Justin Michie's Internet Marketing Blog


January 7, 2007

Promoting Offline to Build Traffic Online

We sometimes forget that before the Internet came along, a lot of very smart marketer’s perfected creative ways to get their message out to the general population. These techniques are tried and proven, and shouldn’t be forgotten, just because many people have moved to primarily marketing online.

The easiest way to passively get more traffic is to plaster your website on everything you have including but not limited to:

  • Business cards
  • Letterhead                                     
  • Envelopes
  • Business receipts
  • Invoices
  • Sales letters
  • Company brochures
  • Flyers
  • Fax coversheets
  • Pens
  • Pencils
  • Mouse pads
  • A yellow pages ad/listing
  • On your voice mail message
  • Ads in newspapers and magazines
  • Bumper stickers
  • And anything else you can think of

Some other oldies but goodies  include:

Classified Ads
– both in well-circulated newspapers, magazines and other sources can be an easy and cheap way to drive traffic to your site. There are still people who read their daily newspaper at home in their easy chairs every night. Advertising in newspapers can reach those customers. They are also a great way to test headlines.

Bulk mailers / flyers – People check and read their mail everyday, and there are no spam laws connected to snail mail. You can use a local venue that’ll mail your ad along with 20-30 other ads to a localized neighborhood, like www.moneymailer.com. Target flyers can also work very well with the right targeted mailing list.

Trade Shows / Seminars  – These are where a whole bunch of business minded individuals all meet to share their businesses and socialize. They’re also a great to make contacts that can really boost your business and garnish mutually beneficial lifelong relationships.And of course there’s radio, TV, infomercials, billboards, full page newspaper/magazine ads, hot air balloons etc. but these are usually beyond the means and budget or most online marketers.

These are just a few ideas. Bottom line, promoting offline is as important as promoting online. Finding the balance is important in any business.
 

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