Nowadays, when we talk about marketing in the digital world, it’s easy to assume that we’re talking about digital marketing. It does allow us to reach a wider range of people more cheaply than ever before, especially as centralised social media platforms start to dominate our attention online. However, it’s important not to forget where marketing started: in the physical world, and here’s why.
It’s Trustworthy And Memorable
In the online world, we are bombarded by marketing messages on a fairly regular basis. It’s easy to forget the brands we come into contact with online. However, when looking at things like brochures and flyers, we tend not to see as many of those, so they tend to stick out as more memorable. What’s more, physical marketing provides something your audience can touch, increasing perceived legitimacy and brand trust. Tangibility does make a big difference, building a little bit more of an emotional resonance and making your business feel more based in the real world as a result.
Less Competition, More Attention
As crowded as social media feeds and email inboxes have become as late, a lot of them get ignored or deleted in seconds. In contrast, physical marketing, like snail mail or flyer printing, arrives in a less competitive environment. A mailed postcard lands in a mostly empty mailbox and gets real attention, and billboards can’t be scrolled past during your commute. Without the digital noise surrounding your marketing message, the audience is a lot more likely to pay attention to it, and this is especially true for the demographics that are less online, like older adults and local community segments.
It Has High Local Impact
A lot of smaller businesses, those offering physical services or with physical storefronts, need to be able to reach nearby audiences who are more likely to convert. For instance, posting flyers in community centers or sending postcards to local zip codes creates neighborhood buzz and increases foot traffic. Billboards positioned along high-traffic routes reinforce your brand daily to local commuters. Location-based visibility is much more effective at building recognition and loyalty with those closest to you, and may be more effective at spreading word-of-mouth.
Longevity And Staying Power
One of the drawbacks of online marketing is that once you see it and scroll past it, it’s gone. Every time a member of your target audience sees your online ad, for instance, it represents you having to spend more money to put it in front of them again. Meanwhile, physical marketing has staying power, as a flyer can be pinned to a bulletin board, a brochure kept on a desk, or a postcard displayed on a fridge for weeks or months, and billboards have long-term visibility. This ensures that not only is your message seen, it’s seen multiple times by each person, which may make them more likely to convert.
Physical marketing still has a lot of benefits to offer those who are willing to invest in it, and could be the key to taking your brand image to the next step. Consider that the next time you’re deciding where to allocate your marketing budget.
