When it comes to internet marketing, there exists a serious disconnect between generating sales and leads online – and doing it the old fashioned way – offline. But what truly savvy and experienced marketers know is that success comes when both offline and online marketing are combined. Online marketing can be used to drive business to a brick and mortar company, while offline marketing can drive traffic to a website. Converting offline marketing to online sales is one of the most overlooked parts of internet marketing.
The following are 10 ways that you can use offline marketing to drive highly targeted leads to your website while minimizing your financial exposure:
1.) Direct Mail
Direct mail is one of the oldest and most successful marketing techniques, but it has since seen a significant decrease in use as more and more people take to the internet. Additionally, many marketers complain that by now most consumers are desensitized to mailers and ignore them or throw them away altogether. However, the same could be said of banner ads on the internet: everyone is aware of them, knows that they are advertising and has probably been annoyed by them on numerous occasions…however, they still sell. Millions upon millions of dollars are made using banner ads every week.
So why doesn't this apply to direct mail? The answer is simple – it DOES apply to direct mail. People still read direct mail items and many turn into purchasing customers. Advertising your website via direct mail is a powerful medium to drive targeted, ready-to-buy consumers to your online products or services; think about it – if they've picked up your mailer and actually taken the time to use it as a reference to visit your site, then this indicates an interested, "pre-qualified" consumer.
Unfortunately, another misconception regarding direct mail is that it's exceedingly expensive. And while this might have been the case for some marketers 15 or 20 years ago, it's certainly not true today. Many companies can provide appealing, low-cost mailers to a highly targeted market. And because so many of today's consumers would prefer to visit a website to learn more as opposed to driving to a physical location, it seems that direct mail may be more applicable to online businesses now than ever before.
2.) Flyers/Pamphlets
Flyers and pamphlets are generally considered a local marketing tactic, but with the advent of sites like Craigslist and other ways of easily reaching out to people, you can hire "foot-soldiers" to distribute your flyers or pamphlets in different states across the country, or even in other parts of the world.
One of the most appealing marketing characteristics of this tactic is its cost effectiveness. You can easily design your own graphics and layout using simple programs like Microsoft Publisher and have thousands printed relatively cheaply. Referencing your website on these materials is an excellent way to drive online sales, because as is the case with direct mail marketing, most people today would rather visit your website than your brick and mortar location.
In Converting Offline Marketing to Online Sales Part 2, we'll discuss a number of additional methods that old-school tried-and-true marketers can use to drive traffic from offline sources to your web pages. But if you're the type of person who knows exactly what you're looking for, take action right now by requesting an immediate consultation. Start getting the web traffic you deserve by calling the number at the top of your screen now.
