Dear Entrepreneur,
Not so long ago, both small and large firms used a variety of tactics to advertise, including brochures, networking events, and billboards. Digital marketing has, however, mostly replaced traditional marketing since the development of the internet.
While it is apparent that digital or online marketing is now crucial for all businesses, business owners also need to recognize the value of offline marketing. According to the United Nations, nearly 3 billion people – or 37% of the world’s population – have never used the internet and as a result, offline marketing is the only way to reach this audience. Today we take a look on why you shouldn’t discontinue offline marketing for your company.
What Is Offline Marketing?
Any form of marketing that excludes the use of online marketing techniques and tactics is referred to as offline marketing.
To generate and accomplish conventional marketing objectives like creating campaigns and boosting sales, offline marketing makes use of media outlets outside of the internet. Television commercials, billboards, telemarketing, radio, pa and any other type of print media such as leaflets, flyers, letters, advertising pages in magazines and newspapers are examples of offline media channels for advertising.
Here are some justifications for why offline marketing is still effective.
- Direct Customer Interaction with Products/Services: Offline marketing gives you the chance to not only interact with your customers directly, but also ensures that your customers are in direct interaction with your products or services. This especially comes into play when you organize events, or trade or industry fairs. Offline marketing gives customers a tangible experience that cannot be replicated online. For example, customers can hold a physical product in their hands, use a sample from a store, or have some other kind of physical interaction in order to experience the product and get a sense of its quality. They may also be able to see how the product is made or assembled, or how different components fit together. This will enable them to make an informed decision before making the purchase.
- Reach a Broader Audience: Offline marketing allows businesses to reach a broader audience directly. Whether through television, radio, print, outdoor advertising or direct mail, it allows businesses to select specific audiences, their demographic attributes, interests, and behaviors with which to maximize the efficiency of their campaigns. Offline marketing can easily be tailored to fit your brand’s needs and can be used to target the right type of customer, which can be difficult to do with online marketing alone. Although, while it seems like almost everyone uses the internet these days, there are still quite a few individuals who do not. Especially for certain demographics, such as senior citizens, people without high-speed internet and those who do not have access to computers or smartphones, you will need to employ offline marketing strategies.
- Generates Brand Awareness: If you are small business owner just starting out, you will need to concentrate on offline marketing strategies. People are more comfortable buying from brands they know and can trust. Also, for local businesses or businesses in rural area, offline marketing should be done first in order to grow the brand. If you are in a rural area, there may be no internet at all or it may be too slow and expensive. However, radio, television and printer advertising circumvent such limitations and can be used to advertise to a much wider market.
- Triggers Emotional Responses: Most times, it is easier to recall or remember offline marketing campaigns than recalling campaigns seen online. Many of us can still remember radio and television ad songs, jingles and slogans of several years ago. This is because these advertisements can trigger an emotional response in customers that online campaigns often lack. Depending on the campaign, this sort of emotional response, along with a powerful, recognizable logo, can help create and imprint your brand’s identity into the customers’ minds.
- Cost Effective for Small Businesses: With the recent migration to online marketing, offline marketing is more affordable and easier manage. Small budget campaigns can still be achieved with radio, print and outdoor advertising, more so than with online marketing, which often requires a large time commitment and the help of professionals.
- Increases the authenticity value: The value of credibility is a problem that online marketing lacks. Most often than not a lot of people have complained about ordering something online and then they get something different delivered to them and because of this people loose trust in such brands. However, in offline marketing, the focus is to build authentic relationships with people or customers. The main focus of offline marketing is connecting and communicating with current and prospective customers. When you interact with people often, it gives your brand an authentic feel and more credibility.
Parting Thoughts
Offline marketing helps where online marketing cannot. As funny as this may sound, not everyone uses the internet. There are still some people who refuse to use or learn how to use technology. Also, offline marketing is particularly important for local businesses such as catering businesses and those belonging to the entertainment sector, gyms or beauty salons as their primary aim should be to expand their visibility locally in order to increase their clientele. And in this sense, enhancing and investing in good offline marketing strategies is the winning way.
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