It can be easy at times to focus on just one marketing channel at a time—focusing on your local media advertising when the TV or newspaper ad salesperson knocks on the door, but thinking about something totally different when you sit down to dedicate time to social media.
The problem is that when you do that, without considering an overarching marketing strategy, you may send mixed messages, or at the least, lose out on opportunities to make each of your channels work more effectively by building off the others.
Here are 5 steps to blend your online and offline marketing:
1. Take time to create an overall marketing plan, outlining what messages you will emphasize each week or month, and how you will split your budget between marketing channels.
2. Turn offline events into online content by promoting events through your social media accounts in advance, and then showcasing them during and after with photos, live video and recorded video.
3. Include your social media pages on other advertising, noting to ‘follow us on Instagram’ or including your @username or vanity URL for Facebook.
4. Share your offline publicity, such as coverage in a local news source, on all of your social media channels, along with including it in a blog post or “news” listing on your website.
5. Encourage your satisfied customers to share selfies or reviews on your social media accounts, then use those reviews in your offline advertising as well as your digital marketing.
Remember that all of your marketing can and should work together.