Many offline marketing strategies had become impractical since the pandemic. Marketing events such as launch parties and trade shows were made impossible due to social distancing laws and group restrictions. Meanwhile, handing out flyers and business cards also were thought risky.
Online marketing is clearly safer on the whole – people can still visit your website or see your online ads without leaving their homes and without physically interacting with people. As a result, many businesses have been investing all their marketing budget into online strategies.
Are there still offline marketing strategies that may have the potential to work now in 2024?
Below are a few examples of offline marketing tactics that still hold some weight.
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Marketing With Radio Advertising
Radio advertising can be a way of communicating with customers remotely just like online advertising. Technically, a lot of radio nowadays is listened to online – however, it’s different from screen-based marketing as it relies wholly on sound.
A benefit of radio ads is that they cannot be skipped or ignored as easily as other ads. Most people will sit through these ads and take in the information.
Creating a good radio ad often requires hiring professionals and you’ll need to then apply to get your radio ad on air – this guide on how to advertise on SiriusXM offers more information on this process.
You may get to choose when to play your ad. Certain times of the day may attract more listeners, but may also be more expensive to play your advert.
With the increase in the popularity of podcasts, radio is becoming popular once again. Not only that but podcasts can help the SEO of your website.
Signage and Posters
Signage and posters are still effective. With a sign or a poster, there is no social interaction necessary. This type of marketing does however rely on people leaving their homes – which fewer of us were doing a few years ago but is no longer the case today in 2023.
If you are still doing deliveries, it could be worth putting a sign or poster up on your store door to tell people about your online service.
This could include a QR code that makes it easier for consumers to visit your website.
There are services that you can rely on to make signs. Posters may be possible to print off yourself as an offline marketing tactic.
Snail Mail/Door-to-Door Flyers
People are currently spending fewer amounts of time at home. However, it could still be a good time to consider traditional physical mail options such as promotional letters and door-to-door flyers – there could be a greater chance that this mail will get read.
For this type of marketing to be effective, you need to target the right homes.
This involves considering your target market and working out the most likely areas and buildings for them to live in. If you’re promoting gardening services, for instance, it may make sense to avoid apartments.
There are companies that can produce professional flyers and newsletters for you, although you may be able to do this yourself.
You can hire a courier to deliver these or mail them yourself. However, you can learn more about this form of marketing at Market Reach.
Billboards For Offline Marketing
Billboards are often placed in areas that get a lot of human traffic – now with people going outdoors again, billboards will be seen more. However, billboard space is also currently not as competitive and many billboard owners have reduced their fees, making it a good time to get involved.
You can search for billboards to rent online. You’ll want to hire a professional to design and print your billboard.
Your Turn
Are you using any offline marketing methods today? I’d love to know more about them in the comments below!
Offline Marketing: Is It Still Viable Marketing Strategy Today? Share on X
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 11 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
You can purchase her eBook about Twitter on Amazon.
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Hi Lisa,
I think that in the modern world, many people have actually started to move away from the “brick and mortar” type of marketing. These are some valuable points. I think there is still quite a bit of value that can be added by going back to the more physical offline marketing techniques out there as you’ve mentioned above.
What has worked particularly well for our company is posters and flyers. Now, I’m sure many of them go straight into the trash, but we still get some valuable leads!
Hi Jonathan, welcome to Inspire To Thrive. That’s good to know Jonathan. What type of business are you in? Posters and flyers can direct people to a physical location or a website. You have me curious about the business. Thanks for coming by and make it a great day!
All are creative ways to get around the virus and its various closings, etc. Smart tips here Lisa. I do little offline marketing but the idea of radio broadcasts seems appealing. Sweet way to advertise your business offline. I did an interview years ago for a radio show with 60 plus US affiliates. Running ad spots for stations makes sense to gain massive exposure.
Ryan
Thank you Ryan. I think podcasting on the radio may make a comeback for radio though more fragmented like TV and now like social media. Having affiliates like that helps a lot I’m sure! Thanks for your input on this Ryan and make it a great day.