Thank you to guest writer: Courtney Rosenfeld of https://www.gigspark.biz/
You’ve heard of SEO, Pay Per Click, and other online marketing strategies, and you may be using some of them to advertise your business, but have you thought about offline, tried-and-true marketing methods that can help you reach your target market and build brand awareness? We’ve gathered seven of them you may want to try when you’re ready to launch your next campaign.
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Word-of-Mouth
This free marketing strategy is very effective at convincing potential customers to buy your products. People recommending your brand or services to their friends and family members are a great advertising asset for your business. So strive to always create a positive and memorable customer experience, deliver a great product or service, and witness your viral campaign take flight.
Referrals
Ask your satisfied customers for referrals; they may know someone who needs your services now or in the future. Give your clients a few business cards or company brochures to pass around, and encourage them to post a positive review on your website. And when you get a new client from a referral, don’t forget to thank the person who sent them to you via a discount on their next purchase or an appreciative email.
Surveys
Ask your customers how they discovered your business, products, or services by having them fill out a short survey, either online or in-store. Did they read a review of your business on a particular social media site? Did they hear an ad on the local radio station? Or did they get a flyer in the mail? The answers to your survey will help you focus your marketing efforts on the venues frequented by the kind of clientele you want to attract.
Postcards and Business Cards
Sending your target customers a colorful postcard directly to their mailbox is a tried-and-true marketing technique that can increase foot traffic and sales. Business cards can also help your company remain top-of-mind as your name, logo, and contact info are displayed on something tangible. You can use an online tool to create business cards. Choose a pre-designed template and then customize the design by adding your logo, text, and color scheme.
Periodical Advertising
Even though it’s not as popular as it once was, placing a print ad in your local newspaper can help you gain visibility and drive consumers to your store. You can even design your own print marketing campaign: use online tools to create an eye-catching logo that will help drive brand recognition, come up with a catchy slogan to add to your design, and get the attention of readers in your area.
Posters
If you want to advertise your business locally, a strategically-placed poster will get the attention of potential clients as they go about their day. Add a QR code to your poster so that shoppers can quickly get to your website by scanning the code via their smartphone and access information about your brand, your services, your location, and your business hours.
Sponsorships
You can gain brand recognition while positively impacting your community by sponsoring a youth sports team. With your company logo emblazoned on the players’ jerseys, you’ll get the attention of parents and spectators grateful for your monetary support. You can also sponsor a special community or charity event and get your business ad placed in a printed program or your name announced to the crowd as one of the generous sponsors.
There are many online and offline venues to advertise your business. And thanks to technological advances such as smartphones and the internet, some old-time marketing methods can be combined with new ones to effectively share your brand and message with the world. So experiment with different techniques and see which ones get you the best return on investment for your advertising dollars.
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