Business Resources
Offline Marketing for Small Business
When it comes to marketing your small business, you may think you're not big enough to afford a marketing plan that includes advertising and a public relations strategy. But the reality is that offline marketing covers some fundamental business tools. Here are some options:
- Business cards for networking
- Membership in a professional organization
- Your company's name, logo and stationery
- An ad in the phone book
From there, offline marketing can build and grow simply. Here are a few ways to do it:
- Classified ads in the local business journal or neighborhood newspaper
- Direct mail to customers, whether personal or a mass mailing
- Coupons and flyers given to every customer
- The sponsorship of a Little League baseball team or local charity event.
While it may appear that many of the items above aren't connected, they are. And a consolidated marketing strategy between your offline and online efforts can produce a significant boost to your small business brand identity-and your business. The key is to leverage both at the same time.
In practice, here's what this looks like. Hear a great new take on inventory control at a local business luncheon (networking)? Make sure to post a blog on your company's website (marketing online) about what you learned and who was there. Or, perhaps you placed an ad in the neighborhood paper (offline advertising) for a 10% off-coupon available through your website (online marketing) after potential customers provide their name and email to your customer database.
As you can see, traditional marketing isn't being replaced by digital or online marketing. But traditional marketing can be made much more powerful through a smart online strategy that supports and expands the reach of your marketing budget.
