Forgotten Offline Marketing Tactics To Make The Most Of

With a large rise in popularity of marketing your business online, there are a lot of offline methods that are getting forgotten about. Of course, there is room for both, and there are online and offline marketing techniques that can help each other and complement each other. But as some offline methods aren’t as measurable as online methods, they are getting forgotten. But there are several ways to market your business offline, that are still relevant today and will still help to give your business a boost. They do still add value, so shouldn’t be forgotten about. So if you are looking to give your business a marketing boost, then starting to look and think outside the box is a good idea. With that in mind, here are some forgotten marketing techniques that could help your business, especially if you don’t have a huge marketing budget.

Personalised Materials

Having some items for the office, as well as to wear and generally use is a really good idea. Something as simple as getting some custom badges with your brand name or logo, and have the whole team use them, can get people talking and get your brand name out and about in everyday life. These kinds of custom items can also come in handy for when you have clients visiting the office, or perhaps to give out at trade shows or local events where you have a stand or stall. Having some things ready to use and ready to give out can make a difference and can promote person-to-person marketing and recommendations; who doesn’t like a freebie, after all?

Engage in offline guerrilla marketing

The term ‘guerrilla’ can sound a bit strange, especially if you haven’t heard of it before. But what the term means is using some quite unconventional marketing strategies. They aren’t really methods that you can use online, as that has much more structure, so offline marketing is the way to go for these kinds of things. So think about what you can do to use these kinds of methods, that are a little unusual, but can definitely have an impact with potential customers. They are things like:

• Leaving sticky notes in places like bars or coffee shops. Some people put them in books in the library, along with a business card
• You could use chalk on the pavement by the office, or somewhere else relevant, to show a promotion or event that is happening for your business
• You could leave a branded pen (see the above point about custom items) at the post office or the bank, wherever a pen will be needed
• You could leave business cards in library books, as mentioned, or perhaps donate some of your own branded bookmarks to the library

Of course, there are a whole host of ideas that work around these kinds of themes, and it can be quite fun. But to have maximum impact, you need to look at making sure that you are using methods that are going to be at the right place at the right time for your target customers. If your target customer is quite young or the millennial age group, then the library option might not work for you as they will tend to be online. Instead, a coffee shop option could work for you.

Speak at events

If you are a business owner, then you are in a fairly exclusive group; there are many people that work for a business owner, but there are only going to be so many business owners in a group. So you can harness your skills and expertise and share them with others. Where you live, and even online, there are likely to be events that you could speak at. This is a great way to get your name out there, establish yourself as an expert in your field, and help you to build brand awareness. Attending these kinds of events is a great idea, but even better if you find that you’re able to speak at them from time to time. You can quite easily find events that are going on around you and then simply contact the host and volunteer some of your time. When you’re going to be with like-minded people and those interested in what you have to say, it can do great things for your business. 

Donate gift certificates or products as prizes

If you offer your product or service as a prize for a local content, then you are helping to raise awareness of your brand, as more and more people are going to hear the business name. Plus, it can really help you if you are in the local community and the business is something that local people could be using. Say for example, your business offers web design or things like computer repairs, you could give a voucher or gift certificate for a certain service. It could be a prize that is drawn for local people, or perhaps at a business fair where you know there will be more people with an interest in the business. As a result, winners are likely to share on social media, as well as a mention on the blog, in a newsletter or even in a press release. So it is a small amount for something that could go quite far.

On a similar note, you could look to sponsor local events, like a sports event or even a local sports team. The sponsorship could be in exchange for your branding on their shirts, for example, which is another subtle way of getting your name out there and seen by more and more people. 

It is important to note that you don’t need to try each and every one of these offline marketing techniques. But even trying one or two can make a difference. It could be writing out some sticky notes or leaving a business card with the tip next time you eat out. You don’t know what will happen as a result, so it is worth a try.

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