In the digital age, digital marketing is all the rage. The majority of marketing investments across all industries go toward digital efforts, and that percentage is only expected to rise in the upcoming years. There’s a good reason for this: digital marketing works. But that doesn’t mean you should neglect other forms of marketing. There are plenty of traditional marketing strategies that can still make quite an impact. However, the best thing is that you don’t have to choose between one and the other. In fact, if you successfully combine face-to-face with digital marketing, you can reap the benefits of both at once.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Why should you combine face-to-face with digital marketing?
There’s no denying that digital marketing is the norm these days. It’s a quick, easy and affordable way to reach a lot of people at once. But face-to-face marketing has worked for decades, and giving up on it is not a good idea because it has many advantages. You can establish individual connections, customize your approach to each potential customer, and really gain their trust. So there’s really no telling which type of marketing is best – they all have their advantages. The best thing you can do is, therefore, to combine them and benefit from both. That way, you can customize your approach to individual customers, develop connections with them through one-on-one interactions, and still spread the word about your business quickly and efficiently using digital media.
What are the best ways to combine face-to-face with digital marketing
At first glance, digital marketing and face-to-face marketing seem to be completely different ways to raise brand awareness. But there are ways in which they can overlap or at least support each other. You just need to learn how to take advantage of those moments.
Make the most of every interaction, digital or in-person
No one is ever only exposed to one type of marketing. Instead, it goes something like this: they pass by your business on their way to work and notice it, then they see a paid social media ad, then they get a recommendation from someone they know, then they look up your business online, and finally – they convert. So take advantage of that. You don’t have to develop a hybrid strategy for your face-to-face and digital marketing to positively affect each other; you can just direct people from one sphere of business to the other. When you meet someone in person, tell them about your business and then encourage them to visit your website. Or include an invitation for people to visit your physical locations in your digital marketing.
Include a CTA in your landing pages
When people browse your website, they’re not usually thinking about what your business does on location. So remind them. Invite them to stop by your office or store, mention any promotions you do on the regular, and tell them why they should come to you in person. Often, all it takes is simply directing people to visit, and they will. So use effective CTAs in the digital sphere to encourage more in-person interactions.
Organize events and promote them
A great way to promote your business is to plan an event. It can be a presentation about your latest product, a demonstration of your services, an informative seminar about the industry, or even a panel discussion in line with your business values – it all depends on your brand and the resources you have available. The right event can be a true game-changer for your business. It’s a great way to pique the interest of consumers and engage with them in an interesting and enjoyable way that will almost certainly make them remember who you are. But to truly make the most of your events, promote them online. This is one of the best ways digital marketing can supplement face-to-face marketing: by spreading the word about what you’re organizing and getting more people to join the event.
Learn how to network
Networking is a great way to promote your business. You can make new business partners, learn from your competition, or just spread the word about your company at various get-togethers. But in-person networking can also help you increase online conversions. Firstly, you can hand out your business cards, invite people to visit your website, or show off your app. With enough contacts, you’ll definitely get a few new customers. Secondly, and more importantly, you can learn more about your customers.
Something that you can only learn from face-to-face interactions is how people really feel about your business. What do they think of your business idea? Do they believe in your brand? How do they feel about your products? This is something you can learn from their reactions in conversation. In-person, you get to observe the decision-making process first-hand and learn about the emotional triggers that lead to conversions by reading the people in front of you. Then, you can use what you learned to improve your digital marketing. If people respond to pain triggers more, focus on those. If they respond to pleasure triggers more, base your marketing on that.
Become an expert on social media
In recent years, and especially during the pandemic, digital communication has become the new face-to-face. You no longer need to have a customer in front of you in order to talk directly to them, have one-on-one personal interaction, give them a demonstration or respond to their question. Instead, you can do it all online. And social media is the perfect way to do this. It is just the right blend of mass targeting and personal touch. To learn how to make the absolute most of it – unlearn the social media marketing myths, find out what works for your brand, and then use your accounts to interact with your followers in a personal way while promoting your business to the audience at large at the same time.
A few extra tips on how to successfully combine face-to-face with digital marketing to make the most of both
If you want to successfully combine face-to-face with digital marketing, the most important thing you need to keep in mind is that both are an extension of your business, and they should serve your needs together, not be in competition. So don’t think of them as entirely separate from one another. Instead, you want to find ways to integrate them with each other. Promote your in-person events online and promote your online presence in person. Just be consistent in your messaging both online and offline; let your brand guide your decisions, and you’ll ensure all your customers get the same impression of what your business stands for.
Contact today a leading Face to face marketing Agency or Digital Marketing Agency