Marketing Your Business Offline
Every marketer is searching for the most effective ways to promote their business online. But, how about offline promotion? The answer to that is really up to you. Remember...all your customers live in the physical world and can be reached more effectively from the physical world. With that being said, regarding promoting your business offline...you must start thinking creatively.
The following are just a few examples of various marketing techniques that can be used.
1. Create business cards. This can be done with business card paper which can be purchased at business supply stores. You can make these on your home computer. You will need to install card-maker software to do this. Or you can hire someone to make them for you. Try to make them unique...different than the normal business card.
Be creative, try and capture the attention of prospective customers with your choice of color and design.
2. Pass your cards out at dinner engagements, parties, libraries, schools, colleges, daycare centers,...basically any place where someone will allow this type of solicitation. Leave them in restrooms of theaters, restaurants, department stores, etc...Remember, think creatively and you will come up with tons of other places and ideas. Keep a fresh supply of your business cards in your car at all times. You never know when an opportunity will present itself.
3. Make up some flyers and posters to post on bulletin boards. Again your choice of color and design will be substantial at capturing the attention of prospective buyers. These flyers could be handed out locally and also posters could be displayed at various locations such as supermarkets, gas stations, malls, laundry mats, churches, social clubs and business centers.
4. Talk to your friends and people you come in contact with about your business. These friends and acquaintances will tell their friends and so on. This is called "word of mouth" advertising. "Word of mouth" is by far the most effective marketing technique you can use when promoting your business offline.
Be enthusiastic about your business while you're talking...get excited about what you do. Your enthusiasm will most likely rub off...and result in sales and/or recruits.
5. Place bumper stickers on your car displaying your business. Include a phone number or a website link so that people can see it and contact you. You would be surprised at how many people look at these. Again, you can make them yourself or hire someone to do it. For this technique, your website URL and phone number should be fairly large so that it can be seen easily.
6. Hire someone to make ink pens and pencils with the name of your business on them. You can leave these at banks, churches, libraries, and various other places. When you start to hand these out...you will most likely think of a lot of other places to hand them out, or discretely leave them.
7. Check out cinema screen advertising at various theaters. Think of how many people will see your ad! The prices will vary. This is an excellent marketing method if pricing is within your budget.
8. Check out advertising in your local newspaper. Advertising in magazines is also another great option. There are many people that are newspaper and magazine junkies. If the pricing is within your budget...go for it!
9. Have t-shirts or hats made with a special logo of your business. Include a phone number or website link to your business. Other personal favorites could be mugs, calendars, mouse pads, refrigerator magnets and the like. And I bet if you think real hard, you could come up with a lot more.
Creativity is key when contemplating innovative offline marketing techniques. Offline promotion is really a trial and error type of thing. If something is not bringing in the sales...try something else. The ideas are essentially endless. Put your mind to it and try your hand at offline promotion...it could mean significant success for your business.
Tip: When using offline marketing techniques, it is better to use a short domain name so that it can be remembered easier.
Article written By: Tammy Embrich
Owner of: WAH Opportunities and
Owner of: Real WAH Jobs
Anyone is free to use this article on their website as long as the author's name and information is attached and links are clickable.
If you have any additional marketing strategies or ideas please contact me I would love to hear from you!
