The Paper Comeback – 4 Tips for Incorporating Physical Marketing into Your Strategies
Offline marketing can feel the great grandad of the promotional world.
After all, handing out flyers isn’t quite as exciting as making viral videos or collecting celebrity tweets. Yet, the thing to remember is that it still works. No matter how basic leaflets, stickers, and branded freebies may be, they make a real impact.
This is why businesses are encouraged to invest in offline marketing, even while they’re innovating and developing new online strategies. You can get creative with corporate gifts, leave mysterious messages in busy locations, or just do things the old fashioned way and put up posters. Whatever you do, just don’t forget the power of classic techniques.
This guide to the benefits of offline marketing will help find the right balance between digital and real world exposure.
Appear At Corporate Events
Professional events, whether they be corporate roadshows or trade exhibitions, are a great way to reach potential buyers. They attract large numbers of sales scouts from big companies, who are looking to make connections with new vendors.
Not only do you get to communicate directly with the target market, you can also reinforce your brand by distributing promotional products. Pens, mouse mats, highlighters, notepads, and drinks bottles are all very popular at these events.
Get a Little Guerrilla
It is worth remembering that consumers are very media savvy these days.
Shoppers are bombarded by so many print and TV advertisements that going ‘analogue’ can make a huge impact. Guerrilla marketing is the hot new thing right now and it is all about being creative.
Go back to basics and think about the kind of techniques which intrigue.
You don’t have to tell the full story. You just have to interest people enough to get them looking for your website. Think sticky notes in coffee shops, chalk on sidewalks, and branded items in unusual places.
Doll Up Your Business Card
The humble business card is having a real moment.
Entrepreneurs and start-up ventures are revisiting the format and reinventing it for the modern world. So, you’ve got exciting creations made out of vinyl, aluminium, and even wood.
While you don’t have to commit to a crazy design, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that an interesting, attractive business card is a fast track to more sales. Hand them out at networking events, pin them to public bulletin boards, and get your brand out there.
Run Regular Contests
If there’s one thing shoppers are guaranteed to love, it is a freebie.
You can use this to your advantage by offering products or services of value as prizes. Contests and competitions are a common form of marketing because they inspire a sense of loyalty from those involved.
Yes, you’re giving away a little money, but market research suggests that the return is worthwhile. If you are going to run a contest, make sure that the prizes are clearly branded and can be linked back to your company by all who see them.
Why Offline Marketing Still Counts In a Digital World
It can be tempting to focus all of your attention on social media and digital content.
However, it is worth remembering that nothing beats a one to one encounter. If you engage and entertain offline, you’re telling clients, investors, and consumers that your brand message is more than just words.
You’re proving that you have something real and tangible to offer them. In a world where anybody can set up a business online, this sense of solidity is very valuable.
