Offline marketing: Which tactics should businesses bring back?

With the world having become increasingly digital, brands focus on looking for innovative ways to make the most of new technology when it comes to their marketing approaches.

Spending on digital advertising worldwide is expected to be close to $650 billion by 2024 – almost twice the amount spent in 2019.

Data has played an important role in this exponential growth, with the internet making it easier than ever for businesses to target specific demographics across a vast area.

Traditional marketing has thus become more of a novelty, but it can still have an important role to play in the advertising efforts of your business. Read on to find out more.

The benefits of offline marketing

There are plenty of reasons to avoid neglecting print in your marketing campaigns. These include:

• Authenticity: Knocking on doors and offering a promotional flyer or handing someone a premium business card allows potential customers to put a face to your company, making it more personable and relatable.
• Loyalty: People like to feel like they’re supporting local businesses. Make sure the neighborhoods you operate in are aware of what you offer and they’ll likely stick with you.
• Cut through the noise: We’re all bombarded by tailored ads when we’re online, but there’s far less competition when your physical marketing materials are delivered directly to someone’s house.
• Reach people who aren’t online: It may not be a huge number, but there are still households without internet access in the UK. Without offline marketing, you won’t get your business’ name in front of them.

Offline marketing tactics

We’ve already mentioned flyers and business cards, but advertising in the real world goes so far beyond that:

• Posters and pamphlets: Stick some posters up around a neighborhood and combine them with pamphlets from the letterbox for a two-pronged attack.
• Coupons: There are few things customers love more than a deal. Handing out printed single-use coupons will encourage people to choose your business. Due to the individual codes, there’s the bonus of being able to track the uptake too.
• Branded merchandise: Offline marketing can target existing customers as well. Provide them with some branded merchandise following an order and they could essentially become a living advertisement for you.
• Networking events: Getting in front of potential clients at large conventions and conferences is a key way of boosting awareness of your brand.
• Billboards: 42% of Brits notice a billboard at least once a week, so you’re missing out on a great way of marketing to almost half the population regularly if you’re overlooking them.

Give your business the best chance of success by combining offline marketing with your efforts in the digital arena.