So much energy is directed towards online marketing these days that many companies forget about offline marketing. Yes, people still respond to offline marketing as well. Often they respond to it more effectively because of the over-saturation of online advertising. While ad-blockers on people’s browsers can keep them from seeing the ads you’ve paid for, they have to go through their mail and most of them will take a look at the billboards when they pass on the highway. So in many ways, offline marketing has an advantage.

Online promotions are often downright ignored because so many things on the Internet are viewed with suspicion. It could be a virus, a gimmick, or just a way to collect emails, people think. This is not the case when you send a simple coupon in the mail. People know what that represents and that it can be redeemed when visiting the store in person. Television and radio advertisements are both effective ways to reach out to consumers, but for now we’re going to focus on print media—the hows, whys, whens, and whos. Print media involves newspapers, magazines, direct mail pieces, billboards, and other forms of media.

First and foremost, it is important to understand what offline marketing is useful for. It is unlikely that it will send people flooding into your place of business. What it will do is lodge your name in their head for that particular need. This way, next time they need a television, “Tim’s Electronics and Appliances” will be one of the first businesses they call to mind. Offline marketing is highly competitive, of course, so carving out a loyal base of customers and a niche-appeal is necessary. This applies to every sort of business, from local mom and pop stores, to regional businesses, to major corporations. They all invest in print media because over the last hundred years or so it has worked wonders for all kinds of businesses.

Loyalty programs and discount pricing are another way to drive customers to your business. Regardless of what industry it is, people like to get their products or services more cheaply. Loyalty programs and discount pricing, whether that means coupons or sales, are ways to get more people in the doors, even if the price point is lower. An effective use of these tactics will see higher profit margins despite lower prices.