Should We Still Do Offline Marketing?

Should We Still Do Offline Marketing
The world of marketing is at a crossroads. Investments in online marketing have been growing for several years in a row. According to an analysis conducted by the Magna media agency, by 2020 about $290 billion will be spent on advertising in online media. In other words, online marketing investments will make up 50% of the entire marketing expenditure worldwide.

What’s interesting about these stats is the fact that the other half of the money spent on marketing globally will still be invested in offline marketing. This comes as a surprise, knowing how much hype its digital counterpart has generated in this decade.

The aim of this article is to explain what target audiences still prefer offline marketing. Also, we’ll talk about the most popular forms of this marketing channel at this moment.

The Targets Of Offline Marketing

When you read contemporary market reports, you’ll often come across data that older generations are still most inclined towards offline marketing.

While this is true to some extent, it’s important to note that television is still considered a part of the offline marketing realm. Knowing this, it’s legitimate to challenge the claim about elderly people and offline marketing.

For instance, preschool children and teenagers still spend a lot of time watching TV. A recent study published by the Common Sense Census has shown that children aged 0-8 spend 2 hours and 19 minutes on average in front of different screens. Most of this time is taken up by television.

So, it’s clear that youngsters are a significant portion of the offline target audience.

What’s more, people of all generations still prefer offline advertising in some aspects of their lives. Let’s take, for example, a 40-year old man who wants to have his beard trimmed. What do you think is more probable, that he will google a barbershop or simply go to the one his friends recommended him?

Likewise, when a 30-year old woman wants to get a flower arrangement for a birthday, it’s more likely that she’ll simply get down to the flower market and find what she needs.

In theory, people of all age groups could prefer offline marketing and tangible ads to digital advertising in certain contexts.

The Power Of Local Media

If you want your business to use the benefits of offline marketing, utilizing the power of local media is a good start.

Regardless of the medium, storytelling is always an enticing form of advertising. Every successful business story is different and people like to hear how lucrative enterprises have risen to prominence.

So, what you can do to score some promotional points on the local level is to contact radio stations and local newspapers. Offer to share your unique success story with their audience. They’ll get exclusive media material for free and you’ll advertise your business along the way.

However, bear in mind that some radio and TV-stations charge for such deals, so discuss the terms in advance.

As for local newspapers, simply call the editors and ask them if they’d publish an article about your business story. It’s wise to emphasize that your aim is to share the special ingredients of your business with their readers, and not to merely promote your venture.

If you opt for this form of offline marketing, you might want to apply some elements of narrative journalism in your feature, as explained in this article on the Forbes website.
Should We Still Do Offline Marketing

Free Promotion For Lead Generation

Freebies are always welcome in the world of advertising. Offline marketing is a perfect form for special promotions, because you can give away actual, tangible products to your potential leads. Here are three different types of free promo features that we find most effective.

1. Media-Distributed Freebies

When you’re already a guest on a local TV-show or a radio program, bring along some freebies that you’ll give away to listeners or viewers. You can even organize a small contest, in which people will be asked a simple question about your business or products. The first person who gives the correct answer will win a freebie. This is a cliché contest, but it’s still interesting in such programs.

2. Special Open-Air Events

Every clever business owners will use the opportunity to distribute promotional items at local open-air events. For instance, when your local council is organizing different open-air events, you can donate a certain amount of your products. You simply get a license and erect a stand at which you’ll be giving away special promotional items. Some of the people who are given your products today will come back to buy some tomorrow.

3. Organizing Free Lunches

This one can be done when you’re about to close a business deal.

In a nutshell, you invite the potential client for lunch. Depending on the complexity of the business deal, the venue can either be your home or a restaurant. By doing so, you’ll get a chance to explain the benefits of the potential business collaboration.

Also, this is a great opportunity to establish a more personal relationship with the lead and complete the lead generation process.

The Fair Trade Crew

One of the most popular and long-living forms of offline marketing are trade shows.

Attending such shows is always a great chance to tell the world about your business in a simple and original way.

In order to convey your message, you should mobilize enough promo materials from roll-up banners and flags to poster stands and trade show displays.

You’ll probably have some of these items on your business premises. Still, some of them will have to be ordered in advance, so that they’re ready for the show.

When you’re preparing for the most renowned trade shows in your niche, think about preparing some special promo banners and giveaway items, like T-shirts, or anti-stress balls. That way, you’ll stand out from the crowd and your potential buyers will remember you.

Once the hype about the show is over, those materials can decorate your company premises.

Conclusion

Offline marketing might not be as popular as it used to be, but it’s still a durable and useful form of advertising. For all the reasons we’ve analyzed in this piece, the final answer to the question from the title is definitely: yes, we should still do offline marketing. In some situations, it can be used on its own, while in other cases it can join forces with online marketing tactics. Either way, we hope that our analyses and tips will help you make the best of offline advertising

AUTHOR_NAMEAbout the Author:
Michael Deane is a marketing executive at Printroom, and a huge Lakers fan outside working hours. He is always ready to jump into any discussion regarding advertising and online media.
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