A Case For Digital Businesses To Embrace Going Offline

In the last few years, the accumulation of being exposed to convenient and constant information has meant that our attention span is increasingly getting shorter, we are so used to jumping from video to computer to message to phone call, that it’s completely revolutionised the way we digest information.

As a response, I have seen a growing trend with brands in various various industries implementing more traditional forms of marketing and advertising tactics to tap into their customer audience. We're going to continue to see this pop up more and more, as brands increasingly try to vie for our attention.

Just taking a look at social media, short form content (10-30 second clips) has been largely prioritised or at the very least, the functionality implemented across almost every platform. Think YouTube’s inclusion of Youtube Shorts, a platform that previously prioritised longer videos. Numerous sources have recently come out stating that longer form content (30 second plus videos) will now have greater value, since it more accurately represents what audiences are not only interested but what is also maintaining their interest.

OFFLINE AND TACTILE EXPERIENCES OFFER A 360 APPROACH FOR YOUR BUSINESS

The rise of online businesses coupled with the ability to operate remotely, has meant many businesses have either removed offline strategies altogether or never implemented them in the first place. While there are so many benefits to running an online business; flexibility, tapping into audience size, and streamlined processes to name a few. Brands need to look for new ways to stand out from the crowd and create a memorable experience with their audience.

Businesses who primarily operate online can really capitalise on closing the circle for customers by offering a 360 experience, one this is online and offline. And by going offline, by creating physical and very tangible touch points to your brand, you’ll be maximising on an opportunity that many in the online space have yet to jump on.

It's no secret that due to the impact of pandemic, people are craving community and connection more than ever before. So while creating a 360 experience is important for businesses, on the other side, audiences are requiring more connection.

So how can we look to creating this experience?

What you will want to consider here is what kind of connection or experience is your audience looking for? Are they looking to be seen or acknowledged as a client? Are they looking to feel part of a community? What does this community or tribe look like? What makes sense geographically? These are some of the questions that you will want to ask yourself in understanding how you can create that relatable and lasting connection with your audience, one that makes them feel heard, valued and that they’re part of something greater.

ESTABLISH KEY OBJECTIVES

Are we creating awareness with new audiences or deepening the connection with a current customer?

There are so many ways that you can create that 360 experience, from creating low-priced physical items like stickers for yet to purchase audiences or things like tangible welcome packs or end of year holiday cards to positively nurture the purchasing journey with current customers or clients.

This is where objective and strategy come into play. You’ll want to consider are you looking to expand brand awareness for example? Or are you looking to continue fostering a positive experience for a high ticket client? Identifying what the objectives are and who they’re targeting, will also impact the level of spend and value that you provide in return.

What can these strategies look like for your audience?

I want to preface this by saying that I definitely do not agree with over production and consumption of physical items just for the sake of it. The concepts outlined below are really just to give you a starting point to brainstorm what can align well for you, your brand and your business goals. These should absolutely be intentional not only from a strategic standpoint, but also taking into account additional factors like sustainability, lifespan of the item, how likely are they to use this, etc.

ONBOARDING & WELCOME PACKS

Receiving a tangible welcome pack versus a series of automated emails or online pdfs to fill in creates such a different experience for a client. A welcome pack is creating that VIP experience, something that isn’t available to just anyone and makes them feel part of your inner circle.

This approach works specially well for top tier clients, who are paying a premium to work with you. Not only is this a great way to emphasise that this client is special, that they are important, it also solidifies the premium value they’re paying by having access to you.

There are also several other ways that your business can benefit from this:

• You can visually map out your processes, so it’s super clear how things will work. Showing them step by step how everything will work and where they may need to action certain items themselves.

• Streamline the onboarding process by getting them to do any pre-work in order to complete the project. While this is often actioned with a business’ CRM, you can use this opportunity to have them complete any admin or pre-work. This creates a layer of automation, where they have responsibility to action certain items, freeing you up with more time.

• This can serve as a workbook with exercises and prompts, or where they map out and brainstorm ideas before coming to you with necessary information relating to the process.

• An additional section can be added for taking notes in scheduled meetings and calls with you.

• You can share key information about particular concepts or methods that can help educate the client

• This is also a really great place to set expectations and need to know information such as login details, contact info, late fees, etc

MEET UPS & IN PERSON COMMUNITY BUILDING EXPERIENCES

Years ago I remember a now well-known wellness expert using free regular meet ups to build awareness and momentum around the work she was doing. Held at a beautiful yoga and wellness studio, these meet-up style events consisted of talks covering all things wellness, where she could share her expertise and knowledge while bringing likeminded people together. This approach has always stuck in mind, because it was something relatively low cost with so much return and was executed really well. She implemented this in the earlier years of her business where she was working from a lean budget. In terms of outgoings, all she needed to cover was the rent of the studio, which as she grew quite quickly, I’m sure was able to leverage into paying zero since she was drawing such a large audience to the space. The success of these events was also in large part because:

• They were regular and consistent (reflective of the momentum she kept building, think snowball effect)

• They were speaker events on a given topic within her niche, it continuously positioned her as an expert in her industry as she was exclusively the only speaker

• She established a loyal following that grew really quickly, thanks to them being events that delivered a lot of value and were also free, they were also a low barrier and entry point for people to attend, making it easy to incentivise people to show up and bring friends

I really wanted to share this example because it shows just just how much impact you can make on a really small budget.

Demand for in-person and community building strategies is on the rise and people are looking for new ways to connect and establish more community. From activewear brands coordinating regular run clubs (think Nike) to book clubs and more, businesses who execute this strategy well, will benefit from adding another tangible touchpoint to their brand.

CUSTOM MERCH - THINK TEES, CAPS, STICKERS

Creating custom merchandise can be used in a number of ways, such as an awareness building tool or alternatively as a community building strategy. If you were looking to get your name out there on quite a lean budget, you can utilise something quite simple as stickers which you can give out or you can even attend events wearing your own custom tees or cool caps, making it a unique starting point for generating conversation and networking with people. On the hand, you may want to use this as an income channel as well. There are many options out there, so you can of course choose to produce this and pay the production fees up front or you can look at avenues like Printful that utilise dropshipping, so you essentially pay just the initial samples and set up fees but then any merchandise is made to order.

IN-HOUSE NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINE

Creating in-house publications like newspapers or magazines can not only an avenue for creating additional income, but can also also be utilised as a selling and marketing tool, such as an upsell to incentivise customer spending or as promotional giveaways at events.

Print collateral needs to be approached as an extension of your brand, a tool for inspiration, connection and brand building. It serves as an additional layer, supporting your brand identity and story, through exceptional design and narratives. It should evoke exactly what your brand is about, its core values, and positioning in the market such as premium, street, sustainable, etc.

An in-house publication can deepen story telling by interviewing both members of your community aka making more it relatable as well as aspirational interviewees. It can be used as a platform for further communicating what your business does, whether that's a specialised service you provide or an unusual product with unique design features.

Again, as with all of these, you will want to consider what your business, marketing and sales objectives are, this will help to decide if and when this is the right strategy for you. If you are wanting to explore this more, Newspaper Club is a great solution offering affordable options with low minimums.

THANK YOU OR CONGRATULATIONS CARDS

Utilising personalised cards is such a simple and cost-effective strategy for touching base with your clients on a more personal level. To avoid overcomplicating things, I would personally have some beautifully branded cards printed out, blank on the inside, that way you can utilise them either as thank you or congratulatory cards. Again this is something that you would use for high ticket clients, or if you’re just starting out and wanting to build rapport.

You really want to utilise this in a way that it is personalised. So for example, if your client has a major win or milestone you could potentially send a gift as well as your card. This isn’t just limited to professional wins, personal ones count as well, showing them that you care and that you value them.

To ensure you’re keeping it super personal, I would include something specifically relating to them so that it doesn’t come across as “just another card.” What you write in these cards should be specific, personalised and taken into consideration the occasion and what that effect or transformation is.

On the flip side if you’re just starting out and wanting to create a positive experience with new customers or clients, this can be really effective in them seeing that their purchase counts. People love to support small and emerging businesses which makes this low-entry strategy worthwhile in investing in.

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Thanks so much for reading!
Is there a topic you’d like me to write about?
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Until next time, Aylen