In the digital world, most of the marketers are already pretty well acquainted with the tips and tricks that they need to use in order to draw the attention of their customer base and boost their own reputation. Of course, this includes understanding the psychology behind these methods, such as how a particular color, design, placement, and other details affect the viewer’s attention and train of thought. This is where teams of web designers bust their heads over what the best approach to a website or a social media page is.
However, there is the whole often forgotten world outside the web. Some marketers fall under the wrong impression that offline marketing has lost its importance due to the fact that we live in the digital era of computers, smartphones, and tablets. But they couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that we aren’t attached to our devices 24/7, and we still walk down city streets, meet with friends face-to-face, and actually spend our time in the realm of the tangible. Well, this tangibility must never be ignored, and it is even preferred by some people, which is why, for example, talking to your customer in person or via phone, or using clever and creative visual assets like billboards and posters, will never become obsolete.
In this article, we are going to discuss some of those offline promotion tactics, the psychology behind them, and why you should implement them into your overall marketing strategy in order to improve your brand’s reputation.
Network your way toward success
In the “real world”, one of the best ways to reach out to and form a relationship with potential clients is to network as much as you can. While you do have your online reviews which tell a particular story about what is the quality of your products and services, there is nothing that can really surpass the powerful psychology behind interacting with a customer face-to-face. When you confidently shake their hand and make a promise, they will put a face to the name, and certainly remember you and the impression that you have made. This is the irreplaceable strength of human interaction.
Of course, it shouldn’t be only you doing this. Your employees are the cogs that make the machine that is your business run the way it should, so you should pick the best ones to be your brand ambassadors. With the right incentives and education, they will transmit the voice of your brand, and create a consistent experience for your customer base. Basically, once you have formed a strong personal bond with people, your online efforts, as well as your overall reputation, will significantly benefit from it.
Sponsor an event
Now, one thing is a fact – when people love attending certain events, and you manage to be a sponsor of it, they will notice it and respect you for it a lot more. For example, let us say that you own a bicycle shop. One of the best ways that you can market your business by placing it right before the eyes of your prospective clients is to sponsor a bicycle race. Your signs will decorate the cycling track so that everyone can see them, and your brand ambassadors will be around to engage with visitors and help them learn more about you.
Essentially, it is all about finding a kind of event where your targeted audience will be at large, and where you can connect with it in a meaningful way. As an event sponsor, you are more than just a company advertising itself. You present yourself as an expert and an authority in the field.
Brand all your promotional items
Another thing that is sure to make your customers remember you and respect you is branding all your promotional items and sharing them for free at particular events such as trade shows and conferences. This is another way of focusing on the psychology of the aforementioned tangibility, which is very important for engaging with your customers and prospective clients. There is a wide variety of ways that you can approach this.
The first thing that you’ve probably thought of is good-quality pens that have your company’s name and logo on them. They are easily shared, and people carry them around wherever they go, and every time that they take them out to use them, your business will come to mind, even if only on a subconscious level. Keychains are also perfect, as they are also something that people will always carry in their pocket.
The next step is mugs. People just love mugs, and if you put a clever message of one, next to your company’s logo, they are bound to be used and be a reminder for a long while. A step further, and another great approach is t-shirt printing, and with this your customers will basically become your brand ambassadors, in the form of walking advertisements.
While you may have mastered the psychology behind the digital aspect of your marketing strategy, you must never forget about the offline part. There is a lot of psychological power in tangibility, and people love connecting to a business that they respect in that way.
So, when coming up with a good strategy, make sure that your online and offline ideas go hand in hand, so that you cover all bases, get the best results possible, and make people really respect and love your company and brand.
