Member Article

Offline Marketing: Have you forgotten about it?

A lot of organisations are now focusing all or most of their attention on online marketing activities and completely forgetting about their offline marketing presence.

In The Marketing Budgets 2012 Report, published by Econsultancy in association with Experian Marketing Services, it was identified that digital marketing continues to be a priority for the majority of companies.

Sound familiar? Have you been more concerned with your website, social media and email marketing lately? When was the last time you thought about print design communication materials, branding or direct mail?

Urban River looks at the importance of offline marketing and why you shouldn’t take your eye of the ball…

Consistency Matters

You must have consistency across your online and offline materials. It is all well and good getting a brand new website, but if you don’t update your supporting materials to match at the same time it can send the wrong message to potential clients. Consistency is vital to make sure customers get a clear image of you what your company is about and it helps to reinforce information which will stay with them.

Get New Customers

In 2011, 21.9 million UK adults took action thanks to direct mail they received. Of the 21.9 million UK adults to respond to direct mail, 6.2 million went online to order something, and 7.3m went to a store to order something in person (Royal Mail, 2011). The opening rate for direct mail is high which means it is still an effective tool for drawing in new customers. As customers can actually touch a piece of mail it makes them more inclined to view the contents as reliable. There is also something quite charming about a direct mail campaign (when done correctly). Customers appreciate receiving a pleasant thank you card, well-designed brochure or a humorous postcard.

Brand Awareness

Brand awareness is one of the big benefits of offline marketing. Offline activities such as word of mouth, customer appreciation and print advertising all help to build brand recognition, increase visibility and drive customer action.

Offline Boosts Online

Nearly 40% of online searchers make a purchase after being influenced by an offline channel (Iprospect Study 2010). This goes to show the power of press releases, networking, sponsorship and print design materials and how they help to boost your online activities by driving traffic to your website.

Conclusion

Offline marketing should definitely not be excluded from your marketing plan. Instead of just concentrating on online or offline, focus on both because an even balance between the two will have the best results.

Have you been neglecting your offline marketing? Do your print design materials need some attention? Urban River offers a range of offline marketing services including corporate identity, direct mail, brochures and advertising. View some of our most recent design work.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Urban River .