Online Marketing is Important, but Here’s Why Traditional Promotion Methods are Essential Too

Nowadays, every article that you read about marketing a small business will tell you that having a web presence is essential. These articles will also tell you that you must focus your marketing efforts for your business on online methods. What they often overlook is the need to use offline promotion too. 

There’s no disputing that every business needs to use digital marketing as part of their marketing strategy. However, it would be incredibly short-sighted to put zero effort into your offline promotions. Put it this way, when owning a car became mainstream, did people give up on cycling? No, of course they didn’t – there were just more options available for doing the same thing – being mobile. The same principle applies to the promotion of your business, just because online marketing is there, doesn’t mean that more traditional methods should be ignored. In fact, offline promotion offers many benefits, so if you aren’t utilising them, then you are missing an opportunity. Here are some of the ways that offline promotion can benefit your business:

Builds Your Brand

You and your brand are essentially the same things. You are the face of your business; you represent what it is all about. To build a strong reputation and encourage brand recognition, your business needs to establish a robust brand identity. Your brand identity acts as a shorthand for your business; it embodies all of the qualities associated with your company. Your brand should be tailored to meet these qualities. Examples of brand qualities are characteristics such as; great value for money, luxury, vintage, cutting edge technology etc. Not having identifiable characteristics associated with your company can make your branding seem disjointed. This makes it harder for potential customers to understand what you are all about. Having a cohesive brand should be your aim when developing your branding.

A cohesive brand clearly represents what the product/company is all about. This is important as customers buy into the idea of a brand. In short, if the brand appeals to them, they want to be associated with it. This is why consumers happily pay a vast amount more money for a t-shirt with a designer logo on it when the same one without the logo could cost considerably less.

Let customers know what your brand is all about, by making your store the embodiment of it. Chat to your customers and get to know what they like about your store. Go for old school promotion methods by giving out loyalty cards and stamping them for each purchase made. Use flyers with money off vouchers. These more traditional promotion methods may seem outdated in a world of online surveys and discount codes. However, this kind of offline marketing strategy can make your business stand out by offering the personal touch in a world full of sponsored posts and shouty email campaigns. 

Forges Connections in the Community

Traditional marketing is essential for promoting a new small business on a local level. A press release sent out to your local newspaper can help create a buzz among the community, and immediately get people excited about the opening of your new store. The same applies to billboards in the local area, announcing that your business is coming soon.

Making your business a part of the local community is a great way to establish yourself as a fixture on the high street. Providing sponsorship of the local football team, or an event at the school will help to create a positive association between your brand and the community. This method also enables you to benefit from your print advert featuring in matchday programmes and on a billboard or two at the stadium.

Increases Footfall and Captures Passing Trade

Looking for ways to increase your footfall? There are lots of ways to capture passing trade, but each method boils down to the same thing; making your business just to irresistible to walk past. Sounds simple right? This is where the elements discussed so far start to work together. 

Firstly, people are more likely to step through your door if they understand what your business is all about, which is where your cohesive branding comes into play. Next, they are more likely to venture inside if they recognise your brand and have positive associations with it, e.g. it shows support to the local community. These two elements should make them feel comfortable with your brand. 

Your next step is to give people a reason to want to come into your store. You can achieve this with some amazing merchandising to make your products look visually appealing. To make your shop all the more attractive, you will need to spell out why they need to visit you today. In fact, why they need to visit you right now. Maybe you have a fantastic offer on at the moment, or perhaps you have some excellent new stock that has just arrived and is selling fast. Whatever the reason may be, spell it out to your potential passing customers. The best way to shout about your offers is with outdoor banners as they create such a significant visual impact that they are all but impossible to miss. If you have permission, displaying the banners on railings on the approach to your shop can also be a useful way to send passing shoppers in your direction.

A Final Word on Online Versus In-Store

It’s all very well to have an expensive website, which has been optimised to the max. However, ultimately, people are going to judge your business on what they see when they buy from you. Your website or social media campaign may have encouraged the customer to walk through the door. But, it is the quality of your products, your customer service and the impression they get about your business that will keep them coming back for more.

Basically, your website may look amazing, but if you can’t match that with your in-store experience, then you are going to lose that customer.