Today, it's become a must for every business to run a website. The worldwide web is considered to be one of the most effective ways of boosting a brand's recognition and reaching a wider audience. Ask any online marketer of the possible ways to become more noticeable on the web, and he will tell you about the importance of proper SEO optimization of your web resource, the value of a good email campaign, the advantages of being active in social media, etc. That's fair enough. However, we shouldn't forget about the tried and true methods of advertising offline.
Becoming focused solely on online promotion is a mistake that many businesses make when working on their marketing campaigns. A trick to building a more successful business is taking advantage of both online and offline business promotion ideas. In that way, you can attract a wider audience to your business from many sources. This will be especially useful to those businesses that are just taking their first steps in their niche and want to attract as many people as possible.
So, what are the most popular, proven offline ways of attracting a wider client base to your business? Let's find out.
Use the same slogans & messages
No matter if you do online or offline marketing make sure that you use the same recognizable phrases that people associate with your brand. Whether you are running an online or offline marketing promotion, also use the same phrases in order to remain consistent across the board. If there are any specific slogans that you use in the offline marketing campaign, add the same to your site and vice versa.
Networking
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Visit networking events in your area. As a rule, there are get-together and meet-ups organized for people working in business niches that are somehow related to each other. Nothing works better than communicating with potential partners face-to-face, shaking hands, and drinking a cup of coffee. Have you ever noticed that's the preferred approach for politicians? It really works.
Collaboration
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Think about other businesses (these shouldn't necessarily be in your area) that can benefit from the solutions that your company provides. Once you have collaborated with other companies that can utilize your services you can gain more credibility for your own project. Assuming that your company does a good job it will bring you more potential clients.
Join forces with other companies with a large offline presence
Another proven technique for promoting your company offline is collaborating with local businesses that run impressive offline promotional campaigns yet have little to no experience in establishing an online web presence. Thus, you can build a long-term relationship with a large corporation and become their go-to service provider.
Sponsorship
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Your business could become a sponsor of a local sports team, some festive events, charity and non-profit organizations, etc. Having your brand name listed on banners, on the back of t-shirts, on flyers, etc. provides a wider appreciation and public recognition of your company.
Magazine ads
Even if you do not read printed magazines and newspapers, there are still lots of people who do. Even though this might be expensive, it will work perfectly well for promoting your business offline. Choose a magazine/newspaper that is somehow related to your segment of the market, and place an ad there. If you are only just starting off, then you can experiment with a smaller ad that will take a quarter of the page. If you attain successful results, than you can go ahead and print a larger advertisement.
Car wraps
This is one of the most popular offline ways of promoting your business. You have probably seen a number of wrapped cars driving around your city. These shouldn't necessarily be the cars of your employees, partners or whoever. Those may be your clients or even partners who installed a thin sheet of vinyl featuring your business information. This can be your company name, URL address, etc.
Radio ads
People listen to the radio when they drive their cars on the way to work and back home. We have a radio channel turned on when cooking or simply sharing downtime with our families and friends in the backyard. Radio ads create a trade-off situation. Being heard during "rush" hours or at lunch will be more costly yet more effective.
Gas pumps
When refueling a car at a gas station, a person is likely to be watching short commercials appearing on a small screen integrated into a gas pump. In fact, gas stations have become one of the newest audiences for offline advertisers. As a rule, such screens are mounted into pumps at eye level, which means that you have many opportunities to attract the users' attention.
Business cards
This is especially useful for "old school" customers and partners. There is something so tangible about having a printed business card with your brand name, logo, URL address, contact details and other data provided. Moreover, it is not too expensive to have them printed these days. Still, they can open the door to your being overcharged for the service.
Celebrating holidays with clients
Don't you think it might be a good idea to send out cards to your clients on special occasions? This doesn't involve too much spending yet you will show that you care about each and every person who deals with your brand.
Package your products differently
This idea will be especially useful to those companies that sell physical goods. While simply changing packaging, you can significantly boost your brand's exposure. Giving away stickers and branded knick-knacks is also a good idea. By incorporating recycled material into packaging, you increase the chances of your fans spreading the word about you and your company.
Billboards
This is something that has always worked and will still be working for many years. By having a big, outstanding billboard placed in a high traffic area you will expand users' interest in your brand. Having a billboard in such locations is not cheap, but it's definitely worth the investment. Adding clearly defined calls-to-action and contact details will help you make the most of the investment.
We hope that these 13 tips will do help you in some way. Experiment with different ways of marketing your business offline. Combine these with the proven online forms of content promotion. Get the most out of all channels when boosting your brand's exposure. And may it all bring you the desired revenue and user engagement.
P.s. Just in case you are looking for even more opportunities for online business promotion, maybe you could be interested in the solutions that TM Affiliate Team? 😉
