Despite popular belief, the future of marketing is not completely online yet. Yes, the amount of time people spend online is growing exponentially, but they still trust “word of mouth” advertising and clever, non-invasive offline marketing. So, in order to compete with online adverts, you need to be more subtle, more creative, and play smarter. We’re here to help reveal a few tips on how to become a successful offline marketer.
But first, to clarify a few things:
Offline Marketing Dos and Don’ts
There are some general guidelines on what you should and shouldn’t do.
Do:
- Analyse your business and brand, to know what kind of offline marketing would suit it best;
- Use offline strategies that show your company’s values and mission;
- Choose marketing locations based on your target demographic (age, employment, habits, etc.).
Don’t:
- Overuse traditional strategies that are nowadays seen as spam – handing out flyers, leaflets, dropping promo materials in mailboxes and so on – they normally end up in the trash;
- Don’t try every popular strategy simply because “that one company did it”. It may not work for you.
Billboard Campaigns
For the blockbuster movie “Deadpool”, actor Ryan Reynolds and his (now famous) marketing team came up with a series of billboard designs to promote the premiere. One billboard caught massive attention and is still spoken of today. It featured three emojis on a white backdrop. When interpreted out loud, the emojis read “Deadpool”. Below it was the movie’s premiere date. Many other advertisers were then reminded of how much easier it is to grab the audience with a brain teaser, or an eye-catching billboard.
Why Choose This?
Nowadays, people’s brains are almost hardwired to ignore bland and blatant advertising. But, ads that make them pause and think, or tickle their imagination through simple and straightforward design, are the ones that make them feel like that particular business knows what it’s doing.
Celebrate with Customers
This strategy works well with printed media. You can promote an event or celebrate a company milestone by offering coupons for certain products or services. However, to get those coupons, customers need to visit your website through a link in the papers, or by scanning a QR code, and download them from there.
Why Choose This?
While still relying on printed media, you will increase your website traffic by having customers download coupons from you directly. Maybe they can even fill out a small survey to give you better insight into your current demographic.
Free Workshops
Depending on your niche, workshops are a great way to engage potential customers with your branch of work and spread the word about your company. If you’re an appliance brand, you could have a workshop that teaches people how to properly shop and what to expect when they enter an appliance store. Or, a spa salon could hold a talk on stress and proper relaxation techniques.
Why Choose This?
People absolutely love free workshops and seminars. Not only will your business become more visible, but having sign-ups at the entrance will give you an idea of who your customers are. You can also give out promo materials at the end of the seminar, or do a Q&A. It helps your business come across as caring of its customers.
Business Seminars
Whenever possible, send someone to professional events and seminars to give speeches, or at least attend and network. Work on visibility among your peers, not just the customers. Choose your topics carefully, share knowledge of good practices, or tricks you’ve learned along the way. And don’t forget to keep your topics intriguing and relevant.
Why Choose This?
Networking continues to be the greatest business asset to this day. There is no telling who can connect you to whom and what collaborations and cross-promotions can come from them.
Promo Materials
We mentioned that spamming can be counterproductive for your business visibility. However, have you ever walked downtown and seen booths set up for whatever political party, movement, or event? They usually hand out practical promotional materials to those who wish to sign up for a cause. You can use the same strategy by investing in promotional materials that potential customers will find useful – napkins, tablecloths, calling cards with small calendars at the back, pens, or even balloons and whistles, to name a few.
Why Choose This?
Practicality wins every time. If it’s something people will carry around in their wallet or pocket, or use at home for a longer while, your brand is more likely to stay with them. The same promo materials can be used in certain venues or for specific events.
Is That All?
Absolutely not. There are plenty of ways in which you can advertise offline, but these are the ones we’ve found to be delightfully unconventional, and interesting enough to grab potential customers’ attention. Now, all of these strategies will have to be adapted to your particular demographic and business plan, but as general guidelines, they’ve been proven to be successful in making a brand more visible.
About the author:
This article is a guest post by Michael Deane, one of the editors of Qeedle, a small business magazine. When not blogging (or working), he can usually be spotted on the track, doing his laps, or with his nose deep in the latest John Grisham.
More articles on how to promote and grow your business, both online and offline, can be found in our blog here.