All successful businesses started somewhere. Those online have worked all their might online, promoting their links everywhere and on everything. But I have to ask, what are you doing offline to promote your online business?
Promotion of your business is important. If you are not promoting, you will not succeed. Sorry, but that’s the truth. My background prior to starting my own business was print advertising. I saw many businesses fail because of lack of promotion. Without promotion, whether it is online or offline, no one is going to know about you. There are a myriad of options out there to promote your business. For today’s sake, we are going to stick to online business promotion offline otherwise I could go on for at least 10 pages!
So let me ask again, what are you doing offline to promote your online business? Whether you are not doing anything or just getting started, here are some ways to promote offline.
1. Business Cards
If you have a business you HAVE to have business cards! This is you best form of offline promotion. You can leave these at your local coffee house, place on community bulletin boards and depending on the type of business you have, with your bill at the restaurant!
Business cards have come a long way. These days people are putting their pictures on them or adding a QR code to link them to their website or a contact page. In fact, my new business cards have a QR code on them!
2. Networking
I am a big believer in networking. There are many opportunities in your community for you to network your business. There is your local Chamber of Commerce. At the Chamber they provide networking opportunities. Ours does a monthly Business After Hours that is hosted by a different business each month. This is a perfect opportunity to take some business cards and talk about what you do.
Another option is join a professional networking group such as BNI. BNI is an international networking organization that has over 100,000 chapters across the globe. I can assure you there is a BNI group close to you. I have the privilege of serving as President of our local chapter. I have seen first-hand how a networking group can transform a business! For more information on BNI, visit this link.
3. Advertising
I can hear you now, “I don’t have the money to advertise!”. Anytime you place your business name or logo on something, that’s advertising! Sponsoring local events is a fairly inexpensive way to promote your business. Doing a small sponsorship to get your name on a t-shirt is my favorite. Come on, having several hundred people wandering around with a shirt with your logo on it? Visibility everywhere! You can also sponsor something at your child’s school. Finding inexpensive sponsorships is a great way to promote your business, not to mention supporting your community.
If you do have the money to spend on advertising, find out what your customers are reading or watching and formulate a plan from there. If you need some guidance with this, contact me!
There are thousands of ways, both inside the box and outside, that you can use to promote offline. These 3 ways I have found to be the most effective. How about you, what ways are your promoting your online business offline?
Mandy you are so right! I especially agree with the networking! And I think BNI is a great networking opportunity! Great points!
Thanks Angela! I love BNI!
Oh I have so many things that I have to get busy with! Thanks for all the great tips Mandy!
People get so confused thinking there is a difference in online and offline. It’s all the same. You have to be connecting with people all. the. time. Great examples of key elements that shouldn’t be neglected. Thanks!
Thanks Martha!
I LOVE networking AND I just got my business cards redone. Two out of three right on. I enjoy going to in-person networking events, but lately I have also found many on-line networking events that are great. Glad you brought sponsorship and business cards to our attention as well! Nice post!
Thanks Dorien!!
Great tips Mandy! I especially like the one about sponsoring something local or getting your name on a t-shirt. Definitely something to look into here. Thanks!
Thanks Helena! I love doing anything I can to get my name out!
Business cards are a must! Give your contacts a call to action on the back of the card and it’s another way to get new folks to find out what you offer. I give gift certificates to local auctions to get the word out as well. Good sound tips!
That is a great idea Lisa! Thanks!
Mandy, this is part of what I wrote my article about this week, people thinking there is an Easy Button they can push to build a business. Au contraire! So, of the hundreds of promotional options that exist, as you say, pick three. And do them strongly and consistently enough to be noticed After all, that’s what promotion is all about!
That is so right Sharon!
Very good reminders of the basics that you need to keep in mind!
Thanks Sally!
Mandy, I just got business cards two weeks ago. I thought that it might have been too much but glad to see that it was the right step! @Lisa, next time, I will put a call to action on the back of my card! : D Great tips!!
That’s great Sherie!
These are great tips Mandy. I am joining my local BNI. I have heard great things about it!
Lori, you will LOVE BNI! Such a great group of business owners!
This was a very timely post for me! My next big adventure is getting educated in advertising! Thanks for the tips!
Thanks Denny!
Thank you for a great article about staying on track promoting business! great job today!
Thanks Patricia!
Great info Mandy! Advertising is so important and so often overlooked, and even cut out of businesses! I agree with Networking too. Getting out in front of people is a necessity!
Thanks Suzanne! I love networking – a great way to meet people and tell them about your business.
Great tips and advice, Mandy! Advertising of any kind, can be of benefit! Reminds me…need to order more business cards! :o)
Thanks Alexandra!
YES, a call to action is very important part in every advertising that we do; just advertising would be a waste of money. Thanks for the great tips!!
Thanks Olga!
These are great tips Mandy, that are easy to apply. Thanks!
Thanks Sara!
all great tips Mandy!!! Social media is great way to advertise at a cheaper rate! You can reach so many! Working for your favorite charity is also an awesome idea!
Thanks Liz!
I networked far more for my social media business offline than online 🙂 I am actually needing to expand and connect more and I have to order new biz cards too! This was a timely post 🙂
Thanks Anita!
Great points. When things get tough, the first thing so many small businesses do is to cut back on marketing and advertising, but that really is the worst thing to do. There are so many ways to advertise and market creatively on a very limited budget and these are definitely some of the most effective and simple.
Yes Marie!! I have seen first hand businesses that have done that and all they have done is damage their business!
great piece mandy
Wonderful advice as always.
Great reminders for the consistent effort that goes into building a successful business. Rather than building an online presence and assuming that folks will magically show up, go where they are and build relationship! As one who made the successful switch from offline to line business, I’ll enthusiastically agree with your pointers!
Thanks Ronae! You are so right!
Thank you Mandy, so many great tips in one post! Amazing! 🙂
Thanks Solvia!
Great article!
Wonderful article!
I am so with you, marketing you business offline is just as important. Great article!
Great post!
Thanks Helena!
Great article. There are so many simple, effective and inexpensive ways to market offline. And it’s a BIG part of building your business no matter whether it is online or offline.
Yes it is! Thanks Marie!!
this was a great article hun!
Wonderful tips! Building business is so fun once you get the hang of a few things!
Yes! Thanks Nancy!
Great tips, Mandy! I love watching you just keep growing and growing 🙂
awesome! I hear so much about offline business learning to get ONLINE and market, but I don’t often hear about online businesses learning how to get OFFLINE and market, and both are so very important!
Thanks Heather! It is important!
I agree…business cards are a MUST…am in the process of having mine re-designed.
Me too Kim!
Great ways to market offline! I love wearing t-shirts and have gotten comments/questions by wearing them.
Thanks! I love wearing t-shirts also!
aww, thanks Susan Preston! I appreciate that!
Have to get going on some business cards Mandy! Thanks for the reminder… 🙂
Commented and Liked!
Thanks Dorien!
Lots of great tips, Mandy!! Love that I can order business cards from my own business!! Now for the call to action that I need to include? I need to sleep on it! Your posts are always so to the point and so many times things that I should have thought of but didn’t. Thanks for that!
Hello Mandy GREAT post promoting your contents is the most important this anyone can do if their trying to succeed online. I think most people starting out think the web will do it for them, but what they don’t realize is its up to use to take advantage of what we have to make it work….
This is a biggie for me – I’m just getting started with promoting for my blog and my new professional site … what great ideas, Mandy! Thanks for the tips!
Thank you for the tips Mandy. My favorite is Networking. It is fantastic, and you get to meet new people, and can help them also.
Truly, business cards are of great help in promoting your business online. So does networking. I agree with you that these are really effective ways. Thank you for sharing this.
I really appreciate this online/offline combination. Lately I’ve been thinking about how I can take my online ‘expertise’ to an offline audience much more powerfully. Considering my niche (homesteading, green living and Paleo eating) there are a lot of local activities where I could offer something fun–a newsletter or a guide book or some classes–to promote my blog & business. Thanks for the thoughts!
Thank you for the tips Mandy. I’ve recently been invited to BNI and know absolutely nothing about it. My favorite ways to promote are networking and social media.
Great article Mandy! I’m actually looking to have my business cards redone as I want something that stands out a bit more! Thanks for the reminder!
Great article and tips, mandy…simply but effective reminders!
Thanks Carl!
These are all great ideas Mandy, thank you. I try to go to meetups when I can and have met some good people and good opportunities there. You’ve convinced me to find my local BNI chapter, so I’ll have to let you know how that goes. Not only are these essential ways to promote your business, they can be fun too!
Do let me know if you go to BNI! It’s a great way to market your business!
Thanks for the reminders (I need new biz cards), and for the BNI resource!
Christiane
You are welcome Christiane!
I love business cards! I love designing them, trading them and collecting them. I see a place for them still today – and hope they never go out of fashion – even in this digital age.
I went to a small business networking day at my community centre last week and met two new influencers.
Mandy, I’m not convinced about the QR codes. Do they really work for you?
QR codes are just plain ugly. Can’t someone actually “design” that element?
Hello Diana,
QR codes works perfectly to promote your online business through offline marketing. But, all you need is best promotional displays or trade show displays which displays your QR code perfectly without any damage.
https://goo.gl/YLySzR