Often, while discussing digital marketing, the conversation turns to tracking and conversions. As it should. After all, tracking is very important and the inherent ability to track digital is part of the reason so many are shifting their marketing efforts.
What is not often discussed, and more often a complaint, is how to track offline marketing. Fact is, it’s not easy. It’s downright difficult. However, that difficulty doesn’t change that your marketing budget is shrinking, and the need for accountability is more important than ever.
Some businesses have completely shifted from print to digital, many adamantly because, “it doesn’t work”. While I am a digital-guy at heart, I feel that traditional/print is still relevant, and often wonder, “does it not work? Or do we simply not know how to track it?”
For many small businesses, the primary form of tracking consists of asking people how they found them when they call or visit. Using anecdotal data such as this to make decisions on marketing spend is dangerous, yet is a practice that is in wide-use.
This doesn’t have to be the case. There are some simple, effective ways of tracking your offline marketing, which will enable you to make better decisions when planning time rolls around.
Unique Website Addresses
By using unique website addresses for every ad, with an accompanying landing page, you give yourself great opportunity to not only track the ad, but create a quicker initial conversion. Something as simple as yourdomain.com/adname with a call to action that is supported by the ad can work very well.
Pros:
Very easy to implement, ability to create a target landing page instead of simply sending them to your homepage. Low cost.
Cons:
It has to be memorable. If you have a long domain name, or one with tricky spelling, dashes or a .net instead of a .com the odds begin stacking against you. What are the chances of someone viewing your ad, remembering the url, and then subsequently typing in the address?
QR Codes
Simple 2D barcodes, which allow you to embed all different types of data making your offline placements interactive. Spec sheets, maps, web address, video, photo gallery, Text messages all can be sent to a viewer once they use their phone to “scan” the code.
Pros:
Great flexibility in what you can have the code “do” once it is scanned. Relatively inexpensive to get started, some additional resources are required for higher end versions that come with tracking data, and analytics. Also, in a print piece, it takes up less than a square inch of space.
Cons:
The use of QR Code readers is growing, but has yet to reach a tipping point here in the U.S. Requires an area of the ad be dedicated strictly to the code.
Call Tracking
The sophistication of call tracking has reached impressive levels. There were times in which businesses would buy banks of 800 numbers, and then move them around from ad to ad, and sift through call logs to glean tracking information.
We now have the ability to create temporary toll-free (and non) numbers which provide data about call duration, call origination and much more. By including these within your ads, you significantly increase the odds of successful attribution.
Not only is this one of the best options for offline, it also offers great value online. Your web developer can embed javascript which will detect the referring source of the visit and display tracking numbers accordingly.
Pros:
Inexpensive, easy to implement and provides a great deal of data. Can be used as “throw-aways” for radio, tv or other short-run spots which decreases the costs incurred.
Cons:
The longevity of print publications is widely debated. For example, how long to keep a magazine tracking ad live? Some (not I) feel you lose some of the branding imparted by using your standard vanity numbers.
What are some ways you track your offline marketing?
