The online world has revolutionized how we do business, including how we brand and market our products and services. However, many are still keenly aware of the potential of real-world marketing and how it offers some benefits that are simply much harder to get online. Now, people are waking up to the fact that the two branches of marketing don’t have to be quite so separate after all. Here, we’re going to look at the relationship between the online, the offline, and how you build the links between them that can empower both strategies to greater success.
Make it easier for people to connect
Nowadays, the focal point of most growing businesses is the website, especially if that’s where they make the majority of sales. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you could be missing out on the opportunity to use physical marketing to make easier to build links to your website, your apps, and your other online content. Formats like QR codes or easy-to-use hashtags and links could make it a lot easier for customers to connect to your online content when it’s used with physical marketing materials. QR codes, in particular, have a sense of mystery and spontaneity about them when used right that can make them effective at guerilla marketing.
Give your audience options
Having the equivalent offline strategy to match the online one, and vice versa is important. Some marketing methods can’t be replicated from one space to another. But those that can may have specific advantages. For instance, online email campaigns make it a lot easier to track how effective your content delivery is, and how many people are clicking through and converting because of them. However, as www.medium.com shows, snail mail is still more effective at getting people to open them up in the first place. Consider having a snail mail strategy that matches the content you send through email as an alternative option for those who are well aware they’re not likely to open the majority of things in their inbox.
Events are big opportunities in both worlds
Events, like trade shows and exhibitions, have obvious benefits as far as real-world marketing is concerned. They are a great way to position your business competitively in the market, as well as to converse with those most likely to have an interest in what it is you’re providing. However, they are also fodder for fantastic digital campaigns. For one, marketing material in the lead-up to an event may benefit from signal boosting by other attendants and organizers. The conversations you have at events and case studies you build can be fertile ground for engaging content that takes new insights and shows the market that you and your business are flexible to input from the market, too.
Never underestimate the value of visual real estate
Your visual branding and advertisements are some of the most powerful and impactful of all your efforts. However, it’s getting harder to find that visual real estate online. It’s a competitive world, with many different businesses competing for every individual space. What’s more, a growing share of customers are using ad blocks, which complete negates your efforts in many cases. However, print materials from providers like www.printsafari.com face no such danger. Make sure that your investments in visual advertising have some provisions for the real world, as well. The impact of a poster, signage, or billboards that people pass every day has a much deeper long-term effect than an online ad that they may see once and never again.
Ensure your local listings are tight
A quick search online is the first port of call for many consumers, whether they are looking for services in their local area or further afield. So it is vital to focus on building your online presence even if your business is targeted at local customers. As well as working on ensuring your local listings are performing, you also need to ensure your website ranks high on the search engine results pages (SERPs). To achieve this, you need to work on your website’s SEO to ensure that your site can rank as highly as possible. Working with a seo agency is an excellent way to get the best results from your optimization and attract the most visitors to your site by building your online presence.
If you’re a local business and you focus primarily on the market immediately surrounding you, then the reach potential of the internet may not sound like it would benefit you, but it does. As www.moz.com shows, things like Google listings make it specifically easier for local potential customers to be directed to your business. Even if it is local, the data is suggesting that more and more customers look for some kind of online presence before even taking the time to visit your store. If you lack that presence completely, then it may look to your market like you aren’t well-established or legitimate enough to receive their support.
Get involved in your community
Just as trade events are great fodder for online content, so is your local community. First of all, getting involved with them through social media and fostering positive reviews is one of the easiest ways to visualize them. People are inclined to support businesses that they can already see vocal support for. However, if you don’t have people online communicating with and about your business, it can be difficult for potential customers to see that vocal support in today’s market. What’s more, sponsoring local events and benefits gives you an opportunity to greatly enhance your brand and your connections to the community while serving as an excellent opportunity for online PR.
