The average small business invests 1 percent of their yearly profits in advertising. For a business earning $500,000 in revenue each year, that’s $5,000 spent on advertising.

That may seem like a lot. But consider the many different advertising options out there. That money goes fast.

That, along with the popularity of the internet, may be why so many businesses are beginning to overlook Offline Marketing. Instead, they are investing only in online tactics like SEO, content marketing, and social media ads.

The internet continues to become more integrated into our daily lives. Yet, Offline marketing is still essential for businesses of any size and in any industry.

Keep reading to learn why offline marketing is still so important and how you can use it alongside digital strategies to strengthen your brand and increase sales.

Why Offline Marketing Is Still So Important

Online marketing strategies are certainly important. But offline continues to perform for local and national businesses for a reason: clients still need it.

Maybe these clients don’t use the internet. Or they need something more concrete to hold onto. Either way, they look for offline marketing pieces as a way to connect with businesses.

Here are a few of the reasons why you should still be using offline marketing as a part of your marketing plan.

You Still Meet Clients Face-to-Face

The internet has made it possible to connect with people around the world and around the clock. But for most industries, that doesn’t eliminate face-to-face meetings with clients and customers.

Meeting face-to-face is a chance to connect with clients on a more intimate level. If you do it right, you’ll leave a lasting impression. This is essential to building a lasting relationship with that customer.

The chance of selling to an existing customer falling somewhere between 60 and 70 percent. In comparison, the chance of selling to a new customer is 5 to 20 percent. When viewed in this way, those old, loyal clients are important.

You could send those clients an email after your meeting. But the delay between the meeting and when they read this email could be extensive.

This gives clients time to change their mind, forget about you, or even find a new company. It also requires your client to be at a computer often, which may not be the case.

Offline marketing is a great alternative in this situation. While business cards may seem old-school, they are as important now as they ever were.

They give customers something they can hold onto and remember you by. They can place it wherever they choose, and every time they see it, they’ll think of you and your services.

Read more about the many reasons why business cards are still so important here.

You’ll Target the Rest of Your Clients

Mobile devices that connect to the web are more prevalent and cheaper ever before. Yet, 11 percent of Americans still aren’t using the web.

Some of these non-internet users are older and never learned to use the web. Others have no interest in using it.

Still more blame the high costs of WIFI, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. It’s cheaper to stay disconnected.

If you’ve given up offline advertising completely, you’ll be missing out on these clients. Depending on the nature of your product or services, this could be a big loss.

Even if it isn’t a big loss, targeting these customers can only increase your potential pool.

You’ll Strengthen Your Local Following

With the onslaught of online businesses in recent years, it can be easy to get lost on the web.

If you’re new to a popular niche, it can be almost impossible to grow a following on the web alone. Consider just how many online clothing boutiques exist. Trying to market your new brick-and-mortar boutique alongside multi-billion dollar online stores will feel impossible.

That’s where offline marketing comes in. Use it to target local customers as you begin to build brand awareness. You won’t have to worry about getting lost in the competition because local competition will be far less prevalent that web competition.

Flyers, mailers, and billboards are still incredibly important to market yourself locally. These tactics have yet to surpass even the best online local marketing strategies for increasing traffic to brick-and-mortar locations.

You’ll Get a High ROI

Many offline marketing strategies still offer a very high ROI (return on investment) compared to online tactics. This is due to a combination of lower costs for print media and their success. Many online marketing tactics are more expensive, harder to track, and even more difficult to target customers with.

For instance, direct mailers are offline marketing techniques sometimes overlooked by new businesses. Yet, they continue to have an incredibly high ROI.

A successful direct mailing campaign can provide a 1,300 percent return on your investment. That’s $1,300 in sales for every $1 that you spend on printed direct mailers.

How to Use Offline Marketing

While the same offline marketing strategies that have been in use for decades remain popular today, they have changed quite a bit in that time.

New ways of implementing offline strategies allow you to integrate them with online strategies, keep them relevant, and increase your ROI.

Blend Digital with Offline Media

Your offline marketing strategy doesn’t have to exist entirely on its own.

One great way to upgrade traditional offline marketing tactics is by blending them with modern approaches. This allows you to create a seamless marketing plan. Do it right, and it will go from the internet to the real world and back, keeping clients connected to your brand at all times.

For instance, if you are a retailer selling products direct to customers, you likely list products on your website. You may even have a mobile app that allows your customers to shop while they are on the go.

If you also have a brick-and-mortar retail location, you can integrate QR code scanners. Simply add them to your printed in-store signage. Customers can scan them to see other products related to the ones they’re shopping for that may not be in store.

You can also integrate codes into catalogs or other mailers your business sends out. These are great for letting local customers who already love you know that they can also shop online.

Update Your Online Strategies to Keep Up with Offline Ones

Offline marketing tactics that blend seamlessly with online ones are great. Some offline strategies stand alone, like billboards or other signage. But you’ll still need to update your online strategies to keep them relevant.

For example, you need to make sure that your business’ address and contact info are correct online. This includes listings on Google, Yahoo Business, and similar platforms.

If a customer sees your billboard and Googles your business, they’ll get the address. They’ll be able to visit your store right away.

This also shortens the amount of content that goes on your offline marketing pieces. You won’t need to stuff your signs with your address or phone number. This leaves more room for other important information or eye-catching images.

You’ll also want to put effort into improving your local SEO strategies. In conjunction with signs and mailers, this is great for reinforcing your brand. It also helps you to stay connected with your clients both online and off.

Nail the Details

Larger offline strategies, like billboards, are well-known. But it’s the smaller details that set the best businesses apart.

From custom stationery to holiday cards sent to loyal customers, these smaller offline strategies won’t necessarily win you new customers. But they will help improve your relationship with existing ones and help you continue to build a winning reputation.

When choosing which smaller print marketing tactics to utilize, you’ll want to consider your audience.

Younger clients may move often, making mailers tough to use. But all age groups love to save money, making print coupons or deals a winner with any demographic.

Other old-school offline tactics, like newspaper ads, radio advertisements, and television commercials all remain popular with certain demographics as well.

Some offline marketing strategies will cost you just about nothing but can leave a big impression. You and your employees’ body language can have an effect on sales, as can your knowledge of your products, and your friendliness to customers.

Putting Online and Offline Marketing Strategies to Work

You want to do everything you can to make sure that your business gets noticed. That’s why you need to be investing in both online and offline marketing strategies.

Designing a billboard or business cards might not be too complicated. But if you don’t have experience with digital marketing, your online strategies will take more work.

Whether you need help setting up your website, implementing SEO, or need help branding yourself on social media, I can help.

Check out my services today to see how I can help your business grow on the web.