The Importance of Linking Online and Offline Marketing

Today’s online marketing revolution has to some extent left the medium of offline marketing somewhat in a dark, cold and forgotten shadow. Even in the case of those at the very top of the industry, it’s near universal to see the teams and individuals working on web marketing, social marketing and print marketing as if they were polar opposites of no relevance to each other.However, take another look at the subject from a consumer point of view and you soon realise that marketing is marketing and the business is the business. The brand exists as a single entity that never changes, meaning that they see it no different whether reading about it in a newspaper, seeing it on the TV or coming across it online. In the space of just a few minutes they may see half a dozen different promotions for the same business across multiple platforms – little wonder seamless access is expected by most, regardless of how they choose to approach the business behind the brand.   Online may be the fastest growing medium, but to step away from offline entirely is far from a wise course of action.Seamlessness The funny thing is this – comparatively few still understand how important and potentially valuable the threads that connect different marketing platforms are. A person will in many instances try out a laptop in a store in person before buying one online for example, while an individual looking to order a new kitchen may find it online and summarily head to a store to look at it in person. In both examples, online and offline marketing work together as one. This is something that is just starting to hit home with some of the world’s savvier businesses, which have begun pumping time, effort and money into creating seamless marketing campaigns that see the influence and potential of each channel in accordance with the next.Contrary to the way this may all come across, it isn’t in fact a case of having to start again from scratch and build a new marketing campaign across all platforms. Instead, it’s about harnessing the potential of what’s already out there for the taking and putting an end to the outright separation of online and offline advertising platforms to create something of a seamless loop that’s of consistent power and value.Creating the LoopThe best marketers in the world today are already making this kind of loop creation their number-one priority, though others are yet to catch up. Say for example you were looking for a way of getting your online readers and audience members to your site – it can take something as simple as a Twitter hashtag to accomplish this and create a seamless link between the two. QR codes have also become hugely popular and to some extent blur the line even better – it’s all about making them attractive and accessible.And the same also works the other way – you can use your online marketing efforts to spur offline purchases and interaction. For example, if selling a product you can use your website to display existing customer feedback, offer print-and-use coupons or promote an offline deal exclusive to in-person customers. In any and all such cases, you are creating a link between online and offline marketing, as opposed to seeing your readers and customers in two distinct and isolated groups.RelevanceThe key to making a seamless loop that sticks is to ensure that each and every marketing move you make is both relevant and equal. One example of where so many go wrong is by throwing incredible deals and promos at their online visitors, only to short-change those that prefer the offline approach. This is the kind of imbalance that makes it impossible to solidify a continual loop and thus will never work in the best interests of the business long-term.