Offline Marketing: 3 Better Ways – Bob Salvas

By Bob Salvas, contributing writer

In today’s world of online clutter, many businesses are turning to offline marketing to both stand out as well as to complement their existing online activities.  The question is where should they spend those offline marketing dollars?

Here are 3 ways that might get your business some results- I call these 3 ways the megaphone approach (one to many):

1. TRADITIONAL MEDIA – This is normally advertising options like TV, print and radio. Businesses used to go to these often, but the golden age of traditional mass media has long since passed.  Survey results show 66% of consumers avoid TV commercials, 48% avoid magazine ads and 46% avoid radio ads.  Additionally, there are so many options of what to read, watch, or listen to every day that we end up having very little idea where our target market is.  The high cost to pay for multiple exposures in mass media can also be a negative.
2. PUBLIC RELATIONS – There are certainly advantages to getting editorial exposure from established media, but it can be a challenge to get things published. And the question again comes up as to where our target market is consuming their content from.  If the Wall Street Journal runs a great story on my business but my market does not read the WSJ, the positive effect will not be as good.   Hiring a Public Relations firm is a better plan but here again we are usually faced with high expenses and unpredictable results.
3. SIGNAGE – If you have a physical location for your business, then a sign at the business is a NECESSITY. If you are on the road all the time, car signage or vehicle wraps can be a big plus.  Beyond that, other signs, like billboards, may drive awareness of your brand or company but it doesn’t always do a good job of generating business.  You trust that your information will be noticed AND remembered while drivers are trying to stay alive on the roads.  By the time they can act on the information, they may have forgotten all about it.  And while there may be some geographic targeting associated with outdoor ads, your sign will still be frequently not seen by your actual target market.  And, once again, there is the negative of high cost.

You can get results from the above 3 ways, but you may have noticed that all three lean towards expensive and don’t necessarily have true targeting.  It is for this reason that big businesses with wider target markets (and deeper pockets) are a better fit for the megaphone approach (think McDonalds, Budweiser, etc.).  A smaller business or a business with a more specific target market might be better served with these 3 better ways– the personal approach (one to one):

1. NETWORKING– There is no shortage of networking events these days and many of them are low cost (or even free). The important thing about networking, whether you do it at a trade show or networking event or somewhere else, is to do it with regularity and with the intention of building business relationships with many of the people you talk to (remember that networking is NOT selling!).  It also helps to have a high-quality business card that you can give to people.  With consistency and patience, networking can be one of the most beneficial things you will ever do for your business.
2. DIRECT MAIL– Hard copy mail is alive and well and working better than ever. Is it any wonder that a hard copy note sticks out in a world of instant messaging, texting, and emailing?  The big issue could be the cost and that would be fair criticism.  Regarding that, here are two points:  1- direct mail has the ability to be SPECIFICALLY targeted so you do not have the waste that you have with other methods (every piece counts) and 2- you can start very small -sending handwritten notes of ‘thanks’ or ‘nice to meet you’ will go a long way to building relationships and landing business or referrals.
3. PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS– There are certainly lots of promotional ‘trinkets’ out there and they have their place but here I am referring to handing people (in your target market of course!) a high-quality branded gift. This simple act of giving can impress or sway a client to come your way.  And the advertising impressions will happen again and again after only paying for the item ONCE!  Getting a useful promotional product into the hands of a qualified prospect carries an enormous bang for your marketing buck.

With time, you will get more results from the personal approach.  What you may notice is these 3 better ways are not only more personal but also more tangible than the megaphone approach.  And when it comes to offline marketing, do not underestimate that benefit.  Personal and tangible make you stand out even more in a cluttered digital world!

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Bob Salvas is a business advisor, a professional development manager at RI BUILDERS ASSN, and the organizer of Momentum/4^th Monday Networking.

To contact Bob, call 401-359-1602 or send an email to:  [email protected]