What is an often-overlooked yet crucial part of any search marketing campaign? Offline marketing, according to a study
from search firm iProspect and JupiterResearch.
"We figured we'd see an even split between those influenced to search by offline channels, and those not influenced by
offline," said iProspect president Robert Murray. "Needless to say, we were more than surprised to learn that a full
67% of online search users are driven to search by some offline channel."
What's more, nearly 40% of online searchers influenced by offline channels ultimately make a purchase.
Fielded this summer by Jupiter, the survey was completed by 2,322 randomly selected individuals from the Ipsos Insight
U.S. online consumer panel. They were asked 25 questions about their behaviors, attitudes, and preferences as they relate
to games, digital imaging, portable devices, and service bundles.
Among its key findings, the survey showed that offline channels clearly influence a significant percentage of online search
users to subsequently perform queries on search engines based on the company name, product/service name, or slogan that
appears in the offline channel's messaging.
"It's intuitive," added Murray. "It makes sense that offline channel messaging could pique a user's curiosity enough to
motivate them to search for additional information. But most offline advertising doesn't exactly make it easy for customers
to find a company's Web site."
Beyond examining the power of offline channels to drive search, the study also examined purchase behavior. Specifically,
offline-influenced online searchers were asked whether they ultimately had made a purchase from the company whose Web site
had been the object of their search. The data revealed that more than one-third did so. This translates into a 39% conversion
rate, suggesting a synergistic relationship exists between search and offline channels.
"Search is no longer an add-on consideration for marketers," said Murray. "It is front and center."
