Offline marketing has long been practiced by several business owners. With the dawn of the internet age, more and more individuals seem to prefer online marketing strategies. You can use both to expand your customer base, as well as give the impression that you have a real company, compared to thousands of online businesses that usually end up as scams and unscrupulous themes. Here are some offline marketing drawbacks to know about.
Offline Marketing Is Expensive
Most people try to avoid the big activities of offline marketing because of its very expensive cost, usually ranging between $1,000 and $5,000. Should you put up a billboard, air your advertisement on TV or the radio or place ads in magazines and newspapers, expect to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars. There are corresponding prices to the editing of the advertisement, photo ops, graphic arts, dubbing, models, printing, as well as the time slots for airing on TV or the radio. Primetime advertisements or popular channels will cost more. Some people might find that the investment is not worth the returns or it might take a very long time before they recoup their investment.
Offline Marketing Requires More Effort
Offline marketing approaches will provide a personal touch to your business contacts and customers. However, it will also mean having to spend more effort and time to get in touch with these individuals. Online marketing will only require you to send a personal message or email. You can even hold online conferences or video chats to talk about concerns in a matter of minutes. Offline marketing will require you to travel long distances, as well as bring the entire portfolio and presentation to make an impact. You get the benefit of putting emphasis on your presentation and getting closer to your target connections this way.
Offline Marketing Takes Time
Offline marketing campaigns usually take weeks or months to complete. Unlike online advertisements that you can quickly put up in a matter of minutes, offline marketing strategies will require careful preparation, as well as research to ensure that you hit the right target and make the most out of your big investment. Some campaigns will usually run for several quarters, so it might be better to layout the entire plan for a whole year. This provides you the benefit of having a sound and straightforward approach to advertising. You also need to put up a team sometimes, since the project will cover various aspects and require different talents and skills.
Offline Marketing Results Take Longer
Online or viral marketing can give you the traffic you need in hours or days. Offline marketing techniques might take several days, weeks or months before customers start to pour into your online business. The good thing is that these customers usually stay longer compared to those you get on the internet. You can also ensure that the people coming into your website are actually interested in your products and services. Offline marketing schemes provide a sense of permanence in the industry, so people will take you more seriously compared to several free advertisers on the web.