How Do You Increase Brand Visibility Offline? ?

As a digital marketing agency, we’re obsessed with online marketing, and that in turn means we’re very much focused with online branding. Not only is branding linked to branding cattle, but it’s also an integral part of any marketing.

However, you really should pay attention to offline branding as well as your obvious online spaces. It’s fairly simple to keep your social media artwork, website, landing pages, and emails ‘on brand’ but when it comes to the other areas of the brand – in real life – this tends to get forgotten.

Offline is as important as online branding, and it all starts with your branding and brand guidelines…

If you’re serious about branding, you need to get serious about brand guidelines. Simple stylesheets lay out your brand fonts, colours, and logo variations, but more detailed guidelines include more information, like where your logo should sit on printed material and which version to use where.

For most people, it might be too much. For most small businesses a simple style sheet laying out the basics is enough, but you need to actually follow them!

Many people think a logo is a brand. It’s not. A logo is part of the brand… brand is so much more! Branding follows through everything you do, and visual brand design (how it looks) is just one part of that.

But let’s stay on track. We’re here to talk about your offline brand visibility.

What about increasing your brand offline? How do you go about that?

Offline branding and marketing could easily also be called traditional marketing. Think billboards and magazine adverts. Getting your brand and your business onto offline spaces is often about going back to basics, with a blend of new world thinking.

Here are some ideas to help your brand become more visible offline.

Networking materials

If you’re out networking, even just at those breakfasts and lunches, you’ll be familiar with the branding people use there. These include roller banners, business cards, leaflets, and freebies on the welcome tables. These may well be traditional ways to drive your brand home, but they still work.

These marketing materials even help your online marketing, with the photos of the event (including photos of your banner and the freebies and business cards) being shared on social media.

#ToddsTip Get your collateral on brand, on message, and created in a consistent style for added ‘presence’ at these events.

Exhibiting at events

Marketing your business at a show or expo is a great way to boost those LinkedIn connections and conversations, and they give you a great excuse to update your social media stories too.

We love a good show, and one of the reasons for this is that we get to take our branded pens, mugs, chocolates, notepads, leaflets, eBooks, business cards, and exhibition banner out for a ride. When it’s all laid out together it looks planned, well thought out, and dare we say it – professional.

(We might be cowboys, but we like to be organised when prospecting for gold at an event!)

#ToddsTip Get something branded to giveaway but make sure the pen or freebie is the right colour, so it all matches. Colour is so important, and you can find the right item in the right colour if you work with a helpful branded gifts company.

Uniform and clothing

Dress to impress. Staff and team clothing is a big one here. If you’re a big team then having everyone dress on brand will mean that you’re branding the inside of the train, the pavement on the walk to work, and anywhere else your team members visit.

Uniforms also creates a sense of togetherness and tribal nature which can be good for team building.

#ToddsTip Go big with the branding for added impact. Smaller logos get lost in events and networking photos.

Wall art and office branding

We moved into a new space recently and the plain white walls were begging for some wall art. We love our brand and we wanted to see it come to life.

We found Sticker Mule who can turn your digital logos and graphics into simple-to-use wall graphics. The quality is great, it’s easy to apply and you can choose your own size!

Now when our clients come to the office, they see our life-size cow and the Spaghetti Agency logo on the wall above our sofa. (We’ll definitely be adding more over the coming months!).

#ToddsTip Add your company values or tagline to your wall as a visual reminder of what your brand stands for.

Vehicle graphics

Got a company vehicle? Branding the sides and rear can add a load of touchpoints to your local area or on a national scale. If you’re seen online and then you park in town or drive on the motorway, people’s reticular activator is triggered and the power of branding goes into action, making you even more memorable.

Jo’s car is branded – and it’s purposefully Spaghetti Blue – and we get some interesting comments, posts, and conversations because of it when she’s spotted out and about!

#ToddsTip Add your website and social media or even adopt the humble QR code which has seen a recently increase in popularity.

Local community sponsorship

Sponsoring a local football team, sports banner, or event is a super way to get some brand awareness. Of course, you need to make sure that what you’re putting your name to is in line with your company and brand values, but event sponsorship in particular can give you a load of marketing on social media and in their printed handouts, tickets, and more (if you get the right package!).

#ToddsTip Work with the event, team, and community to ensure your brand is placed well and looks ‘on brand’ as much as possible.

Print magazines, PR, leaflets

And of course, there’s always the old old school! Magazines, papers, and leaflets might seem old hat, but when you combine them with targeted Facebook Ads, timely PR, or other marketing at events like expos or festivals you’ve sponsored they can really add to the overall number of touchpoints.

You might never be able to fully track these types of marketing but they’re often a lot cheaper than paid ads and online sponsorship.

#ToddsTip Always try to work with someone to get an advertorial or something that adds a bit more value and shows off your knowledge. A little square in a corner of a local rag is often going to make you look cheap and won’t get as much impact anyway.

More impact, less digital

Ironic for us to publish this? Not really. Your marketing is far more than just social media and websites. We’re the first to say that.

Online marketing performs better when you have multiple platforms and channels and that includes some traditional marketing. This is especially true if your audience are more likely to see your offline marketing over your online stuff.

Whatever you do though, keep it consistent, on-brand, on message, and on the right platforms. Understanding who your customers/clients are and where they hang out is the essential ingredient to that decision.

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