What's the optimal strategy to find customers?

Online advertising or offline advertising? Which is the most effective way to find clients for your business?

The answer to these questions lies in probability. But instead of getting caught up in the debate about whether online or offline is essential, you must approach both with skepticism.

When it comes to ads or business in general, taking small bets with the help of skepticism will guide us better than taking a strong position on one of these two types of ads (online or offline).

Here's an example shared by MarketingExamples.com

I've been chatting with the owner of a decorative concrete company. Each month, they pay $600 for an ad in a local magazine that is distributed to 7,000 wealthy homes in Georgia. Over the past three months, they have generated $75,000 in revenue from these ads. Don't overcomplicate advertising—fish where the fish are.

Does that mean they shouldn't run online ads?

No.

If you're not running online ads, how will potential customers know about your services when they are in the buying mode?

Wouldn't it be better to reach them during the late-stage buying process?

By not running online ads, specifically Google ads, you will undoubtedly miss out on many clients who are actively looking to purchase your services.

So what’s the optimal strategy here:-

Companies selling physical products must use offline ads (print ads, radio ads, television ads) to raise awareness, and online ads to fulfill orders.

When you effectively utilize both mediums with compelling content in your ads, your company will generate higher profits.

Therefore, it's better to avoid the offline versus online debate and instead focus on finding ways to position your product as a solution to your customers' struggles.

Things to consider:-

1. Raising awareness through offline ads is just the beginning of the story, while buying via online ads represents the final stage. However, in between, marketing plays a significant role in educating customers through various forms such as content marketing, SEO, influencer marketing, and email marketing (including email capture and nurturing) to guide them along their journey.

2. People will search for content online to educate themselves or seek assistance from their communities to progress in their buying journey. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on writing content that educates and assists them, rather than solely pitching information about your company's history, product types, and product features.

Marketing is not advertising, but that's the article for another day.