4 Ways to Promote Your Online Business in the Real World
Today, a large majority of company owners have come to accept that taking their businesses online is the way forward as brick and mortar only businesses are fast fading away.
But, while it’s true that selling your products or services online is the safest bet when starting a business today, that doesn’t imply that you should limit your marketing and promotion to online platforms alone.
In fact, there are plenty of marketing activities that you can undertake in the real world to direct customers to your site next time they’re online.
We’ve put together some of the best offline marketing ideas for online businesses.
#1. Give Away Free Stuff:
There’s no denying that people love free stuff, even if it’s stuff that they already have, or don’t particularly need.
There’s nothing stopping anyone from grabbing a new mug, t-shirt, keyring or pen if it’s being given away for nothing.
After all, these are the kind of items that most people simply can’t have too many of.
When it comes to promoting your business, giving away branded free items doesn’t just help to build your reputation as a generous online retailer. Customized items also serve as advertisements to all who see them, and a continuous reminder of your brand to the user.
For example, a single bulk flash drive purchase, customized with your branding, can be given away to people who’ll use them – and see your brand – every day.
#2. Hand Out Flyers:
Brochures and flyers are a fairly old-school form of marketing, but they’re still a popular choice for offline marketing today. And, it’s even better if you can find a spot where you know you’re going to get a lot of interest from your target audience.
For example, you could visit a food court on a weekend to hand out brochures for your online cooking products store, or a university campus if you’re selling cool stuff that students will love.
Flyers differ from business cards in that they offer a little more of an in-depth look at the type of things your business offers, providing you with a key opportunity to give your customers information that they didn’t already have about your brand.
#3. Decorate Your Car:
Chances are, you drive your car almost every day. Whether you’re working at a day job alongside running your business, taking your kids to school, going to the shops, visiting friends and family or taking a fun day out, you’ll need your car to get you there.
And, you’ll encounter hundreds of people on the road along the way. So, why not turn your car into a moving advertisement for your business?
Car stickers are easy enough to obtain and you can customize them to your brand. Keep it short and to the point, so that anybody driving past you can see what your brand is and what it’s about.
Make sure that your contact details such as website address, e-mail address and telephone number can be easily seen.
You never know who is driving past you that’s been looking for the type of goods or services that you provide.
#4. Form Partnerships:
Working together with other businesses can go a long way when it comes to getting your business out there in the real world.
Ask around in your local area – hairdressers, small food stores, market stalls and other small shops might be willing to put some of your business cards on display for their customers if you give them a mention on your social media, for example.
Or, you could provide them with products or services in return. You might also want to explore the non-profits in your area and help them out.
Online is the way forward with business today, but you don’t have to restrict marketing to the internet.
Do you have any great offline marketing suggestions? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.