Marketing moves at the speed of light, especially when you come up with a new strategy or campaign, and suddenly a new technology or statistics release changes everything.

Every month or year, new techniques and trends come up, entirely transforming the way we connect or attract our audience. Sometimes, adapting to these changes is not enough. In order to succeed, you have to keep yourself ahead of the competition.

In today’s digital era, many of us believe that online or digital marketing is the only way to achieve goals. Well, this holds true for a specific target but some of the best marketing ideas work offline as well. The best marketing strategies are those that perfectly merge the ideas of both online and offline in a single package.

Now that we have entered in 2019, it’s time to start considering new marketing trends for the year. A new year is an opportunity for growth and reflection and this holds true in the world of marketing. Reviews and reflections guide marketers to discover interesting directions in the New Year. Therefore, we believe that it’s better to predict these trends instead of catching up once they become the next big thing. So we have taken out some time to jangle our mind. Look into our internal crystal balls and make some anticipation for the best marketing ideas for 2019.

1) Get Creative With Business Cards:

Business cards are one of the important direct marketing tools for businesses and professionals. Today, with technological advancement, the way communicate around the world has totally changed. Since everything is digitally connected, it is easy to feel that business cards are of no use. But the fact is far from the truth. As per the latest statistics, in the U.S.A, every year, 27 billion business cards get printed on daily basis. This shows business cards are still important. To make your business cards creative, follow these tips:

• Create a referral program: Encourage the cardholders to write their info at the backside of the card and pass on the card to a person who requires the same services. The last person will return the card to you and all the participants will get some discount on the services provided by you. You can do this either by giving instructions on the card (use the back side of the card) or directly explaining the first person to whom you have handed out a card.
• Partner up with complementary services: Create your own reference network with non-competitive services by offering cards for commercial distribution. At times, someone who needs a web or graphic designer also requires a copywriter and photographer.
• Include testimonials: Testimonials are a great way to win the trust of the target audience. The person to whom you handed out your business card will likely to know your records. Including two or three from the list of best ones will help you in establishing the credibility of your product or services. You can also mention the USP of your product/services through testimonials.
• Add QR Code: It is not so popular trend but this is definitely going to rule in 2019. QR Codes are a great way to link your printed and online materials together. It saves space in your card and helps you in providing extra information without any clutteredness. You can link your website, promotional page, blogs, videos, etc.
• Partner with past clients: Just like testimonials, referrals are a great way to attract potential customers. If your clients are happy with the services /products you offer, they may be your ideal representatives to give out your cards. You can ask them to display your business card at their location such as magazines, websites, books, etc.

Tip: Creating a business card has never been so simple. Designhill is one of the leading platforms where you can get in touch with professional graphic designers. The platform also offers business card maker tool to create a card within minutes!

2) Go Big With The Billboards:

When it comes to marketing business successfully, billboards have managed to retain its place in today’s digital era. The audience can skip or ignore the advertisements given on TV, radio, newspapers; but billboards are something that cannot be ignored. Billboards give 24 hours exposure to the brand. Whenever you are passing by a road, you can’t turn them off. According to the latest report, by 2023, the global outdoor advertising market will record a CAGR of nearly 4%.

Here are a few tips to use billboards for marketing:

• Choose the billboard location based on your target audience and budget
• Tailor your billboard ad based on the customers’ activities, whether they are driving doing anything
• Test how your ad looks from a distance
• Don’t include a photo of your team members
• Make sure the text on the ad is legible
• Give a clear call-to-action
• Use bike billboards
• Use graphics that communicate what you can’t say
• Give contact details which are easy to remember
• Dare to be quirky to build brand awareness

Classic examples:

Lightbulb” by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO for The Economist

“Tunnel” by Demner, Merlicek & Bergmann for Oldtimer Restaurant

3) Make Your Product Packaging Interesting:

Today packaging is not just a wrapping sheet to protect the product. It has gained a lot of importance, helping companies in increasing the sales volume. Although there are many ways to increase sales, packaging (which has always been considered as an afterthought) plays an important role in selling products.

As per the studies, numerous products get introduced each year but 95% of them fail just because of their poor packaging. When it comes to choosing a product, the first thing that attracts the consumers is the product packaging. No matter how useful is your product, if the packaging is not good, consumers may pass by it without giving a second glance.

Here are a few tips that not only help you to gain the attention but in your marketing efforts:

• Intelligent packaging:

  

  It is the type of packaging where RFID chips or field communication (NFC) tags are used to engage customers through their smartphones. It provides detailed information about a product like stock availability, real-time offers, originality, etc.

• Eco-friendly:

  

  Customers are more aware and concerned about the environment today. They look for eco-friendly and recyclable packaging.

• Personalization:

  

  The demand for personalization is growing rapidly, and it will continue to rise in 2019. Consumers are interested in such kind of products and love to share their images and reviews on the company’s social profiles.

• Convenience:

  

  In today’s fast-moving world, the eating habits of people have changed. Because of time constraint, they are eating food on-the-go. So in order to sell your product, you need to make modifications in your product packaging.

4) Engage In Guerrilla Marketing:

Guerrilla marketing is a marketing strategy that is used to promote product or services in public places without spending too much money. Not only it helps you in getting direct offline exposure through foot traffic but also in getting word-of-mouth buzz. There is also a possibility to get media coverage if your idea is interesting or viral.

Here are a few things that you need to take care of while opting for such type of marketing:

• Location
• Authenticity
• Execution must be perfect in the first go
• Your creative should align your goals
• Don’t annoy people or break laws

Here are some classic examples of Guerrilla marketing:

5) Fuel Promotions Through T-Shirts:

Wearing own brand t-shirt is always a great feeling. Custom t-shirts are a great way to promote products or services. A unique t-shirt design with a company logo can differentiate you from the rest. There is no chance that you will get unnoticed. With the help of custom t-shirts, you can convey your message in a more casual and friendly way. It gives your brand a fresh and unique look. Thinking about how to design an awesome t-shirt for your brand? Here are a few tips:

• Ask yourself as to why you need a t-shirt. Every company has different goals to achieve. If you have planned to design a t-shirt, there can be a number of reasons behind that. It might be for promotion, leave-behinds, internal unity, and so on.
• Have a clear understanding of the budget, quantity, and timeline.
• Know your audience
• Choose your t-shirt type, example polo t-shirts, round-neck t-shirt, short sleeves or long sleeves t-shirt, etc.
• Choose a color scheme
• Determine the placement of the design on a t-shirt
• Choose the right typography
• Know your printing options like screen printing, dye sublimation, direct to garment (DTG), heat press printing, etc.
• Find a designer
• Evaluate your design
• Find a printer

6) Make The Most Out Of Printing Materials:

Print marketing has been there for centuries. With the increase in new digital media such as videos, podcast, etc., the content debate has become significant. No doubt, the digital content is important but the focus should not be entirely redirected to online marketing. Print media is still a powerful content medium for marketing. Here are some popular printing materials that can use to pump up your marketing efforts:

• Brochures: There is no doubt that technology has made a lot easier for companies to reach to the target audience, but brochures still hold its importance. According to Bentley University, brochures not only make people aware of the brand but also help them make a decision which brand to buy. Design plays a very important role in brochures. Many companies fail to make a great impression because of bad design. Although companies can use brochures in many ways, one great way that it can be used for the promotional activity. For instance, you are having a business of selling perfumes. You can put a tear-off product sample in your brochure to give a trial of your product.
• Catalogs: Earlier catalogs used to be very big. They often featured bad material with thin pages and poor graphics. But today, you can print your catalogs in a smaller size with attractive graphics and designs. All thanks to modern printing technology!
• Direct mail postcards: Postcards are a thick double-sided sheet. Direct mail promotion through postcards has always been popular. They stand out easily from the pile. Since customers don’t need to turn pages, it can easily convey its purpose in a few glances. You can use postcards for seasonal promotions.
• Stickers: Sticker advertising has been there around us for centuries. It is one of the most effective tools to create a long-lasting impression and increase sales. Technically, it has helped politicians in their campaign activities. The best thing about promotional stickers is that they don’t look like advertising. If you design and distribute it with proper planning, it can help you to get word-of-mouth marketing at low-cost.
• Letterheads: Today, companies have started using email for all sort of official communication. However, it is still important to have letterheads. With the help of letterheads, you can promote business, building a positive reputation.

7) Trade Shows And Events:

Trade shows are great platforms for introducing new product or ideas. If you have not listed trade shows in your marketing ideas list yet, do it right away!

You can design a mini-campaign, especially for an event, around your product. Trade shows put you and your competitors under the same roof. You can check out their marketing materials and gain an insight into their strategy. Both events and trades, provide a great opportunity to have a face-to-face conversation with the target customers. You may also get media exposure which can help you in generating content for online marketing activities. Keep in mind that trade shows, as well as events, require a proper planning and strategy a month in advance. A good marketing plan includes:

• Detailed budget
• Brand strategy
• Sales plan
• Positioning strategy, etc.

8) Offer Group Specific Discounts:

Discounts attract most. In order to encourage brand loyalty, there is no better way than giving discounts. Offering a special price to a specific target audience can make them feel privileged. It will ultimately help you in increasing sales.

Here are a few tips to give discounts:

• Partner with other stores that share same target audience and offer discounts that work in the benefit of both the parties.
• Choose a specific demographic like mothers, newlywed couples and give them their own sale week.

Conclusion

That’s all folks! These were our internal crystal ball predictions. But these ideas are useless if you don’t use them. So start using these tips. Who knows somewhere in the future we may get a chance to give an example of your company in a successful offline marketing strategy.

Good Luck!