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 marketing and online marketing work in harmony together, reinforcing and enhancing your campaigns through consistent, interlinked strategies.
Here, I’ll take you on a quick journey through some of the most important offline channels. I’ll tell you what they are, how they work, and the ways you can use them to bring your campaigns to life.
For more detail on these and more channels, my book ‘Marketing Strategy’ contains a lot more information. However, if you just want a brief guide to offline marketing, let’s dive in!
Trade shows and expeditions
Trade shows and expeditions (sometimes called ‘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.
Trade shows and expos are 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 and expos 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.
All in all, they’re incredibly useful opportunities that nothing online can (yet!) replicate.
Direct mail
Direct mail - i.e. 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 generally spread the word about their brand.
Direct mail is a flexible and diverse channel. You can use it for all kinds of things, including leaflets, brochures, cards, pamphlets, posters, free gifts, letters, and more.
Some demographics (typically, but not exclusively, at the older end of the scale) prefer to use direct mail as their method of communication. In fact, direct mail may be the only way to reach some of your customers.
If you are clever about it, you can weave direct mail into your digital campaigns in clever ways. 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 the direct mail world, as these could potentially meld the digital with the physical in interesting ways.
That being said, direct mail is expensive - both in financial and environmental terms. When using direct mail, be sure to weigh both budgetary and ethical costs against potential gains.
Out-of-home (OOH)
OOH advertising is any kind of advertising that doesn’t isn’t posted or streamed to customers inside their homes. Billboards are the classic example of OOH advertising, but they’re not the only form of OOH advertising. Sign-holders, promoters outside stores, and leaflets handed out in the street are also examples.
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 process even easier for them by adding QR codes, web addresses, and social media handles to your OOH adverts.
The future of OOH advertising looks very interesting. As of now, many billboards are going digital. This adds a layer of dynamism that has huge potential for clever advertisers. In the future, AI and AR technology could provide a targeted, immersive OOH experience for consumers. Watch this space!
Radio advertising
Radio is having a bit of a renaissance at the moment. As podcasts and chat shows become increasingly popular, people are returning to radio in droves. You can take advantage of this with a good old fashioned radio ad.
Radio advertising is cheaper than many other forms of OOH 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 thrilled to include adverts in their broadcasts, and may even promote your product independently of your advert 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-funding model. So, there are likely to be plenty of new opportunities to reach people via TV advertising in the near future.
A typical TV advert is between 30 and 60 seconds long, but can run for longer (depending on your budget!) TV adverts are rarely cheap to make, but if you are clever with your scripts and the format you use it is possible to produce them in cost-effective ways.
It is 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 and get a slot at the beginning or the end of the feature. You don’t want to be associated with that interruption frustration!
The future of traditional advertising
Traditional advertising formats once looked like it might fall by the wayside. But developments in radio, television streaming, and smart tech have brought it back into the public consciousness. By moving with the times, these ‘old’ formats are revitalising themselves in fascinating ways.
AI and AR can provide immersive, intelligent, and highly relevant advertising experiences. This is definitely an area to keep a close eye on if you’re interested in television advertising. Even direct mail advertising can take advantage of AI - a simple QR code on a leaflet drop can bring recipients to your platform, where they can interact with your advertising.
The rise of the Internet of Things also promises to make a big difference. For example, things like interactive billboards and displays 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 very bright indeed.
For more on digital and traditional forms of advertising, alongside everything else you need to know about marketing strategy, buy my book, ‘Marketing Strategy’.
Order through the Let’sTalk Strategy website for a 20% discount!
