If you’ve ever wondered what the advantages of online vs. offline advertising are or are undecided which to implement for your business, in this article we’ll give you some tips on the characteristics of both and how they can help your business.
Although inbound marketing and content marketing have gained significant importance with digital marketing and social media , sponsored campaigns remain crucial for brand positioning.
Think:
Why do large companies like Coca-Cola continue to invest in advertising instead of just focusing their efforts on “content”? The answer is very simple: Positioning.
But implementing a good campaign, whether offline or online, requires evaluating who it’s targeting to choose which methods you’ll use.
What is online advertising?
Online marketing refers to the various ways in which you can market and advertise on the Internet.
It’s not just important to have a good website ; there are many channels and platforms you can leverage for your digital marketing strategy, from sending email newsletters to your subscribers and customers to placing ads on sites like Facebook and Instagram, or banners on Google Ads.
Online advertising is very useful for reaching an audience that tends to spend a lot of time online.
Some examples of online advertising:
- Email marketing
- Adwords ads and YouTube banners
- Social media advertising
- SEO positioning
- Creating webinars
What is offline advertising?
On the other hand, offline advertising is advertising carried out in traditional media such as TV, radio, and print media, such as newspapers and magazines.
But it also includes printed billboards or promotional items. Ways to reach customers without the intervention of a content channel as such.
Despite what one might initially think, the digital revolution has not eliminated or diminished the effectiveness of this type of advertising when it comes to brand positioning. Therefore, it’s worth considering in almost any commercial sector.
Examples of offline advertising:
- TV and radio ads
- Newspaper advertising
- Traditional mail
- Printed billboards
- Seminars
- Demonstrations and promotional products
To better evaluate your campaign’s approach, you’ll probably want to know the benefits of each of these types of advertising. Let’s take a look at them now:
Benefits of online advertising
Contrary to what was once thought about “the world of the internet,” digital marketing has gained real relevance in everyday life. It currently dominates the advertising strategies of most companies. Here are some reasons why:
1. It is easy to measure
Digital tools such as Google Analytics or internal social media statistics can help better measure the reach of advertising conducted through these media.
This makes it easier to correct and improve each campaign. Adjustments can be made to the target persona, duration, content, location, and much more.
2. Lower costs
If your business is just starting out, online marketing is a great way to advertise without spending too much. It’s suitable for new brands with limited budgets to reach their target audience. In some cases, the investment can be as little as $1 a day, for example, on social media.
3. Immediacy
As people tend to spend more time on their mobile devices than on desktop computers, digital advertising reaches users’ hands almost at any time.
4. Eliminate physical limits
Since the internet operates globally, your ads can reach a larger number of people in basically any country.
If your business is in services or intangible goods, this can be very convenient, as well as if you have the ability to ship products outside your city or have a dropshipping service .
5. Better segmentation
When creating your online advertising, you can more easily create different market segments to target different types of audiences with different campaigns.
In this sense, digital media provides you with configuration tools that guide you through the process and even offer suggestions. This way, your budget is better utilized.
6. More engagement
Since online advertising focuses on people’s particular interests, your target audience is likely to see your ads multiple times. This will help them begin to recognize your brand and identify with its values, as well as build trust, a key factor in strengthening your brand.
Benefits of offline advertising
As we’ve discussed, offline marketing also has its own set of benefits that are highly relevant to brand positioning.
Implementing this type of advertising, rather than focusing solely on digital, can give you an advantage over your competitors.
1. Make better use of the public’s attention
When someone is watching television or reading a newspaper, they are usually focused only on that task.
On the other hand, when someone is on a social network, they may miss it because they aren’t as focused at that moment. Many users often ignore online ads, or they tend to close or hide them with ad blockers.
In this sense, traditional media takes advantage of a moment when attention is focused. Therefore, if your ad is seen, it will be much more effective.
2. It is more tangible
Despite the digital formats of products like books, music, and other content, the physical format still holds something special.
That’s why people continue to buy printed books, CDs or vinyl records, framed artwork, posters, and even photographs are printed today… Even sending a physical card has more meaning than a virtual one.
This is also the case with advertising. Hence the importance of continuing to distribute business cards, flyers, branded merchandise, or product catalogs.
3. More versatile
When it comes to offline marketing, the type of advertising you do isn’t limited to the 2D plane. You can’t just use jingles, corporate videos , and flat designs. You can promote yourself by sponsoring events, making a open houses at your business, raffles, create eye-catching billboards, give away sample items, and much more.
There are many more options offline than online. This allows you to be more creative.
4. It does not depend on technology
Obviously, online advertising depends on the user being connected to the internet and viewing their device or computer for your ad to appear. This somewhat limits reach, as the ad won’t reach your target audience unless they use specific types of technology.
Depending on what your business sells, this may not be very convenient, as not everyone knows or is accustomed to shopping online. Therefore, offline advertising is always necessary.
5. Less competition
Of course, internet technology opens up opportunities for companies to access international markets. But it also means being exposed to increased international competition. In a saturated market, your online advertising must be highly creative or you must invest more budget to be effective.
With offline advertising, the market is less competitive because, while it requires a larger initial investment, fewer companies are doing it, and the cost is worth it. Traditional advertising offers less competition to make your ads stand out.
6. Strengthen your networking
When you attend events or visit other companies, the cards and promotional materials you leave behind are a great way to spread the word about your brand.
Especially with events, you have the opportunity to speak with key contacts and strengthen relationships between companies. Online marketing and advertising don’t offer the same opportunities as in-person presence.
Combine online and offline advertising
As you’ve seen, both online and traditional advertising have their own advantages. But by combining them, you can get the best of both worlds and cover all the bases your marketing needs.
For example, you can combine an online advertising campaign with an offline action. For example, giving away a promotional code to present in a store or collecting something to redeem for a prize.
Or, the other way around: offline advertising that encourages online actions: A TV ad inviting people to subscribe to a newsletter, a flyer with a QR code for discounted purchases on your website, etc.
How to determine which methods to use?
As you can see, there’s a lot you can do in the world of marketing and advertising. To avoid being overwhelmed by it all, focus on a few specific methods and narrow your focus to them.
A decisive factor in taking any action is your budget. Don’t spend more than you have or go into debt to carry out a specific advertising campaign.
And while online advertising may seem like the only option in this case, in reality, creating promotional items or stationery can also be a good option, for example. Consider the cost you can afford when choosing.
On the other hand, consider your advertising’s target audience. If your campaign is aimed at young people, for example, displaying business cards isn’t as important as placing an ad on YouTube or social media. However, if your target audience is office workers, a newspaper ad may be more effective.
Think about where your target audience is and what type of ads would most easily reach them. You can seek help from a market consultant to advise you in this regard.
In Conclusion
Before deciding between online vs. offline advertising, it’s important to determine what works best for you and your brand. To help you create more original campaigns, you can look for a advertising expert. You can also seek the help of a graphic artist for more eye-catching designs on your Instagram, Facebook, and other art .
Ultimately, like everything in the business world, finding the right balance between the two types of advertising requires some trial and error before you get it right.
Additionally, you should constantly evaluate the results to make any necessary adjustments. Maintain the flexibility to try different options and take your time to review what gives you the best results.
If you do it right, you can achieve great results with your brand.
