Offline Marketing is a Must-Do Marketing Strategy
1. Be an expert – Make sure everyone knows your expertise so that you can be a resource to them. Do not keep your online business a secret from your offline friends, family, and contacts. Talk about it, educate them, and before you know it you’ll be the expert that they come to when they realize having an online business is real.
2. Be a speaker – Find your local speakers bureaus, sometimes maintained by your local library, your chamber of commerce, local businesses, nonprofits and universities and find out how to offer your speaking services. Create a “one sheet” which is just what it says, one sheet of paper that gives information about you as a speaker including your photograph, what you talk about, your fees, and products. Do a search on “one sheet” to discover what should be on this important marketing document.
3. Teach a class – If you have a college degree you can usually teach at your local college or university on an adjunct or part-time basis. Being a college professor will definitely give you “street cred” in your local community, and out of your local community. This is something you can add to your websites immediately. If you do not have a degree, you can still become a Lecturer when you own a successful business. Call your local university, college, community college, or the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in your area for more information on how to get started.
4. Contact the press — If you have a good story to tell, send the press a tip. If you have certain news people that cover different types of news on your local channels, send them a brief summary of your story. Have friends send links to your story that you’ve told online. You might be surprised that sometimes they have slow news days and need to fill the space. In addition, make sure the press knows your expertise too, and make sure they know you have an open door policy to make comments on issues surrounding your expertise.
5. Network — Go to after 5 chamber of commerce meetings, business women meetings, meet ups that are in your area and rub elbows with a lot of people, making sure that they know your business, your expertise and your name.
6. Send out press releases — Whenever you have something wonderful to announce send out a press release and make sure it gets into the right hands. Target your press release blast to the right people, because otherwise, they will just toss it. If it gets to the right people, you’ll be surprised at how many will be printed.
7. Advertise locally — There are many local advertising and marketing opportunities for the online business to use off line. There are local magazines, local papers, placemats, bathroom ads, grocery cart ads, local “coffee news”, and more. Find these opportunities and use them. Usually the cost is minimal. Additionally, many of these local venues need content, you may be able to get free advertising by offering local content. Your info will be in the byline, much like online article marketing.
8. Business cards – Buy them, make them look great, and use them. So many online business owners purchase business cards and never give them out. Probably because they often never leave the house. So order some, and get out of the house and network.
9. Volunteer — Helping others is an excellent way to market your online business offline. Many organizations need volunteers, board members, sponsors, and participants. Leave no stone unturned. Volunteering locally will establish good will and trust both online and offline.
10. Advertise on your car – You can purchase either magnetic signs for the side of your car or window decals that give a website or phone number for people to call for more information. This is a great way to market your online business offline and get the word out wherever you go.
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23 Quick Tips on Offline Marketing
