offline or online marketing?

[IzzoNet]

Hey

what do you think offline or online marketing?
i mean, now in times like this, when everything is in the internet and everyone uses the internet, will the offline marketing dissapear?

 

[Ben Palmer-Wilson]

Both.


Depends what business you're selling. A mixture of the two works best (obviously).

That being said, people seem to think offline marketing is going down due to the rise of the internet - not in the sense that it's gotten less effective - just that people find it easier and much much cheaper to market online.

Offline marketing still retains its effectiveness however. In fact, you should take advantage of the decline of offline marketing.

Send some direct mail - a personalised (or personal looking) letter to someone will increase your sales massively.

 

[Frimley111R]

A good question. To add above, you have to look at the media your potential clients/customers are consuming and it is increasingly online with smart phones, laptops and tablets. However, as DM reduces you may find your mailers have more impact; unfortunately postage costs are making this more and more expensive.

Don't forget thought that people can't spend their entire lives glued to a screen and so there's still a huge opportunity to contact them in other ways.

 

[paulstewart64]

Because there is so much emphasis placed on online marketing, offline emarketing presents a very good opportunity. It's not old hat as some will claim and it's proven to work.

A combination of online and offline marketing tends to get the best results although this is a generalisation because it depends on the product and market.

One of the issues with email marketing is that people think it's free. Well, that's true, but with a caveat. It's only free if it gets to the reader. With spam filters becoming increasingly difficult to by-pass, if your message ends up in the black hole when your prospect would have bought, then it's cost you a sale - and a potential long term customer. That, is expensive and you'll never know what it's cost you.

You could say the same for direct mail too.

As we all say, you really need to test in order to identify the optimum marketing mix for you.

 

[S-Marketing]

I wish I had a pound for every time the word marketing was used on this forum when what is actually being discussed is simple promotion or advertising.

This online and offline "marketing" being discussed is not part of a marketing mix at all.

 

[Deleted member 66528]

This question pops up again. Ask yourself some of the countries largest internet retailers promote themselves? The two that spring to mind immediately are Go Compare (annoying man but it has worked) and Compare the Market (with the loveable meerkats and enjoying 400% growth in the first three years of the meerkats) These are both strictly internet based companies that have no high street presence whatsoever. They both spend a far greater percentage of their "marketing budget" off line in order to drive their customers on line.

It always seems to be the internet "marketing" companies that try and convince the more naive SME's that off line is a dead duck and all ad spend should be spent offline. We are fortunate enough to deal with many of the UK's leading retailers such as Tesco and Specsavers. They analyse EVERY single penny they spend on advertising and I can assure you, they don't use what doesn't work. After 25 years in advertising the question I get asked more than any other is "where should I advertise" The simple advise I tend to offer is to look at your biggest national competitor and copy what they have found to be tried and tested within your budget. There is no disputing that certain areas such as press have been effected with reduced readership numbers but the price should be reflected in their CPT. TV and Radio have been diluted due to the increase in competition from incremental stations but again their rates should reflect that.

Outdoor has enjoyed increased national ad spend for the past three years and has already smashed all records this year helped obviously by the Olympics.

If off line is dead, ask yourself this question, why have Compare the Market just signed a three year deal to sponsor Coronation Street "off line" Simples

In a nutshell, neither is more important than the other. They can and should work together as a great mix but EVERY business is different.

 

[Simon Forder Ringhello]

The real difference - as has already been pointed out - is that there is more to marketing than advertising. Online advertising is too passive to be really effective in achieving specfic returns, but effective insofar as it drip feeds a brand into the mind subliminally. Once you takae advertising out of the equation, the main sources of online marketing disappear into spam boxes or pass unnoticed in facebook feeds and so on. Or block up linked in groups so you cant ever get a message across for all the guff...

So you are left with offline marketing - direct mail and telemarketing (what I and my wife do). Direct mail is cheaper and gives the prospect the option of throwing it in the bin. At least with telemarketing you get to talk to a large part of the prospects on a list - much more effective, but more expensive.

 

[Drop My Leaflet]

The leaflet printing and distribution business was estimated to be worth £1 Billion last year, showing a year on year growth. I think that both types of advertising are important depending on your type of business.

 

[stevefridel]

Offline and online marketing both are very important part of developing your business in the world. Online advertising is best way to introduce your business in the world and its also very important to develop your business. There are many sites available for advertise your business online and you have to also making your business in wide network.

 

[marketing123]

Offline
o Talk to people face to face
o Traveling a good bit
o Easier to get groups together
o Advertising avenue is widened (for your business)
o Access to limited people (this depends on where you live but you surely could build a business with those types of people.)
Online
o Access to loads of people across the country and the world
o Instant Internet Advertising
o No need to Travel
o Can be tougher to get into especially if you have little to no knowledge about the internet Isn't completely about "your business opportunity"
o Most conversations will either be online or over the phone

 

[MoreForLess]

I don't think there should be a debate "offline vs online marketing" - they should work in synergy.

Go Compare and Compare the Market offline campaigns help them a lot with their online campaigns (very big competitive advantage vs only online marketing).

Most of the offline marketing (and social online) creates demand but online/search satisfies that demand.

 

[CoretiumMedia]

I don't think that offline marketing is dying or anything like that. The need of physical proof is in our human nature, so companies have to find a balance between offline and online marketing activities.

As online marketing (even though fast developed) is relatively new, people do not trust it as much as offline one. We all need a tangible evidence of business's existence - whether it is leaflet, business cards or another promotional tool.

It was previously said that combination of both will bring the most effective and efficient results for the company and this is definitely the path to follow.

 

[danai_p]

We are all human right? Offline advertising and marketing will always be relevant.
The extent,duration and content depends on the business you are running.

 

[Tai Rattigan]

It really depends on your product and target audience. If you give some background information I'd be glad to suggest some options.

 

[BusyVids]

One could be better than the other or they might both work as well. The only way to know what works for your specific business is to test both and guage the results. It would be better though to find out first where your customers, prospects or clients would look for your products or services. Get to know your customers better by compiling an email list and then email them regularly with news and your offers, saves a lot of time and money in the long run and takes the guesswork out of your marketing.

 

[apparel candy clothing]

I prefer Online Marketing far better than offline despite of some disadvantages .

 

[emailblaster]

Email marketing is a cost effective way of reaching lots of people quickly and easily.

However - it should only be part of your marketing mix. Use it to compliment other more 'old school' methods, direct mail is still a great way to present your products and services exactly how you require to your target audience.