Online content is the king nowadays. Or it seems to be. Think about it. How much online content do you consume and how much content do you consume via newspapers, magazines, and other offline sources? The difference is pretty startling. So, it’s no surprise that marketers are taking a cue from this behavior. In fact, 28% of marketers admit that they have cut back their offline advertising and are using that budget to fund their digital campaigns.
Online Content vs. Offline Content
While it is clear that online content is gaining momentum and offline content is “losing” the battle, the days of offline content aren’t gone, yet. Moreover, certain businesses still need their offline channels. So, what to do?
I think the best way to proceed would be to integrate offline content with online channels so that the conversions can be tracked. Don’t take me literally, you won’t be able to convert your offline content directly to online content per se. But, you can measure your rate of engagement.
One of the primary reasons why people are switching to online content is the ease of access. But, for marketers, that opens up a whole new world of analytics that helps them take the right action at the right time. It helps them engage their audience in a better way.
Offline channels have no credible way of offering any data in terms of engagement. So, most marketers are shying away from them.
But businesses that still need to publish offline content can now actually derive in-depth analytics. Marketing technology has evolved so much, that now it is possible to measure the ROI of TV marketing, print, etc.
TV Marketing
Earlier on running ads on TV was a big thing. It would drive a lot of business because almost everyone watched television programs. But then came the onslaught of computers, smartphones, and ultrafast internet. Soon, the medium of television consumption shifted. But, the advancement of technology has touched every sector. So, you can measure your TV marketing efforts as well.
Tools like Google Attribution 360( formerly Adometry) help marketers unify and analyze all available data streams (with data-driven attribution, marketing mix modeling, and TV attribution).
Most TV analytics tools allow you to start measuring by just adding a line of code. Thanks to real-time TV ad detection and revolutionary algorithms, you can get an accurate analysis of any ads that you are running.
On top of that, you can also measure the impact of this data on online channels like your website and blog.
Print Marketing
As we have already mentioned, print ads are not passé. You can quickly turn your print ads into something quantifiable. Add QR codes to a dedicated landing page. So, whenever someone scans your QR code, they are redirected to that specific landing page. Provide them with offer codes and discount coupons that are only available via print ads.
You will be able to measure how many people use it, easily. You can use Google analytics to even measure how people are reacting to it. This is great in case you are handing out flyers or advertising in your local newspaper.
This will not only help you measure ROI, but you can actually track customer behavior. So, now your offline content will be behaving like online content.
Also Read: QR Codes For Modern Marketers
Inbound Call Tracking
Of course, it’s the digital age. But people still make phone calls. But many marketers have no way of tracking calls. Applications like CallRail, Infinity Call Tracking, etc. help you analyze your ad campaigns better by tracking inbound calls. Whether the call was generated by an offline campaign or an online one will now be easier to figure out.
Moreover, you can track which calls were converted, which needs more nurturing and you can record these calls for lead qualification as well. You can also integrate your EPBAX or call center software with your CRM or marketing automation software.
Events and Tradeshows
Tradeshows are a great place to rope in new customers but it is hard to keep track of which customers came to your booth and which one opted for a demo unless you record all visits to your booth. It is really hard to keep track of all these details amidst such a big crowd.
The solution? Add RFID or NFC chips in badges. In trade shows, every attendee wears a badge. Once the badge comes into certain proximity of your booth, you can read their details and contact information via NFC/RFID reader.
You will be saving a lot of time, a lot of paper, and super valuable time. Follow-up will become much easier and engagements will definitely rise. No more exchanging business cards or filling out visitor books!
The Way Ahead
I believe that at least at this point in time, you cannot completely ignore offline content. While its importance has diminished, thanks to technology there are ways to not only uplift its importance but also measure it analytically like online content. And, this is the primary drawback that actually makes us marketers refrain from using offline channels.
So, go ahead, tell us how you plan to integrate your offline content with online channels at [email protected]. We’re always listening!