What is It and What Works in 2022?

Posted by
Ryan Byrne

Digital has become the standard when it comes to modern marketing. Almost all companies have some sort of email marketing, social media marketing, and paid ads strategies in place at all times. With so much focus on digital marketing, it is easy to forget that offline marketing is still a viable option even in 2022.

What is Offline Marketing?

Offline marketing is any type of marketing that does not happen online. There are numerous types of offline marketing (we will look at those below) with each coming with unique advantages and disadvantages. The use of different offline marketing methods will also differ depending on the business and the strategies it deems most appropriate. Offline marketing is supposed to complement online marketing as it has some unique characteristics that its online counterpart does not have. Understanding all this, which offline marketing strategies work in 2022?

Meetups and Conferences

These types of events do seem like a lot of work as you have to organize the event, plan your talks and then host the event. The amount of work you put in is worth it because this offline marketing strategy’s benefits outweigh the work you do to get everything right.

Meetups and conferences give you and your business a chance to meet and talk directly to your customers, colleagues, and clients. In addition to helping with your marketing efforts, doing this can also give you a chance to listen to everyone which can help you find areas of improvement or growth as well as new opportunities you might not have thought about.

Second, meeting people on a one-on-one basis gives you a chance to sell yourself, your business as well as your products and services more efficiently and effectively. This can give you a reputation boost that you would otherwise not get if you were to never meet these people directly.

Printed Marketing Materials

Depending on your business, printed marketing materials can be very effective. The one problem you might face is that even though you will get a lot of visibility, many people might not think your materials are worth keeping. To change this thinking, you will need to innovate and think outside the box. Start by adding useful information such as infographics on your printed materials like flyers and pamphlets. You can also include discount codes at the bottom of the flower and add contact information so anyone who wants to find you can. The last two strategies work really well because anyone who wants to get in touch with you or wants a discount has to keep the printed material for future reference.

Direct Mail Marketing

Direct mail has been going away and is being replaced by email and this is why it has become increasingly uncommon to see letters pushed through your door or in your mailbox. However, direct mail marketing can have a lot of success for two main reasons. One, there are only a handful of companies doing it, meaning it is novel for a lot of people. Two, people are more likely to open mail because they know physical mail is important.

Direct mail marketing gives you targeted marketing if you define your target area very well and work with the right companies. For businesses that require a wider reach, direct mail is also a great option, and some services help businesses send automated direct mail all over. Both options are great, and you do not have to spend a lot of money doing it.

As with other forms of marketing, you will need a direct mail strategy if you want this type of offline marketing to work great for you. Depending on your digital mail marketing strategy, digital mail can be useful for lead generation, retargeting as well as for customer retention, and repeat business.

To help you get started, Lob has put together a detailed direct mail marketing strategy guide that will walk you through everything you need to know to make the most out of this marketing option. Lob automates direct mail marketing for businesses, giving them the infrastructure they need to make the most of this marketing option. They also integrate with various data systems and CRMs, giving you total control of when you send the mail and who you send it. Businesses also get complete mail tracking and delivery data so they can gauge how their campaigns are performing.

Tradeshows and Conferences

You do not have to host your own events to meet your customers as you can always attend trade shows and conferences. Conferences are a great option if you would like to just talk about the business or its products and services. For demonstrations and more intimate conversations, consider a trade show.

To ensure both are effective at putting your business in front of the right people, attend conferences and tradeshows that are related to your business. The power of the right tradeshow or conference is that you will likely meet a lot of influencers who can help amplify your message and raise brand awareness.

Warm Calling

Since the internet became ubiquitous, very few businesses call their customers. Instead, businesses email their customers. Email is a great communication tool, but it cannot be compared to talking to a person directly.

Cold calling can work for some businesses, but customers hate it so much that they may decide to never do business with you again. Instead of doing this, try warm calling. This is where you call people who have already had some contact with the business in the past in some way.

These people could be on your mailing list, may have attended an event, or may be past customers who left you their contact information. These people will not get annoyed because they already know of or about your business.

Cold calling works best for businesses selling services. However, it has seen success in businesses where people are reluctant to make a decision. For example, care repairs and HVAC systems are things many people are reluctant to spend on unless they talk to someone first. You could be that person by giving them a call.

Community Work and Charities

Customers now put a lot of pressure on businesses to be a positive force in their communities. People prefer buying from businesses that they consider to be ethical. To demonstrate this and market your business at the same you could sponsor some community work or partner with local charities. There are numerous ways to work with charities including organizing events for them, donating, fundraising, raising awareness for their causes, and so many others. When choosing a charity or cause, ensure it aligns with your business because people might think you are being disingenuous if the cause does not align well.

Repackaging

Your product’s packaging can be much more than simple packaging; it can also serve as marketing material. You can include messages that help people learn about your business or its other products. If you do not know where to start you can look at businesses that already do this to see how they do it.

Offline marketing can be a great complement to your digital marketing efforts. With the many forms of offline marketing available, it is easy for businesses to get started with this strategy.

About the Author

Ryan Byrne is an SEO expert who enjoys sharing his thoughts on digital marketing, search engine optimisation and content marketing.

He draws on his extensive experience in these sectors to create informative and insightful articles that will benefit his readers.