Tweet

Marketing Offline Can Substantially Increase Your Online Business

Written by: Jill Hart

Article Overview: It is effective to market your online business locally primarily because potential customers and business recruits prefer to have the option of speaking with the business owner face to face. You will no longer be that “someone they found online,” but someone that they will be able to relate to and feel confident doing business with.

Marketing Offline Can Substantially Increase Your Online Business

The Internet can be a scary place for those looking for a home-based business opportunity. The fear of not connecting personally with others is one concern and many people have been “taken” by online scams in their search for a legitimate business and are fearful to take any more risks. One way to overcome fears such as these is to market your online business locally. By simply offering the person a contact that they can speak to and possibly even meet face to face you will making the statement that your business is legitimate and trustworthy.

It is effective to market your online business locally primarily because potential customers and business recruits prefer to have the option of speaking with the business owner face to face. By attracting customers locally, you can maximize the opportunities to meet with them. You will no longer be that “someone they found online,” but someone that they will be able to relate to and feel confident doing business with.

But how do you market locally? Here are some excellent tips:

Besides the common local advertising routes, such as Newspaper Ads, Yellow Pages, Etc., another effective (and inexpensive) way to advertise locally is to post business related flyers around your community. Many grocery stores, libraries, bookstores, and office supply stores offer bulletin boards for this purpose. Make yours stand out and be recognized, yet professional enough to warrant someone trusting you with their business. Also, if possibly have a tear-off section on your flyer so they can take your number and leave your flyer.

Look for events geared toward work-at-home businesses. There are organizations, such as the National Work at Home Mom Association, that hold events across the nation to help promote the work-at-home business owner. At events such as these, you can purchase a booth and make hundreds of local contacts, as well as sales, all in one day.

Reach out to your community. Join your local Chamber of Commerce, get involved in community events and become known to those around you. Pass out flyers and hand out business cards to everyone you meet. Door Flyers also work well for marketing – pick one neighborhood a week and go door to door. Be consistent with your marketing with door flyers, too. If a potential customer sees your ad repeatedly, they will feel more inclined to use your services in the future. Magnets can be great promotional items as well. You can have magnets printed with your business information and hand them out to people that you speak to about your products. Potential clients can keep these on their refrigerator or filing cabinet. You can also leave flyers, magnets or even catalogs around town in places like doctor’s offices, hair salons, etc.

Volunteer in your community for marketing success. Diana Ennen of Virtual Word Publishing, Inc. suggests, “Volunteer at school events such as PTA meetings or community functions. When your child’s school needs a flyer, volunteer to do it and attach your card to it. Look to see where you can also inexpensively advertise. Often ads in the kid’s yearbook or community events newsletter will get your more exposure than the expensive ads in the daily newspapers.”

Direct mail is another great tool for gaining local clients. Get the Yellow Pages out and write a professional letter or send your brochures or postcards to those that would be interested in your products or services. Send a mailing to local businesses that my be interested in offering your products to their customers. For example, if you sell home décor products, send a professional letter to real estate agents in your local area. In the letter, describe how your products would be valuable for them to use as thank you gifts when they sell a home.

It’s important to talk to everyone you possibly can about your business. You can find prospective customers in line at the grocery store, while waiting at a doctor’s office, or even while playing at the park with your children. Let others know that you are excited about it and believe in it. If the people around you hear the excitement in your voice, they may become excited about your business, too! You’ll be rewarded with more sales and a business that prospers from year to year.

Related Articles
  Offline is the New Online is the New Offline
  How Many Poles Do You Have In The Water?
  Offline Marketing for Website Promotion
  Differences Between Marketing Your Business Online Vs. Offline
  An online presence is the answer to beating the recession

Article Tags: business cards, flyers, home based business opportunity, legitimate business, Yellow Pages



Related Forum Posts
Re: What is your Business? - We are running a Online Marketing Firm and we have some good clients to which we are offering a complete Digital Marketing strategy like Search, Mobile Marketing, Branding and Design. I think in Online Marketing company online presence can be a wining factor for the success of the company.
Money I made while in School - While in university I did have a Student Loan (still paying that bugger off) and had a part-time job as a Call Center agent (inbound). *Canada* I also designed websites (outsourced all the work). I just worked on getting new customers, managed the projects to completion and helped create Marketing Plans for my clients (Online and Offline). *Canada* When I was studying the in the States I also made some money as a Part-time Flight instructor. *USA*
Kevin's Case Study #11 - A New Forum Category? - Hi Everyone, 2009 is a new year and I'd like to create a new forum category to jazz things up! In the past, there's been some interest voiced about adding a "Social Media Marketing", "Online Marketing", "Internet Marketing" or "Online Promotion" category. I'll implement [u:1g2tv6tf]ONE[/u:1g2tv6tf] of those new categories, but can someone first tell me what the difference would be between the existing "Marketing" section and one of those new options mentioned above? Thanks
Re: How many mambers of this forum are also member of WF? - Hi Kevin, I have to agree with Tanny. All forums are unique in their own way, but doesn't mean that one is better than the other. What you might get out of one forum, you may not get from another. For instance, the WF focuses on Internet Marketing, while this forum focuses on Entrepreneurship. Each has their own set of benefits. I don't think you can really compare one to the other, unless of course they focused on the same topic. I have learned a lot from this forum, stuff I would never have gotten from the WF. With that being said, I've learned a lot from the WF, specifically since I need to know about Internet Marketing and running an online business. The addition of the Online Business forum here will help, and Jeff is doing a great job as moderator.
Re: Let’s talk about the ways of marketing your products, servic - I agree with some of the others who responded it depends on what your selling... but to answer your questions here are some of the methods I use. Forum Marketing Yahoo Answers (I need to use more of) SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Bum Marketing or Article marketing P-P-C (Pay Per Click) Marketing Online Directories Hope this helps.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

How to Write Your Articles for Better SEO

LISTENING SKILLS IN COACHING

Emotional Intelligence in Business

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.