Online and Offline Marketing Tips

All your online and offline marketing messaging must be consistent.

“Online meet offline, offline meet online”  Now that the two are acquainted and actually working together on behalf of their clients, it’s time to talk about the two as a pair, instead of two separate entities.

First and foremost, you must remember to maintain consistency between these two marketing channels. Of course, there should be consistencies between the two in regard to branding elements such as color, type, and design. You know, look and feel. But they should also be “talking” from the same page in terms of tone and voice.

Equally important, if you really want to take full advantage of reaching your entire audience, your online and offline marketing efforts should always cross-reference each other.

Let’s begin with the marketing basics

All of your offline printed materials, that means ads, direct mail, brochures, sell sheets and catalogs should feature your company’s website address, along with your Facebook page, and Twitter handle or name. They should all be in an easily seen area, so prospects and customers can reference them for further examination of your company’s products and services. Also, now that so many people have smart phones, it’s good to add a QR code to your printed materials. This provides prospects and customers with the fastest way to access your company’s website.  Crucial cross-referencing should occur in other places within the online network, such as Twitter to Facebook to your website. To take it even further, consider this: if you have both an online and print catalog, make sure your online catalog features a form to let visitors sign up and receive your print version. The same holds true if you offer a company newsletter in both online and offline versions.

A strong family resemblance

Each and every piece of your online and offline marketing programs should look as if it came from the same parents—your company. All the top brands do it. Which is one big reason they’re so darn successful. Their brands never deviate. They consistently apply the brand colors, fonts, and any other identifying elements to all their marketing materials, be they print ads or banner ads. With a strong sense of consistency comes trust. The trust you want to gain with customers, and which is critical for you to be more successful as a marketer. Consistency also extends to the “tone” or “voice” in all of your written materials. It must stay true to the essence of your company, as well as ring true to the needs and wants of your target audience.

Take some target practice

Do not, under any circumstances, send out your marketing messages willy nilly. It’s a waste of time and money, and it won’t get you very far because your marketing budget will quickly dwindle down to nothing, as will your sales. To ensure that you target the right audience, know who your customers are in terms of age, sex, and location. Uncover their wants and needs, too. When you’ve taken the time to do your homework, they’ll feel valued and appreciated when you send them information that’s relevant to who they are. That goes whether you’re communicating with them online or offline. Bottom line: make them feel special. When you do, they’re more apt to buy, say nice things about you, and come back for more!

Have a great day…

Audrey Ferrante
Ferrante & Associates, Inc.