Like many other industries in the 21st century, advertising is spread across a vast spectrum of platforms covering both the physical and digital realms.
In the former, there are more traditional methods of communicating with potential customers, such as billboards, newspaper adverts and leaflets. Essentially, if anything can be produced as a physical object - or if the message is produced on one - then it falls under the category of ‘offline advertising’.
Its counterpart, ‘online advertising’, covers any form that exists solely online, for instance as sponsored posts on Facebook or Twitter, banners at the top of websites or broadcast pieces at the start of YouTube videos.
What are the benefits
Both have their benefits and their downsides. Online advertising is usually cheaper than its offline equivalents, as fewer resources are required to create the content. Or to put it more simply, trees don’t have to be cut down to print the message on.
However, if you focus your efforts online then you’re going to be reaching out to a predominantly young and early middle-aged audience. This isn’t a problem if that’s your sole demographic, but if you’re hoping to catch the attention of elderly citizens too, your efforts would be better spent on offline platforms where they’re more likely to see it.
Data analysts tend to prefer online platforms, as in-built, computerised tools make tallying up the numbers of hits and unique visitors a lot easier than less accurate estimates for the interest that offline platforms receive. But then it could be argued that adverts are better at grabbing attention when placed on such platforms - after all, when was the last time you stared at a website advert as long as you would a full page in a magazine?
Of course, if your demographic is mixed then it makes sense to diversify your marketing efforts across both realms, giving yourself the best chance of reaching all types of audience members, both the digital natives and the paperback lovers.
As well as that, regardless of which one you choose to prioritise, your strategy has to focus on sites and platforms within your target area, otherwise your finances and efforts will be wasted on people who can’t be potential customers.
How can Trust Local help you advertise your business?
Here at Trust Local, we ensure that adverts on both our online local directory and paper magazine are free of any rogues. With only reputable traders and businesses allowed on our platforms, ours is one area where there’s no difference between the on and offline worlds.
Take a look through our advertising packages to see which one would benefit you most.
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