In the digital world, there is still room for analog solutions. As much as digital has helped the world grow at a dizzying pace, it still has left room to use other means. And this applies to marketing as well. Learn to combine digital and analog marketing for the best results.
Many marketers are heavily dependent on their social media and email campaigns. And rightly so as they provide a great ROI. And it is easier than ever to reach your target audience by using the data available from these efforts.
However, there is still lots of room for offline marketing as well. In fact, when you combine your efforts, the chances of having a successful campaign is much higher than using digital means alone.
Steve Jobs liked to say that it’s not enough to kill bad ideas, you have to kill good ones too. That’s because good strategy is about making choices and it takes more than intelligence or even instinct, it takes discipline, one of Jobs’ most overlooked qualities.
Marketing strategy is particularly difficult because, as I’ve noted before, the rules have changed. A generation ago, brands mostly strove to create buzz and “drive awareness,” now they need to build compelling experiences that keep consumers engaged.
However, the old tasks have not gone away. We still need to run TV ads and in-store promotions, man conference booths, and hand out brochures, but now on top of that, we have a whole new world of algorithms, apps, and devices to master. To meet the new challenges, we need a new strategic approach, a new mindset, and news organizations.
In this article, I will go over several ways you can use both ways to create a successful marketing strategy.
Use print for brand awareness
Not everybody is in the same phase of the buyer’s journey. This means that you can’t create a campaign solely around conversions or building leads. Part of it hinges on brand awareness.
When you need to brand, it pays to cast a wide net so people can see and recognize your company. Before you get into the sales funnel, you need people to understand that you are there and what you do.
Offering printed ads will go a long way to establishing some recognition of your company. For example, pop up calendars are good printables that are given away that will have people seeing your logo and color scheme all day every day and have your brand in the forefront of their mind.
Other print ads can be billboards that are geo targeted towards an audience that live in a certain area where your brand would resonate well. And of course, direct mailing is a good way to target your audience that only has a few minutes to see your ad and your branding.
It takes a few times to see your brand before people will begin recognizing it, so getting it in front of many eyeballs is important.
Use data for analog
There is a lot of valuable data available now due to the fact that so many people are connected digitally. It is understood how many segments of your market behave so you can have a clear idea of where a person is in their buying journey.
This means that you can also use that data before you start your print or offline campaign. If you do cold calling, for example, you can be very targeted towards the calls you make to ensure that you have a higher chance of creating a lead.
Just because somebody falls into a category within your target audience doesn’t always mean they are ready to become a lead. But, when you have some data to back it up, you can focus on the prospects that are more likely to become a solid lead. Direct mail is still very effective and becomes even more so when you can use data to direct your campaign.
Networking still works
Every small business or solopreneur has trouble doing everything your business needs to succeed. Usually, you have limited resources and are stretched thin trying to do a lot with a little.
Others can definitely help fill the gaps when you have a good relationship. You should be networking to increase your professional circle. There are many aspects of your business that intersect with other industries. And when you have a solid network, you may have people that are leaders in their industry to help you out with certain areas of yours.
Of course, this needs to be also helping out your connections. If they need help with something that you have expertise in then they are likely to return the favor by helping you out. Find some networking events in your area and attend them regularly. If you only show up for one, it isn’t likely to work. You need to be creating relationships that can endure.
More isn’t always better
If your digital campaign is not working as well as you had hoped, then try some more traditional approaches rather than doubling down on what isn’t working.
Sure, it pays to do testing so if your campaign is not getting a good ROI you should test another, but sometimes it’s the tried and true old offline marketing that works best for certain types of products or services.
If you are unsure, you can always hire a market researcher that can give you some insight into what works best with your target audience.
