In 2016, more than ever, there is no divide between online and offline marketing. For best results marketers need to find as many ways as possible to combine the two, so they generate the most reach to target audiences. Today’s web marketing companies have to be even more innovative than just a few years ago to make the divide between online and offline disappear. Let’s take a look at some ideas to bridge the gap and you can use this list to spark a conversation on the topic with your web marketing company:
1) Leverage your company’s URL in your print ads. And don’t forget to place social icons in your print ads. Place Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. icons on your print ads to remind your audience to connect with you on social media.
2) Direct mail is an outstanding way to dissolve the online/offline barrier. Oversize postcards are popular today and these have a lot more room to add special code offers that recipients can redeem on your website. Plus these are another great place to add social icons. For branding coherence try and follow the same branded look you have in your print and online ads. The offer can be specialized for direct mail but ensure that the branded look carries through from your other advertising and from your website.
3) Find that killer idea that translates from offline to mobile: Experian discusses several methods retailers can use to connect to users in-store through their mobile devices. One of the best points from the Experian checklist is to connect in-store shoppers with online reviews – let users easily be able to discover reviews right at their point of purchase. Web marketing companies can help you with setting this up so you can get the most ROI from your customers consulting their devices in your stores.
4) One of the best ways to combine online and offline is with an event. You may already exhibit at a trade show every year, or perhaps you’re a non-profit and you hold fundraising events. These are key opportunities to introduce people to your services and your mission and also to forge ongoing relationships. Get your offline audience to sign up for your email newsletter so you can continue to nurture the relationship. Most web marketing companies can assist you with email capture; ask your web marketing company about their strategies and help them with insights into your ideal customer.
5) Speaking of email…there may be no better way to segue customers from your offline stores to your online offers than via email. Create multiple touchpoints for people to sign up for your email messages. Tell them to sign up on your website, introduce them to your emails on social media, encourage them to sign up with a reminder in your direct mail pieces. Don’t overlook opportunities to get that valuable email address and continue marketing!
Bonus tip: Coupon codes are not a new tactic, but even in 2016 coupons are still some of the hottest ways to attract customers. Create special offer codes and track them so you know where the lead came from. For example, if you run a radio commercial asking people to take advantage of an offer on your website, use the word ‘radio’ and the month and year in the code so you know it came from that commercial. If you place a code in your direct mail, code the offer like this: DM-June2016. The idea is to create codes that are meaningful to you so you can track how many people redeemed specific offers.
These are but a few ways to bridge the online/offline gap. Today’s web marketing companies offer a variety of ways to provide a seamless customer experience. Organically is an award-winning web marketing company serving the Knoxville, TN area and we work with clients nationwide. We can make the online / offline gap disappear for your company!
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