Although online marketing is important, just as much focus must be given to offline marketing for your small business. Offline marketing can be very effective when done correctly. It can reach local consumers exactly when they need your products or services. You should know how to market your small business offline.
Business Cards and Flyers
Business cards and flyers are two effective ways to market your business offline. You can hand out business cards or leave them in public areas. Attractively designed flyers with bold graphics can be hung throughout the neighborhood or in friendly businesses. They will catch the attention of people walking by. Business cards and flyers are also inexpensive marketing tools.
Pass Out Promotional Items
Promotional items are things like pens, bags or umbrellas that have your company name, logo and contact information printed clearly on the side. Your small business can get a loan from Advanced Funds Network in order to finance the production of hundreds of these items. Pass out the promotional items for free or give them to customers after a purchase. These items can promote your business in areas like workplaces, gyms and homes where other marketing channels cannot reach. Practical promotional items like water bottles can increase your brand awareness as they are carried around each day.
Offer Training Classes
Offer free or low-cost training classes involving the products or services that you sell. This can introduce many people in the area to the items that you are selling. It can establish your expertise in the field. Some people will begin to see your small business as a valuable local resource. This will build trust and consumer loyalty while also providing a way to directly explain the value of your products or services.
Newspaper and Radio Advertisements
Pay attention to your customers to see what local newspapers and radio stations are popular for your largest market segments. Newspaper ads can be very effective especially if you include coupons or discounts. Radio advertisements can be effective because they reach people at work, in cars and in other businesses. Do not ignore these traditional offline marketing channels.
Regular Newsletters
Direct mail has a good return on investment and is inexpensive to implement. Send out a printed newsletter every week or month to customers or sales leads. Include some interesting content in the newsletter and not just advertisements for your latest sales or newest products. People who receive the newsletter could potentially pass it on to friends or neighbors who will become fans of your small business. Newsletters also help to remind consumers of your business when it comes time to make purchasing decisions.
Event Sponsorship or Participation
Sponsoring or participating in local events is a good way to market your small business offline. You can often donate a small amount in exchange for having a banner hung somewhere prominent during the event. Alternately, you or a few employees could volunteer to help during the event while wearing branded shirts. This shows your business is part of the local community. There is also the possibility of earned media for your business if the event is covered on the local news or by local papers.
Partnerships with Other Local Businesses
A final technique is to partner with other local businesses that are not competitors. A partnership can involve advertising or promoting the other business to your customers. Similarly, the partner will promote your small business. This can introduce your small business to entire new market segments or niches that would not have normally seen your other marketing efforts. An added bonus is that a partnership makes it possible to split the costs of joint marketing ventures.
