Thursday, December 6, 2018

9 offline marketing tactics that still work

This article originally appeared on PR Daily in December of 2017.

Some customers prefer handshakes, eye contact and content they can hold in their hands.

Likewise, some marketing tactics might seem quaint or old-fashioned, but they still work.

If you’re keen on boosting your reach beyond the web, here are nine classic approaches that still merit time and investment:

1. Magazine articles

Why not write and submit an article to a relevant trade publication or industry-related magazine? This is a great way to increase your authority and subtly promote your business.

2. Business cards

It’s easy to forget a face or a website, but printed information on a business card endures.

Collecting business cards is also a crafty way to collect email addresses, which you can upload into Facebook to create Custom Audiences. You can upload business card information into Google to manage Customer Match audiences as well.

[FREE GUIDE: The 7 questions you should be asking about brand journalism]

What’s old is new again.

3. Creative stickers

Stickers can be an effective guerrilla marketing technique.

Striking, jarring, well-designed stickers can showcase your brand in a clever way. They can even do a bit of storytelling.

See how Axe Body Spray used a sticker guerrilla marketing campaign to great effect:

10 Offline Marketing Tips to Boost Your Online Brand Photo credit: Unsplash/Tru Katsande Just because the world wide web has become a place where brands get a chance at massive growth doesn’t mean offline strategies no longer work. In fact, learning how to effectively market your business to regular passersby or people not hooked to their mobile devices helps you maximize your efforts. There are still customers who are not well-versed when it comes to using the internet. With that, you’ll be able to attract more customers and achieve a higher ROI. If you’re here today because you’re seriously looking to boosting your reach, we’ll show you 10 best offline marketing techniques you can incorporate into your current campaign. Explore them below. 1. Magazine articles Why not write and submit a magazine article and mention your website as an additional resource? A magazine article caters to avid readers who aren’t used to blog posts. Magazines also give you a competitive edge since they’re visually engaging and target a specific population. Make sure to provide actionable insights that meet your target readers’ needs. Hook them right from a start using a compelling story they can easily relate to. 2. Business cards It’s easy to forget a website you randomly visited for the first time. Whether or not people came across your website, business cards give prospects a reason to engage with your brand multiple times. Printed information on a business card is permanent. Individuals can quickly enter your domain name or contact information into their mobile devices when they need your services. Create a great first impression by choosing a business card design that reflects your business. 3. Creative stickers If you’ve been following guerrilla marketing techniques, you’d understand what I mean by creative stickers. These stickers showcase your brand in a funny yet clever way. They also incorporate the element of storytelling. A perfect example of guerrilla marketing using stickers is Axe Body Spray’s customized sticker: Photo credit: WordStream As the picture shows, Axe placed their sticker near the exit man sign. This shows Axe’s unique brand proposition of male Axe users being attractive to women. 4. Radio advertising If you want to promote your social media profiles but haven’t started building your business site yet, consider advertising on radio. Remember to choose a station that targets your demographic. When you craft your radio copy, Business Town suggests that you make it catchy and straight to the point. Mention how you can serve your audience through your product or service. Depending on your goal, clearly outline the next steps or your call-to-action – which is, of course, an invitation to follow you on social media. 5. Conduct workshops Among the things that learners value are educational workshops. Whether you’re in the arts and crafts niche or serve B2B clients, teach your audience something new. It should be a skill or knowledge that they can apply in their day-to-day lives. Give lots of free and exclusive advice. Make your workshop interactive and engaging that your prospects will want to get more one-on-one support from you. Create a special offer that’s only accessible for participants in your workshop. 6. Sponsor an event More and more business owners are realizing the benefits of a sponsorship. When you sponsor an event, you are raising brand awareness and building your authority. Attendees or participants, especially media men, will spread the word about your brand. Also, even sponsorships help build new partnerships between brands. The picture below shows TechCrunch Disrupt event which was sponsored by New Relic. Photo credit: The Bizzabo Blog New Relic incorporated a Hackathon activity where people were asked to build an app in a short amount of time. They gave the winners prizes which included a MacBook Pro. 7. Branded merchandise T-shirts, pens, sticky notes, and lanyards with your logo on them are a form of branded merchandise. Creating and giving away these items helps spread your name like wildfire. These promotional materials speed up your marketing. Also, you’re able to garner loyal customers in the process. Don’t forget to print your social media and website on your branded merchandise. To add some excitement, you can print promotional codes that unlock discounts. 8. Cold calls Because of today’s faceless interaction, customers greatly appreciate brands that can offer a “personal touch.” Cold calls allow you to do that. Forget all your doubts and apprehensions about cold calling, because you might just gather a couple of potential customers who are ready to convert any time. To ensure that this endeavor becomes successful, carefully plan out your objective, message, and timing. It takes a little practice and confidence to get it done right. 9. Billboard advertising Are your online ads not getting any real results? If so, consider billboard advertising your holy grail. Imagine your audiences seeing your billboard ads every day on their way to work. Even though they’re quite expensive, repetitive exposure to these ads effectively position you on top of your customers’ minds. Some online brands use mobile billboards in order to get to their target geographical locations and local events when they need to. 10. Trade shows Get together with other brands in the same industry at trade shows. Brands that come together to display their offerings naturally attract new sales leads. Attract potential customers to your booth by using banner stands and giveaways. Trade shows can be quite costly so make sure you thoroughly plan out your marketing strategy. It would help to think about how you will collect people’s email addresses and your main purpose of attending a trade show. Conclusion As an online business owner, you can find a ton of opportunities in offline marketing to maximize your internet growth. After all, nothing can replace personal interaction and the experience of physically interacting with a product. Bring out the best results in every offline marketing by being clear about your goals. Remember your value proposition. This will help you craft a message that’ll capture their attention and compel them to do business with you. Author Bio: Kevin Ocasio is a digital entrepreneur who runs the blog KevinOcasio.com. A retired Marine, he devotes his time helping newbie bloggers and business owners succeed online.

What creative ways could you use stickers to promote your business? It’s a cheap, easy, effective way to spread the word.

4. Radio advertising

If you want to reach a new audience or a different demographic, consider advertising on radio.

When you craft your radio copy, Business Town suggests that you make it catchy and straight to the point. Clearly outline the next steps you want radio listeners to take. Give them a specific, clear call to action. Make your ad punchy, swift and compelling.

5. Workshops

Educational workshops offer a chance to develop genuine connections with potential customers. Hold events that bring people together, and focus on equipping your audience with practical skills or knowledge that will help them in their jobs.

To gin up interest, create a special offer that’s only accessible for participants in your workshop.

6. Sponsor an event

This is an easy way to increase brand awareness and boost cachet.

Event sponsorships help build new partnerships between brands. The picture below shows the TechCrunch Disrupt event, which was sponsored by New Relic.

10 Offline Marketing Tips to Boost Your Online Brand Photo credit: Unsplash/Tru Katsande Just because the world wide web has become a place where brands get a chance at massive growth doesn’t mean offline strategies no longer work. In fact, learning how to effectively market your business to regular passersby or people not hooked to their mobile devices helps you maximize your efforts. There are still customers who are not well-versed when it comes to using the internet. With that, you’ll be able to attract more customers and achieve a higher ROI. If you’re here today because you’re seriously looking to boosting your reach, we’ll show you 10 best offline marketing techniques you can incorporate into your current campaign. Explore them below. 1. Magazine articles Why not write and submit a magazine article and mention your website as an additional resource? A magazine article caters to avid readers who aren’t used to blog posts. Magazines also give you a competitive edge since they’re visually engaging and target a specific population. Make sure to provide actionable insights that meet your target readers’ needs. Hook them right from a start using a compelling story they can easily relate to. 2. Business cards It’s easy to forget a website you randomly visited for the first time. Whether or not people came across your website, business cards give prospects a reason to engage with your brand multiple times. Printed information on a business card is permanent. Individuals can quickly enter your domain name or contact information into their mobile devices when they need your services. Create a great first impression by choosing a business card design that reflects your business. 3. Creative stickers If you’ve been following guerrilla marketing techniques, you’d understand what I mean by creative stickers. These stickers showcase your brand in a funny yet clever way. They also incorporate the element of storytelling. A perfect example of guerrilla marketing using stickers is Axe Body Spray’s customized sticker: Photo credit: WordStream As the picture shows, Axe placed their sticker near the exit man sign. This shows Axe’s unique brand proposition of male Axe users being attractive to women. 4. Radio advertising If you want to promote your social media profiles but haven’t started building your business site yet, consider advertising on radio. Remember to choose a station that targets your demographic. When you craft your radio copy, Business Town suggests that you make it catchy and straight to the point. Mention how you can serve your audience through your product or service. Depending on your goal, clearly outline the next steps or your call-to-action – which is, of course, an invitation to follow you on social media. 5. Conduct workshops Among the things that learners value are educational workshops. Whether you’re in the arts and crafts niche or serve B2B clients, teach your audience something new. It should be a skill or knowledge that they can apply in their day-to-day lives. Give lots of free and exclusive advice. Make your workshop interactive and engaging that your prospects will want to get more one-on-one support from you. Create a special offer that’s only accessible for participants in your workshop. 6. Sponsor an event More and more business owners are realizing the benefits of a sponsorship. When you sponsor an event, you are raising brand awareness and building your authority. Attendees or participants, especially media men, will spread the word about your brand. Also, even sponsorships help build new partnerships between brands. The picture below shows TechCrunch Disrupt event which was sponsored by New Relic. Photo credit: The Bizzabo Blog New Relic incorporated a Hackathon activity where people were asked to build an app in a short amount of time. They gave the winners prizes which included a MacBook Pro. 7. Branded merchandise T-shirts, pens, sticky notes, and lanyards with your logo on them are a form of branded merchandise. Creating and giving away these items helps spread your name like wildfire. These promotional materials speed up your marketing. Also, you’re able to garner loyal customers in the process. Don’t forget to print your social media and website on your branded merchandise. To add some excitement, you can print promotional codes that unlock discounts. 8. Cold calls Because of today’s faceless interaction, customers greatly appreciate brands that can offer a “personal touch.” Cold calls allow you to do that. Forget all your doubts and apprehensions about cold calling, because you might just gather a couple of potential customers who are ready to convert any time. To ensure that this endeavor becomes successful, carefully plan out your objective, message, and timing. It takes a little practice and confidence to get it done right. 9. Billboard advertising Are your online ads not getting any real results? If so, consider billboard advertising your holy grail. Imagine your audiences seeing your billboard ads every day on their way to work. Even though they’re quite expensive, repetitive exposure to these ads effectively position you on top of your customers’ minds. Some online brands use mobile billboards in order to get to their target geographical locations and local events when they need to. 10. Trade shows Get together with other brands in the same industry at trade shows. Brands that come together to display their offerings naturally attract new sales leads. Attract potential customers to your booth by using banner stands and giveaways. Trade shows can be quite costly so make sure you thoroughly plan out your marketing strategy. It would help to think about how you will collect people’s email addresses and your main purpose of attending a trade show. Conclusion As an online business owner, you can find a ton of opportunities in offline marketing to maximize your internet growth. After all, nothing can replace personal interaction and the experience of physically interacting with a product. Bring out the best results in every offline marketing by being clear about your goals. Remember your value proposition. This will help you craft a message that’ll capture their attention and compel them to do business with you. Author Bio: Kevin Ocasio is a digital entrepreneur who runs the blog KevinOcasio.com. A retired Marine, he devotes his time helping newbie bloggers and business owners succeed online.

New Relic, a software company, incorporated a “hackathon” activity into the event, in which people were asked to build an app in a short amount of time. New Relic gave the winners prizes, including a MacBook Pro.

I guarantee those attendees remember the New Relic brand.

7. Branded merchandise

Who doesn’t like a free T-shirt?

Pens, mugs and hats emblazoned with your logo can help spread your name like wildfire. You might try more off-kilter items as well, such as branded wristbands, koozies or beer mugs.

Be generous with your branded merchandise. To add some excitement, you can print promotional codes that unlock discounts.

8. Billboard advertising

Billboards seem outdated, but there’s something to be said for having your messaging plastered on a huge sign. How many potential customers could be seeing your ads every day on the way to work?

Billboard space isn’t cheap, but repetitive exposure to ads can sear your brand into people’s minds. You might also consider trying mobile billboards.

9. Trade shows

Does your industry hold trade shows? Why not participate?

It’s another chance to meet people face to face and establish genuine connections with your audience. That’s what good marketing is all about.

Kevin Ocasio is a digital entrepreneur. A version of this post first appeared on Duct Tape Marketing.

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