Though traditionally online and offline experiences are frequently juxtaposed, they work perfectly together. Your customers hang out online but they didn’t turn into robots, so the offline part of your interactions is a must. Online and offline are not foes – they’re friends that are mutually supportive. Want to know why?
Offline Can’t Survive without Online because:
- Offline events are supported by online campaigns. There is no better way to engage as many attendants as possible. Online ads, promotions, social sharing and blog posts dedicated to the events attract many people to what you’re going to arrange.
- Offline events give quality content for online discussions. You gather ideas and pictures from offline events, and you can come up with any article that is valuable for your target audience and attracts more customers to your business. You can write about the event itself, a product or service that was presented or a concept that was discussed. Many comments from your potential customers are guaranteed.
- Offline events get live streaming through online activities. Tweets, Facebook posts, links, likes, Instagram pics and other ways of expressing your thoughts on what is going on right now will attract even more attention from both attendants and those who didn’t come.
- Nobody would know about what is going on in your company if there wasn’t a blog, a Facebook Fan Page or a Company Twitter. Shot an interview with an industry’s expert? Reached 100,000 customers this month? Launched a new office in New York? Online is the best way for people to find it out.
Online Can’t Survive without Offline because:
- Many of your customers (especially if you’re B2C) prefer to see and touch your products in real life experience. And if you’re a barbershop, is there a way you can be online-only?
- When your customers are excited or confused, they often prefer to talk to the company representatives in person or by phone. It happens because people often don’t know what exactly they would like to get, and spitting it out is a great way to clarify one’s thoughts.
- Online FAQs are not specific enough to correspond to the customers’ needs and answer their individual queries. All customers need to feel their significance that is marked by the individual approach. Not all of them want the same thing.
- Not all of your customers are experienced with e-mails or contact forms. Besides, tech problems can also happen, and live talks come into place.
How Do I Integrate Offline and Online Activities for the Best Customers’ Experience?
- Be sure to respond to all of the customers’ queries, whether it is a phone call, an e-mail or a hand-written letter. It will drive your customers’ loyalty to a new level.
- Promote your offline events with online campaigns. Don’t you want everyone to hear about it and come?
- Be ready to provide a personal touch to your communication with customers. Your content or your responds should never look like they’re automated unless you want to disgust your customers.
- Add a live chat to your website – it is more attractive to use than e-mails due to the immediate responses your customer gets.
- Stream your offline events to your website or blog. Tweet and talk about it online. After the event is finished, be sure to share photos, videos and impressions. Connect with the attendants of your event through as many social channels as possible.
- Use offline customer interactions in your content. For example, write an article or a blog post about what your live survey has shown.
What is your experience with online and offline activities for the benefit of your customers? How do you manage to integrate two types of interactions with your customers? What is your biggest pain in the neck? Tell us in the comments.
