Offline Marketing – Beyond Online Marketing

Marketing your website doesn’t necessarily have to rely exclusively on online gimmicks. There are actually a handful of very effective offline marketing techniques that will invite more traffic to your website than all your banner ads combined. Here are some of them:

Local Business Magazines
Many towns and states have locally published magazines that deal with businesses and relevant interests. And every publication addresses practically every market sector and niche. What better way to invite more traffic to your website than to advertise your online company to a local audience? This method works best if you're an online business operator that caters to a local clientele. 

You need not spend cash on placing ads, though. You can contact your local business magazine and offer to write a monthly, or even weekly, guest column for them. This is a win-win situation since they get to publish articles without costing them a cent and you get to advertise yourself with minimal effort on your part.

Local Newspaper
This covers pretty much the same idea as with placing ads on local business magazines, although this time the medium is local newspaper. The only difference is that you have a broader audience which could be converted into regular visitors to your website. 

You need not contribute articles or insights to your local newspaper – although that doesn't seem like a very bad idea, not at all – you only have to have your online business advertised on its pages. You may have to spend some on ad placing, which may pay for itself in time. Again, this method works more effectively for online businesses that rely on local clientele. If you're looking to tap into the mass market, you can consider posting advertisements on national newspapers. 

Association Newsletters
The majority of local association chapters print out regular newsletters that are mailed to their members. Look up associations that may become potential customers of your online business.

Local TV or radio advertisements
If your online business has a product or service from which local listeners and viewers can benefit, create a TV or radio advertisement. TV and radio ads may no longer be the medium of default, but these still turn out some serious competitive advantage online. This is local exposure at its finest.  

Many TV and radio shows have very specific targeted audience. If you're product or service fit with a particular show's regular audience, there's no reason not to indulge yourself in a bit of advertising. Radio shows, in particular, have been shown to have multiplier effects. You might as well try to take advantage of that. 

And finally, the biggest income generator of all, the Word of Mouth.

The good old word of mouth advertising is yet to see the end of its days. For now, this offline marketing technique is still one that online marketers should practice and integrate with their marketing and advertising efforts. 

You may have switched to a non brick-and-mortar business, but that doesn’t mean that you have to do without traditional marketing techniques. Integrate offline marketing tactics with online marketing strategies and you have the formula for maximized exposure. 
