Merging Online & Offline Marketing
Online content may have dominated marketing for the past several years, but offline marketing remains an irreplaceable media. There isn’t a day that passes that I don’t receive direct mail, newspapers or magazines and there is a reason why. They are still effective. Despite the advances in technology, nothing in the near future will replace the traditions of offline marketing. However, combining both online and offline marketing is substantially more effective when used together correctly.
The Death of Print?
The death of print never happened and nothing on the horizon is going to kill it. However, over the past decade, it has morphed into a medium that is often mirrored online and contains links to additional information which helps drive online traffic. Today, newspapers, magazines and direct mail are used to start the conversation with consumers and ultimately evoke a purchasing response or direct consumers online for more information. For businesses that want to get the attention of potential customers in their local neighborhoods, these marketing methods still work.
Combining Online and Offline Marketing
There are several technologies you can incorporate in your offline marketing to make it a more powerful option and deliver better results.
QR Codes: QR codes have been around for a while now. Though the initial novelty has worn off, they are still an effective tool for bridging the gap between print and digital media.
Tracking URL’s: Tracking your marketing campaign performance is a great way to gain insight into your efforts. You can include a specific URL in your print marketing which will give you the means to view how many people have viewed your ads and take action. If you’re getting good results, then it’s working. If not, then you have the option to edit your message and try a different approach.
Augmented Reality: Augmented Reality has arrived and will only be gaining a stronger foothold as a marketing tool in the future. It is the ultimate bridge between offline and online media.
Offline marketing can and does still work in this digital age. It’s just a matter of synthesizing methods from the past with new technologies and utilize the strengths of each media for optimal results.