Do offline marketing tactics still work in a digital world?

With thousands of new websites and content being added to the internet every day, how do you make your brand stand out? Is offline marketing still relevant? Can traditional media still make an impact?

Digital marketing has literally exploded in the last few years. According to research* there are 4.39 billion people globally – that’s 57% of the population –using the internet in 2019. In the UK alone this adds up to 63 million users, with 90% accessing the internet every day.

So it’s no surprise that a good chunk of the average marketing budget is now allocated to online channels. Popular online strategies include:

Social Media Channels
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Content Marketing
Paid Search (PPC ads)
Email
Video

“One-quarter of the average marketing expense budget is invested in paid search, organic search, website and email. Marketers continue to invest in these tactics because they still work.” Gartner’s CMO spend survey

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

But this doesn’t meant that offline is dead. A promotional campaign can incorporate both online and offline techniques with an integrated approach across multiple marketing channels.

These are three effective offline marketing techniques that you can utilise:

Direct Mail

Direct mail can be more memorable than any advert seen online – 80% can remember seeing or reading some mail sent to them in the last four weeks. Royal Mail research also says direct mail drives people online, maybe to check out your website or your social media accounts. You can use QR codes or specific URLs on direct mail pieces to direct people to dedicated landing pages on your website.

Tradeshows

Tradeshows are still a great tactic to add to your marketing mix. 80% of attendees said that live demonstrations and free samples significantly help define their purchasing decision. (Bizzbo) Social media works well here – you can use it to create awareness around your event, host a live video from the event showing your stand and what you are offering and even encourage people to ‘check in’ to your booth on the day. You could run a contest or give out freebies for those who engage with you.

Promotional Products

The one tried and tested offline marketing method is promotional products. In a BPMA survey, a huge 79% of recipients said they felt more appreciated receiving a promo product than other forms of advertising.

Promotional products can be a complementary element of your marketing mix for prospective and existing customers by building brand awareness. With a real opportunity to be creative and products constantly evolving to keep up with consumer trends, it is still one of the most cost-effective ways of getting your brand out there.

With a huge array of products to choose from and printing techniques becoming more advanced, companies can print full-colour logos, social media handles, QR codes and website URLs to tie them to online campaigns.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Online and offline marketing can complement each other in a variety of ways to improve your advertising success. Offline is still seen as a trusted medium so with the right approach they can both still have a place in your marketing strategy.