If you have a thriving online content marketing strategy, then you know just how important it can be when it comes to driving traffic to your website, increasing your conversion rate and reaching out to fresh faces via social media. With so many new ways in which to reach potential readers and customers these days, many have forgotten about the tried and true methods of offline marketing. Even though the internet is playing an increasingly large role in most business’ marketing attempts, offline marketing remains a viable yet often overlooked strategy. Below, we will discuss the various forms of offline marketing and the advantages that come with each.

Newspapers and Magazines

Often referred to as print advertisements, reaching out to various demographics in magazines and newspapers can still be an effective strategy for locally-based businesses, as well as national or international endeavors that serve their customers and clients via the web. Both sources generally have ample advertisement departments that can give you an idea of their demographic and subscribers, but you can also start pinging search engines for information to correlate this data. Using a medium such as this will allow you to establish a bond of trust with certain readers who likewise trust the publications they read on a consistent basis.

Conference Networking

While some dread the notion of mingling with others in a business atmosphere, conferences can be the ideal place for networking with like-minded individuals and gaining offline marketing exposure for your business. Seeing as how many businesses are inter-connected these days, it only makes sense to network with other business leaders who may need your services or products at some point in the future. Common connections and brief discussions can also produce valuable leads; by having an “in” with a particular person, you may be better positioned to lobby for a mutual connection’s attention or business in the future.

Mail Campaigns

Oh, direct mail – we hardly knew ye. All joking aside, direct mail white label campaigns continue to be used by many businesses because depending on your target audience, they can still be quite effective. If your business revolves around the youngest or more tech-savvy demographics, then direct mail may not be the best option. Still, with many entities competing directly to provide direct mail campaigns at a low cost, it is worth considering if your business is focused on expanding its reach to new markets. Mail campaigns can be utilized to simply inform, or even provide a catalog of products and services to those who would otherwise never see your online marketing attempts.

Business Cards

Just like you would want to be pinging search engines with your online marketing efforts, pinging people with whom you come into contact is just as valuable. Having business cards is one of the lowest-cost approaches to advertising in which you can engage in the offline world, so it makes ample sense to have a few hundred business cards on-hand at any time to promote your business. Are you more or less likely to trust someone who approaches you about their business, but has no tangible content or advertising to present? Make the smart move and be sure to always carry business cards with you.