Everybody seems to be on the digital marketing ship now. From business owners to advertising management companies, internet marketing is the only marketing language we all understand now. Hardly will you find anyone talking about offline marketing as their first marketing option.
And who can blame us?
With a marketing success potential of 5:1 – a measure of $5 profit gained for every $1 spent – it’s not hard to understand why everyone is running towards the new trend.
But away from the fuss about digital marketing, I need someone to please tell me, ‘Is offline marketing really dead?’ I mean, the days of billboards, handbills, flyers, trade shows, etc. Are those days truly gone? I bet you’re about to say ‘Maybe.’ But don’t bother downplaying the relevance of offline marketing. Because OFFLINE MARKETING ISN’T DEAD.
And if you’d like to argue with that, allow me to show you some proof.
Six facts that prove offline marketing is still important
1. Not everyone is online
I get that a large fraction of the world spends their time on the internet. But let’s not kid ourselves. There are still many people offline. In fact, according to data from The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), roughly 37% of the world’s population are still offline.
If you’re only focusing your attention on the 63% online, then you’re missing out on the fraction offline. Instead of focusing solely on your online audiences, you stand a better chance of reaching more people and selling more if you reach people offline, too.
2. People don’t sit online all the time
Yes, it’s true that millions of people visit social media sites daily. It is also true that millions around the world read blogs daily, which is why guest posting services are now a big thing today.
However, despite the love for the internet, the average person only spends 4.8 hours per day on their phones. If you take that away from the average sleep time (7 hours for adults), the average individual still has 12 full hours of complete offline activity. Time spent working, shopping, walking pets, commuting, etc.
This means there’s still a huge opportunity for brands to advertise their products the old-fashioned way. Like capturing the attention of commuters with billboards or hooking grocery shoppers with over-the-counter posters.
3. A way to retarget missed prospects
Offline marketing can also serve as a means to target those prospects that may have missed your online campaigns. For instance, let’s say you run an Instagram ad campaign and a TV jingle to promote your new product. If prospects miss the Instagram campaign, they may catch up with the TV jingle. All in all, you’ve doubled down on your overall marketing efforts, giving prospects plenty of avenues to find you. But having good instagram followers help you to make efforts less and outcome more.
4. It is more trustworthy
A feeling of trust and peace of mind comes with patronizing a brand with a physical presence. However, skepticism is never too far away from online shopping.
“What if the brand isn’t legit?” “What if they have no physical space where I can go to complain in case of poor service?” These are some of the points of worry.
This rarely happens with offline marketing. Once you spot a brand’s storefront advert, TV jingle, or billboard poster, your mind feels a lot more at peace. Somehow, it feels like you can trust the brand because you’ve seen their ads offline.
5. It facilitates networking and face-to-face interactions
In most cases, it is often a lot easier to convince people in person than over chat. With a face-to-face interaction, you can play the emotional card or get animated about your points. This way, you can appeal better to your listeners. This is an advantage you get with offline marketing – whether that is at trade shows, networking events, conferences, local events, etc.
With offline communication, you lose this advantage.
6. It helps to cement your brand name in the mind of prospects
Nothing beats advertising online and then displaying the same adverts on roadside billboards. When you do that, there’s a guarantee that your brand name will never leave the minds of prospects. Because, whether they switch on their phones or step out to get something, you’re certain they’ll find you everywhere.
