Offline marketing is just as important as online marketing, in fact, they go hand in hand. Realizing that these two marketing strategies are not mutually exclusive is very instrumental in the successful promotion of your business. The use of search engine optimization, blog posts, and countless other online marketing strategies can only take you so far, and broadening the reach of your brand involve the most traditional methods of promoting your products and services. This article focuses on offline marketing for small businesses, and here we will enumerate the five cheapest methods to promote your internet business offline.
RADIO TALK SHOWS
Promoting your website through radio talk shows is obviously a very effective marketing strategy. The amount of radio talk shows in America alone can reach up to thousands and the trick is to make your brand information accessible to them. So what do you do? You sign up with the Radio Television Interview Report (RITR) and run up an advertisement that should catch the attention of radio producers and hosts.
PUT YOURSELF ON TV
Ah, the ever-reliable boob tube. Even amidst the internet explosion, the TV is still one of the most reliable mediums to showcase your products and services. What you can do is contact local television stations and offer to be a guest in one of their segments or put out an ad for the local cable channel. The general rule of thumb still applies – choose a TV station that caters to your target customer base. Also remember that the better coverage the television station has, the better it will be for your business. If you have more cash to spare, contact mainstream television stations and your website should be a word-of-mouth among viewers in no time.
GET PUBLISHED
The printed word is easily accessible to any demographic, not to mention it gets passed around. Taking advantage of free local magazines and newspapers will put a lot of leverage as far as marketing your products and services is concerned. You will have to pay to have your ads posted, but that’s money well spent if lots of people get to read them. There’s a magazine for everything these days – be it cars, sports, tattoos, even knitting. Contact a publisher for a magazine that caters to the same customer base you have, and request for your ad to get published. If done to perfection, I promise you that your domain name will be a word-of-mouth among subscribers of that magazine. Having an interesting domain name and byline will be of great help too.
NETWORKING THROUGH ORGANIZATIONS
Getting involved in a lot of organizations can give you lots of opportunities for spreading the word about your internet business. This includes Chamber of Commerce events, non-profit organizations, church memberships, business clubs, and any group that provides opportunities for interaction. Being active will involve lots of presentation opportunities, and when they come, make sure to give your best spiel.
WORK EVEN WHILE NOT WORKING
You can promote your business in any normal occurrence, be it meeting up with old friends or going to your favorite local bar. Word of mouth is the oldest trick in the book, and the results can be exponential if done with regularity.
By using the methods above, you’re small business should continue to grow. After you have accumulated a good return on your investment, a whole lot of other sophisticated methods that should boost your business will be made available to you.