Since almost every company under the sun is going to spend more this year on digital marketing than they did last year, competition is stiff. However, if you combine your online efforts with some offline marketing tips, you’ll give your customers the one-two punch you need to compete.
Here are five tips to help you stay competitive for the next year in marketing.
1. Start a Blog
If you want to connect with customers, a blog is the way to do it. When people use a search engine, they’re either looking for a specific product or answers to a question. With a blog, you can answer common questions using your own products and services.
Blogs also help you to get more traffic online because search engines respect updated URLs.
2. Respond On Social Media
When people reach out to you online, it’s vital to communicate back to them. While you might want to take negative comments with a grain of salt, even negative feedback is an opportunity.
When you respond to negative social media posts in a sincere way, you get the chance to combat a bad image online. You show that there are real people behind your brand and that you want to resolve problems with every customer and client.
3. Sponsor a Team
If you’re looking to build a reputation offline, the best way to do it is through working with your community. There are lots of soup kitchens and events that cater to corporate giving and volunteering. On top of that, you could help out kids for a real boost to your image.
Kids’ soccer teams and little league teams often need sponsors to pay for uniforms. For a low buy-in, you get to buy a shirt that kids are going to run around wearing with your name on them. This is positive advertising that projects well on your brand.
4. Event Giveaways
Whether online or offline, marketing with event giveaways helps you to show off your products, services, or brand name. When you run giveaways, you could be giving away some of your products to people who follow you online. If there are community events where you run a table, you could hand out high-quality items or samples to people.
If you don’t make a lot of physical products, you could give away shirts or jackets with your brand name on them. Promotional umbrellas always come in handy and could circulate for years to come.
5. Team With Other Businesses
If you want to get the word out about your products and services, a great way to do that is to team up with complementary businesses. If you sell natural lip balms and make friends with a natural grocer, offer them exclusive access to your products.
Online and Offline Marketing Tips Share Some Elements
Whether you’re going to follow online or offline marketing tips, there are some common elements to keep in mind. More than anything, stay sincere to your audience. On top of that, make sure you’re always offering value to your base.
To write the best status updates for marketing, check out our latest guide.
