ve explored how you can improve your offline marketing efforts, it’s time to think about how you can improve your offline business in general. To do this, you’ll want to start by creating a customer experience map.
A customer experience map allows you to better understand your customers’ journey and the ways you can improve their experience. This map will be different for each customer demographic so it’s important to try to get as specific as possible.
Once you’ve created the customer experience map, you can use it to identify areas where you can improve your overall customer experience.
Conclusion
Offline marketing tactics can be just as effective as digital ones. To make the most of these old-school strategies, be sure to create a marketing campaign plan that links your offline efforts with your online ones. Marketing campaigns will vary for each business, so make sure you do your research and choose the best strategy for your company.