5 Ways to Maximize Impact of Offline Marketing

By: Nicola Cook

Everyone knows I'm a HUGE fan of all things digital and since the social revolution I strongly advise businesses to ensure that they have a strong 'digital footprint'. However, does that mean that you should stop all forms of off-line marketing? Of course not, particularly if your business is B2C (Business to Consumer) and especially if you have a clearly defined geographical reach. Then leaflets, targeted advertising, local PR and local awareness campaigns can have great impact.

However, just like all forms of marketing, if it's not thought through correctly, you will waste your time, energy & money, as well as potentially confusing your clients. Remember, a confused mind always says 'No'.

So here are my top 5 tips to ensure you get the most out of your offline marketing;

1. Understand your customer
   ... or as my friend Kennedy coined, your 'Customer Avatar'. Who are your target customers, (bearing in mind these may be different from your current client base). The whole point of marketing is to draw new customers to you.
   
   Be really specific in your description. If it helps, create an image of your ideal client. Think about their lifestyle, their current life stage, their challenges, their aspirations, their vision - and then talk directly to that person. Make all of your copy relate to that Customer Avatar. That way your message will be consistent in its themes and underpinning values...and your ideal clients will be drawn to the vibe.


2. Next, get it professionally designed
   This is one area, unless you happen to be a great graphic designer on the side, you need to invest in a pro. Long-term it's great to have a really good graphic designer on your team who understands you, your brand and what you want to convey. This doesn't have to be at a massive cost. There are online resources such as 99designs.com and odesk.com where you can access outsourced help.
   
   Remember, your brand is not just a logo or a colour scheme it is a promise of consistency. So you need to be consistent in how you present yourself in the marketplace. This means, make sure your business cards, your leaflets and your advertising all follow a consistent theme.
   
   When writing any copy for leaflets, brochures etc. I find using the acronym PAIN is a great structure.
   
   P = Problem. What's the problem they need to resolve, what are they attempting to fix or avoid.
   
   A = Accentuate the pain. What would be the consequences to them not taking action, how could this problem get worse or who else will it also impact.
   
   I = Imagine.Tell them how it could be when this problem goes away... assuming they take your advice of course!
   
   N = Next. What must they do next in order to avoid this problem and create a positive future?


3. Avoid making it time, date or offer specific
   The main difference between offline and online marketing, is you can change things very quickly online, whereas once something is in print, its permanent...which also makes a strong case for ensuring that everything is properly proof-read!
   
   However, if you are going to invest in getting 20,000 leaflets designed and printed, you don't want them to be out of date in 2 weeks because your offer date has passed. So where possible make them as generic as possible.


4. Budget to repeat it at least 3 times
   Research tells us that everyone needs to see something, be that a company name, an advert, or a marketing message 3-5 times or more, before we'll act on it. This can be delivered by different media. For example, an advert on television, a print advert then a special offer at the point of sale in a supermarket. Investing in a variety of different activities that deliver a consistent message has been proven to increase results.
   
   However, even if you are only investing in one form of marketing, such as a leaflet to be hand delivered to your target Avatar's houses, rather than distribute 20,000 leaflets once, distribute 6,000 three times to the same households a few weeks apart.


5. Include a clear call to action.
   This is the biggest mistake that non-professionals make...they forget to tell people to DO SOMETHING! You must must must include a very clear call to action! What should they do next? Pick up the telephone and call you, or 'Like' you on Facebook, sign up for your newsletter or any other form of action?
   
   This is the moment when your offline marketing can collide beautifully with your online 'digital footprint'. At the bare minimum use this as an opportunity to capture their data such as their name and email address, so you can begin to build your list and continue to market to them through online channels.

Ultimately people still choose to buy from people (and brands) they trust, so when you are unknown to them, you have to accept that your initial messages are like the courtship in a relationship and the more you communicate consistently with them, the more they will begin to trust you and want to engage.

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