The world has become incredibly competitive, and businesses need to use a combination of online and offline promotional strategies to remain relevant. While online marketing strategies, such as email marketing, SEO, and social media marketing, are increasingly becoming popular, offline marketing strategies remain just as popular as they were in the past.
These days, online marketing is often at the forefront whenever marketing is discussed, because they’re easy to measure and, in many cases, less expensive, too. However, offline marketing tactics, when employed effectively, can not only be used to support your brand’s online presence but are excellent on their own, too.
For a brand to establish itself as a marketing juggernaut, it needs to have a robust online and offline presence, both. In this day and age, though, it’s difficult to understand what offline promotional strategies still work as effectively. So, here are seven offline marketing strategies that your brand can implement today:
1. Lanyards
You’d be surprised to know how useful something as simple as a lanyard is to convey your brand’s presence to an audience. A simple tool you can wrap around your neck, wrist, and in your pocket, lanyards are an extremely versatile option to add to your marketing arsenal.
To implement this marketing tactic successfully, you need to ensure you’re using it right. Firstly, the lanyard should have your company’s color scheme to ensure it’s instantly recognizable. Additionally, you should also add your company’s logo to ensure it’s not confused with another brand’s.
For instance, a lanyard for a brand like McDonald’s would be red and yellow. This color combination is automatically associated with the fast-food chain, making it instantly recognizable.
2. Business Cards
Nothing gives a more corporate feel than handing out your business card. An easy and cost-effective tactic for your brand to employ is a business card that is appropriate to be passed around in multiple social settings. Additionally, you can also pin them to a bulletin board and slip them in a magazine.
While the effectiveness of business cards does remain a little low – sales increase by 2.5 percent for every 2,000 business cards passed around – this marketing tool still remains the fastest way to share your business’s contact information.
3. Speaking Engagements
Speaking at events related to your industry is a useful marketing tool and boosts your credibility as an industry leader, which in turn promotes your brand presence. It’s an excellent opportunity to put yourself, and your business, at the forefront of an engaged and targeted audience.
By delivering a well-prepared and educational speech to a relevant audience, you’re providing them with the chance to engage with your business’s physical presence. If giving speeches in person is not your thing, it’s still helpful to attend events and introduce yourself to relevant people, to reinforce your brand presence.
4. Cold Calls
Similar to how direct mail works, cold calls are excellent to reach the segment of your target audience that prefers a more personalized approach. Cold call techniques such as phone calls prompt your audience to respond immediately, which may go either way.
To implement this marketing strategy effectively, it’s essential to tailor the conversation according to the customer, and you should ideally address why you’re addressing them this way. While cold calling draws from sales aspects, it’s still an excellent way to build collaborative relationships, not just with customers but also with potential business partners.
With 75 percent of prospects in various industries scheduling a meeting or attending an event based on a cold call or an email, it’s definitely a tactic worth exploring.
5. Trade Shows
Trade shows are an excellent opportunity for your brand to establish its presence and analyze its competition. You can evaluate their products and services, pitches to potential customers, and the marketing materials they’re handing out. It’s an excellent chance to gain insight into the offline promotional strategies your competitors are implementing.
Apart from this, trade shows are also an excellent opportunity for you to network with prospective buyers and other industry leaders. It’s a great way to put your offline marketing arsenal at the forefront and put in action. Lastly, you also get an ideal platform to showcase your products to a relevant audience.
6. Sponsor An Event
For a brand to truly emerge as a leader, it needs to adopt a holistic approach to its marketing efforts. One of the ways to do this is by sponsoring a local event, especially ones related to a charitable cause.
Sponsoring an event gives every brand that altruistic aspect that is important to help it stand out. Local events are always on the lookout for sponsors. It’s a great opportunity for you to improve your brand presence and get into the good books of your target audience and the local community.
7. Direct Mail
As one of the oldest marketing strategies around, direct mail is undoubtedly more expensive than online marketing efforts due to printing and logistics costs. However, direct mail offers a 29 percent return on investment. Additionally, people who receive direct mail purchase 28 percent more products and spend 28 percent more money than people who don’t receive the same.
These figures can be attributed to the fact that direct mail is more personalized than other marketing strategies, making it more appealing to customers. Additionally, you can always experiment with different kinds of options, such as product updates, coupons, newsletters, samples, and anything else that may promote your business.
Conclusion
An effective marketing strategy is one that uses a combination of different tactics. It’s vital for a brand to use online and offline strategies to maximize its brand presence and enhance its target audience’s engagement.
By mixing and matching different techniques, your brand is bound to emerge as a leader. The offline tactics listed above will help your brand remain relevant in a world as competitive as it is today.
What other offline marketing strategies can help a brand stay relevant? Let us know in the comments below!