Online and mobile have made marketing see a paradigm shift. But is offline marketing really dead in the age of technology? Not really. There are a few offline marketing strategies that are still efficient and relevant today.
Many marketers agree that the combined popularity of the Internet and mobile have switched up the marketing game in their favor. However, offline marketing is far from being dead. Think about it: how many printed flyers do you see and get in the street or our mailbox? How many brand names do you hear on the radio or see on your TV? The chances are that you see offline marketing still happening around you.
Now, if you run a business, you certainly know that marketing is a key activity that you must master to engage prospects and turn them into customers. Facebook pages, Instagram accounts, tweeting about your sector news, and sending sale push notifications to customers. These are all marketing tactics that are remarkably effective. Yet, most successful businesses don’t just stick to online marketing strategies. They practice a combination of online and offline marketing tactics to generate leads and boost their sales.
Not sure what old-school marketing strategies still do the job today? Read below.
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Networking
Face-to-face connections remain a valuable form of connecting with potential customers. What’s more, they can also help drive traffic to your website when your new connections want to learn more about you and your brand.
Unlike the way it is with online marketing, offline marketing, and networking, in particular, allows prospects to put a face to the name of a brand. This helps build customer loyalty around your brand.
So, yes, the old-fashioned handshake is still a relevant offline marketing tactic.
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Cold calls
Cold calls are another offline marketing tactic that feels more personal than online marketing. Let’s be honest: phone calls, especially personalized ones, feel a lot more personal than emails.
Now, cold calls demand immediate answers from both sides, which can be more engaging. Yet, this can be both bad and good.
You need to make sure that you have a good reason for reaching out to your leads. Otherwise, your phone call recipient will feel like you are wasting their time. What’s more, make sure that you tailor the conversation to each customer you reach out to and remember to be mindful of their time and needs throughout the entire phone call.
Cold calling is typically more of a sales move. Yet, it can also help you create collaborative relationships with other entrepreneurs and even gain some new customers along the way.
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Business cards
The easiest and cheapest offline marketing tactic is still relevant, even in today’s digital era. You can pass business cards to anyone from your neighbors to other businesses, customers, and even investors. When you participate in any type of event, be it a business meeting, corporate parties, or community events, make sure you have some business cards with you to distribute to people you meet with there.
Business cards are such tiny objects that hold huge marketing potential.
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Trade shows
Trade shows are still relevant and very effective even in a time when people see most brands’ marketing online. Besides creating countless opportunities for in-person connections with customers, business partners, and investors, trade shows give you the opportunity to take a sneak peek at your competition and show why your business is better.
Since you are under the same roof with your competitors, you can show your customers why they should choose your company instead of other brands. Your exhibition display board can help you pitch your new ideas or products and show them to the world.
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Sponsorship
If your budget allows it, you could sponsor a community event to increase brand awareness in your surrounding area. Sponsoring an event will make your brand’s name spread far and wide.
You could sponsor a music festival, a theatre event, fundraising, or even a garbage collection in your community. Whatever event suits your brand better and attracts your target audience, make sure you sponsor it so that your name will be largely written all over the event location.
What’s more, you can take advantage of the event and handle the event merchandise to make sure that your name gets on all the gifts that will be given to the guests.
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Speaking engagement
If finances don’t allow it, and you can’t sponsor an entire event, you could at least make sure that you make it to the speakers’ list and get a chance to get on the stage to talk in front of the guests.
All you have to do is find an event relevant to your business and prepare an educational, relevant, and helpful presentation.
When you get up on the stage, you’ll have the full attention of all participants, and that is the moment to make a lasting impression. If your presentation is indeed educational and helpful for the audience, you’ll make yourself a reputation as an industry expert. What’s more, you’ll then be associated with your business, which will help you attract more customers and increase your sales.
Now, these offline marketing tactics are still really effective. However, the good news is that you don’t have to choose between offline and offline marketing strategies. You can create a marketing approach that incorporates both digital and offline marketing ideas. Online marketing efforts can supplement your offline marketing ideas and vice versa.
