Build Buzz For Your Online Business Through Offline Marketing

Marketing your online business shouldn't be dependent on online marketing alone. Online businesses owners often forget that potential clients come mostly from the non-virtual world. Here are a few offline marketing ideas you could integrate with your online marketing strategies:

Business Networking Ideas

• Networking could never be underestimated. Often, your network provides the leads and information necessary to send the word out about your business and to expand your clientele.

• Join business meetings, forums, and conventions. These are where most local business owners gather together to discuss business ideas. These are also where the latest strategies and technologies are discussed to help online businessmen and business owners learn more about their trades.

• Network yourself with local business professionals. Join business associations and activities like Chamber of Commerce, industry events, networking organizations, and trade shows to expand your network.

• Know who you are networking with and be selective with whom you are networking with. Select only the best networks. 

• Establish good, strong relationships with your network business partners. 

• Talk with people about your business. You'll be surprised how many people are actually interested in building up their own businesses. You'll also get to gather new business ideas this way.

Relationship marketing ideas

• Fortify your base market. Maintain and continue to improve your relationship with current and past customers. Don’t waste your initial marketing efforts by not sustaining your current base market. Continue marketing to your existing clients.

• There are a few things you could do to keep your base market loyal to your business. You can keep in touch with them on a personal level by sending out holiday cards. Some online business owners go so far as sending their clients handwritten letters that update them regarding industry news.

• Create a newsletter. Never allow your base market to forget about your business. Keep it foremost in their minds by giving away things, newsletter for example, that may directly or indirectly remind them of your business or your services.

• Form relationships with new market. Don’t be content with your current market base. Expand as much as your resources would allow.

• Participate in local trade shows. You can either be behind the booth reaching new customers or outside doing the talking to potential business partners.

• When introducing yourself to potential new customers, never complicate business terms. If you're trying to build new business relationships, keep your information simple. Customers don't have all day to figure out what you’re trying to sell.

• Throw special events or parties for your customers. Such events could help brand your products or services as well as expand your network connections. 

Print Marketing Ideas

• Use effective business cards that contain everything your clients need to know about contacting you or availing your products or your services. Hand out your business cards to anyone either to expand your client base or to expand your network. 

• Use brochures and flyers. So long as these are strategically placed, these could bring in potential customers. Never leave out your previous customers as well. 

• Advertise on print media. Newspapers and magazines still rank high among the most effective offline marketing tools. Use these tools effectively. 
