When everything in the business world seems to be about maximizing the impact of digital marketing for your business, it’s difficult to remember that more traditional approaches can still be effective. Indeed, as users are struggling to keep up with their favorite brands online – for EU-based users, the GDPR has provided some immediate subscription and interactions management, but for the rest of the world newsletters continue to accumulate in our mailboxes – it becomes more important for brands to consider something different. Why can offline marketing strategies be the solution to your customer retention strategy? Because it provides a memorable and tactile alternative! It’s not something that can go away with a click.
Being memorable and traditional
What is the memorability of your brand? If it’s a question you’ve never asked yourself before, all you need is to take a look at the big brands’ strategies to understand why it’s essential to create a unique and exciting branding image. After all, you need to exist in a crowded market. The only way to make it work is to become unforgettable, to get noticed. Bold colors, sharp design, imaginative packaging and engaging voice – on social media and elsewhere – can make a great deal of difference. But, when everyone is active online, you need to consider mixing online and offline tactics to reach your objectives.
When was the last time you’ve got post?
Direct mail is, contrary to the common belief, still an effective marketing strategy. Indeed, the simple fact to hold a printed document – instead of reading an email – makes the content up to 21% easier to process for the receptor. Besides, it’s difficult to forget the name of a brand that sends you a letter, compared to an email you can just erase. If you want to get hold of the whole process, you can get a printing lab, and a franking station – IMS Franking is a great place to start looking – to manage your direct mail. But keep it simple: Customers don’t like to read long brochures.
Go and meet real people
Face-to_face marketing might seem old-fashioned, but nothing can truly replace the benefits you get from meeting people. In this position, you can get to look at your interlocutor in the eyes and to deliver a more personal message. Additionally, it’s the ideal strategy to make a memorable impression, either as a speaker at a conference or in a networking event. This strategy works best with people who are confident about making a public speech! So, if you’re shy, you might want to stick to direct mail!
Don’t cold call
There’s one thing that doesn’t work, and it’s cold calling, whether on the phone or by ringing a doorbell. Customers don’t react positively to cold calls. In fact, over 90% of buyers don’t respond to an unsolicited inquiry, and 71% find it annoying. There is no strategy to win when your customer doesn’t want to be disturbed. In truth, cold calling can be an extremely damaging approach as customers can react very negatively towards you or your business.
Is all offline marketing good to keep? Of course not, but you need to establish a healthy mix of offline and online if you want to get noticed by your audience.
