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getting customers online with offline marketing

Getting Customers Online With Offline Marketing

It’s easy to think that every marketing effort should exclusively be online, especially for e-commerce businesses. However, that doesn’t mean you should turn a blind eye to offline marketing. In fact, offline tactics can give you powerful exposure that is hard to replicate through digital channels alone, especially when you combine offline with online, together.

Create personal connections that direct customers to your websites using the tactics we outline in this article. The key to maximizing your reach is effectively using both channels, from the street to the screen.

Online vs. offline marketing

Offline marketing focuses on creating a physical or in-person touchpoint with your audience. The experience can be more personal and unique as it is in real life, not through a screen. Use this to its full advantage when creating designs and messages to optimize its effectiveness.

The experience of offline is very different from online marketing, which uses social media channels, paid advertising, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics.

Benefits of offline marketing

The benefits of using print advertising, TV or radio adverts and sponsorship events include:

  • You can build local awareness and trust
  • Creates a personal, tangible connection with your customer,
  • You can generate a buzz in specific regions or demographics.

Benefits of online marketing

Here is a quick look at some of the benefits you can achieve through marketing online:

  • You’ll have a wide reach and can target precisely, or globally
  • It is more affordable than traditional marketing
  • You can use analytics to measure the effectiveness
  • It is easy to adjust or optimize your campaigns in real-time

Who is the offline audience?

For eCommerce, it is commonplace for an offline (physical) store to be non-existent; rather, just a warehouse and distribution center. If our presence is 100% online, we’re missing out on at least 15% of potential customers. So how can an eCommerce business get quality leads from strictly offline customers?

The first step is to understand the mindset of offline customers. Why don’t they use internet? According to the Pew Internet report, some of the popular reasons were a lack of interest, time, and technical knowledge or skill.

It seems the demographic citing internet usability as a turnoff also mentioned their age as a limiting factor. They said it was too difficult or frustrating and 92% did not express a strong desire to go online in the future. We can use this information to create a better offline experience that simultaneously sends referrals to our website.

For example, we know a portion of our potential offline customers do not have the technical chops to interact with any segue or portal to our website. A QR code or online coupon code would most likely be a futile effort for these particular customers. Instead, we need to embrace traditional offline marketing with the goal of securing that extra bit of offline market share and having those customers send referrals via online.

Offline strategies that work

Let’s have a look at some offline marketing strategies that you can implement into your business.

Communication Objectives

A commonly overlooked and underestimated investment is in communication objectives. By targeting specific publications and media outlets that potential customers and clients read, we can increase exposure to those who don’t go online. Examples include:

  • Industry trade publications
  • Industry thought leaders and interviews
  • Industry product catalogs
  • Direct mail lists
  • Industry broadcasts

Community and event involvement

taste of philly event

Many organizations’ strategies involve participating in their local communities through events, sponsorships, philanthropy, and fundraising.

Primarily, these are branding opportunities with undertones of marketing a product or service. These are excellent opportunities for eCommerce businesses to establish a localized presence. Depending on the size of the businesses, we can target major cities and spread awareness.

Community events aim to cement the message to strictly offline customers so they may complete a goal, such as signing up for direct mail, making a point-of-sale, or receiving a piece of branded media. Another goal is to make ourselves a reference point. If a friend asks them about a product or service we offer, we should be at the top of their mind, resulting in a referral purchase.

Retail Objectives

Retail typically becomes the go-to plan when eCommerce looks to expand into offline realms. This is variable to the product and customer. For example, apparel dominates both online and offline realms. While the profit margin shrinks and marketing control is mostly limited, there are benefits to having a physical space.

The division of online and offline market share can be confusing for establishing eCommerce business goals. In fact, the implications can be even more confusing. For example, Dave Gilbao, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, said, “the offline sales component is part of a long-term customer acquisition strategy which can fuel more sales online.” A web-averse shopper might recommend their offline experience to friend who enjoys online shopping, thus scoring a referral through the eCommerce front.

business medium

Top tip

Try a pop-up store to test the viability of a permanent location before signing a lease. It will enable to you to get a feel for the organic foot traffic of the area, without committing to the location.

Strategic partnerships

Organizations with a built-up offline community, such as city and school chapters of technology clubs or programs, may prove beneficial for partnering. Common forms of partnership in this kind are:

  • Giving an insightful presentation
  • Sponsoring/hosting an event
  • Offering job opportunities
  • Collaborating on a philanthropy campaign
  • Offering a reward (i.e.; scholarship) for an exclusive contest

The type of involvement depends upon our niche and target demographic.

A real-life example of offline marketing that worked

A great example of an offline tactic was the Las Vegas Sphere. Here, one of the most unique, creative billboards has been created in the form of a 366 feet tall ball. It has over 1.2 million LED discs, creating a canvas for advertisers that is specifically unique and eye-catching.

The Sphere has captured the hearts of the locals, giving a broad audience an immersive experience with brands and companies. Brands have taken up the challenge of creating unique designs that fit this space, that are both entertaining and engaging with foot traffic and locals alike.

How to measure your offline success?

Measuring offline success is a tad more challenging than measuring online, where data is readily available through clicks, impression’s and conversions. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible.

One of the easiest ways to track offline campaigns is to provide a unique discount code in the print medium. Clients who redeem the specific codes when purchasing online can then be tracked.

Direct offline traffic can also be directed to a specific landing page designed for that campaign. You can use the URL in print materials or even at physical events. By checking the traffic and conversions from that specific page, you can gauge how well your offline marketing efforts drive customers to your website.

Sales numbers can also indicate whether an offline campaign has worked. If you mark the numbers before, during, and after the campaign, it can show if there is a noticeable increase in sales. You can then infer that the offline effort contributed to that increase.

Combine tactics for ultimate success

Ultimately, using both offline and online tactics will give your business the exposure it needs to flourish. WebFX supplies the tools and skilled team to heighten your online marketing campaign that will compliment your offline efforts.

Start using online channels to generate revenue by contacting us online today!

Our digital marketing campaigns impact the metrics that improve your bottom line.

See Our Approach
WebFX has driven the following results for clients:
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$10 billion

in client revenue
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24 million

leads for our clients
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7.14 million

client phone calls

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Our digital marketing campaigns impact the metrics that improve your bottom line.

See Our Approach
WebFX has driven the following results for clients:
stat icon

$10 billion

in client revenue
stat icon

24 million

leads for our clients
stat icon

7.14 million

client phone calls
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