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With all the buzz about digital marketing, you could be forgiven for thinking that traditional, offline channels have gone away. But they haven't.
Offline marketing is still happening. What's more, it's not a poor second fiddle to online marketing. It's a vital and powerful force for getting your message across. When done right, offline and online marketing work in harmony, reinforcing and enhancing your campaigns through consistent, interlinked strategies.
Trade shows and expos
Trade shows and expos are a fantastic way for your brand to showcase what you're all about. They also provide the kind of networking opportunity that you just can't get online.
They're more common in B2B than B2C industries, but B2C expos do happen from time to time. Whoever your customers are, it's well worth taking the opportunity to show off your product in the flesh.
Trade shows give your customers a chance to physically interact with your product, ask direct questions to a human representative, and get a firsthand experience of what your brand is all about. They give you a chance to connect with people, build your network, and meet your customers face to face. They're incredibly useful opportunities that nothing online can yet replicate.
Direct mail
Direct mail, meaning physically printed copy sent through the post, has a long and profitable history. Marketers have been using it for centuries to promote their products, contact their customers, and spread the word about their brand.
Direct mail is a flexible and diverse channel. You can use it for leaflets, brochures, cards, pamphlets, posters, free gifts, letters, and more.
Some demographics, typically but not exclusively at the older end of the scale, prefer direct mail as their method of communication. In fact, direct mail may be the only way to reach some of your customers.
If you're clever about it, you can weave direct mail into your digital campaigns. Printed QR codes, for example, can lead people to your campaign landing pages. It's also worth keeping an eye on AR and VR developments in direct mail, as these could meld the digital with the physical in interesting ways.
That said, direct mail is expensive, both in financial and environmental terms. When using it, be sure to weigh both budgetary and ethical costs against potential gains.
Out of home
Out of home, or OOH, advertising is any kind of advertising that isn't posted or streamed to customers inside their homes. Billboards are the classic example, but sign-holders, promoters outside stores, and leaflets handed out in the street all count too.
OOH advertising is great for catching eyes and planting seeds in the minds of your customers. Someone who sees an intriguing billboard may well pull out their phone and research your brand further. You can make this easier for them by adding QR codes, web addresses, and social handles to your OOH adverts.
The future of OOH looks very interesting. Many billboards are going digital, which adds a layer of dynamism with huge potential for clever advertisers.
Radio advertising
Radio is having a bit of a renaissance. As podcasts and chat shows become increasingly popular, people are returning to audio in droves. You can take advantage of this with a good old fashioned radio ad.
Radio advertising is cheaper than many other forms of advertising, and it has the potential to reach a wide audience. Find out what podcasts and radio shows your audience are listening to, and reach out to the producers. Many podcasters are happy to include adverts in their broadcasts, and may even promote your product independently if they like it enough.
TV advertising
Television advertising had a blip with the advent of streaming services, but providers are now turning back to the advertiser-funded model. So there are likely to be plenty of new opportunities to reach people via TV advertising.
A typical TV advert is between 30 and 60 seconds long, but can run longer depending on your budget. TV adverts are rarely cheap to make, but if you're clever with your scripts and format it is possible to produce them cost-effectively.
It's worth keeping an eye on developments in smart TV. The future of television advertising is veering towards intelligent, interactive ads which involve the viewer in ways that have never been possible before.
Remember, people rarely appreciate their programme being interrupted for an advert. So if you have a choice in placement, try to get a slot at the beginning or the end of the feature. You don't want to be associated with that interruption.
The future of traditional advertising
Traditional advertising formats once looked like they might fall by the wayside. But developments in radio, television streaming, and smart tech have brought them back into the public consciousness. By moving with the times, these older formats are revitalising themselves in fascinating ways.
The rise of connected devices also promises to make a big difference. Interactive billboards and displays, for example, have a lot of potential for OOH advertising. All in all, don't dismiss traditional advertising formats. They have a lot going for them, and their future looks bright.
