Using Online Marketing Content for Offline Purposes

Today’s Thursday Connection post is compliments of the creative and talented writer Juliana Weiss-Roessler.

With fast Internet connections and easy access to the web from mobile devices, online marketing is now at the forefront of most marketing professionals’ minds. If you want to stand out from the pack, it’s an absolute must to have good online content that puts you at the top of search engine rankings and ensures that potential customers can locate your business.

However, while many people are caught up in the fervor of online marketing, it’s important not to neglect your offline efforts. One survey of marketing professionals found that, while 62% of respondents were increasing their spending for online marketing, 49% of that same group of respondents said that live offline events were their most successful channel for connecting with customers.

So how can you have the best of both worlds? Try these tips to use your online content marketing for offline purposes.

Have a signature look—online and in the real world.

If you’re a relatively new or small business, generating a consistent brand image is an important step in promoting recognition and trust. Think about the Nike swoosh or the Apple logo—people know those brands based on a simple image alone.

Choose a design for your website, including a logo, color scheme, fonts, and slogans, and then make sure you’re using that for your physical promotional tools as well. If a lead has already visited your website, seeing a brochure or business card with the same look will remind them about what they already learned online.

Offer online deals that can be redeemed in the real world.

The online coupon company Groupon offers a great example of this concept. Groupon allows people to search for deals and discounts from local businesses, and while some of the deals involve having a product shipped directly to your door, others require you to go to a physical location to get the deal. By offering a great deal online that can only be redeemed in-store or at a live event, businesses can encourage customers to directly engage with them and learn more about their other products.

Build hype for live events.

If your business is going to be at a live event like a trade show, make sure that people find out about it through your social media channels. Make a Facebook event, Tweet reminders on Twitter, write blog posts that relate to topics that will be covered at the event, then tell readers that they can learn more by attending that event. Be sure to photograph and blog after the event, too, so that people who couldn’t attend this time may become interested enough to attend live events in the future.

Create a print mailing.

Engaging in email marketing? The copy, and sometimes even the design, will often translate well into a direct mail campaign. Consider developing a mailing list of customers that you can reach via snail mail.

Make a print newsletter.

If you’re creating content for a blog or e-newsletter, you can make use of this for an old-fashioned print newsletter as well. You can distribute it at other local businesses or share it in your own location as another way to connect with customers once they’ve left your store.

Remember to link offline efforts back to your online efforts.

While you’re using online content to generate real world leads, you can also encourage the people you meet at live events to learn more about you online. Make sure that business cards and other promotional materials have your website address and social media channels prominently listed.

Now, it’s your turn! What creative ways have you linked your online and offline marketing?

Using Online Marketing Content for Offline Purposes appeared first on mymarketingcafe.com. Author Bio: Juliana Weiss-Roessler is a writer for Nimlok Online and runs Weiss-Roessler Writing with her husband Josh. Her writing has been featured on Yahoo.com and in major publications, such as PARADE and People. Along with her husband, Juliana lives in Austin, TX, with their two tiny-but-rambunctious dogs and one tiny-but-rambunctious baby boy. Follow her on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.