Offline Marketing Strategies For Small Businesses That Work

Harry Trott

March 25, 2015

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As the world becomes increasingly digitized, more and more small businesses are turning to online marketing channels to propel their business growth. Adapting to the changing marketing environs is a rather good thing. But what is interesting is the shift in focus from offline to online marketing strategies even among these local businesses.

There is no doubt that the internet can open up a huge array of opportunities to businesses. But as local businesses, it needs to be remembered that traditional offline marketing strategies have not diminished in their utility either. If you are just starting out as a local small business owner, here are some offline marketing channels that you must not forget to look into for your business growth:

Fliers : One of the cheapest and most effective marketing channels have always been fliers. They are cheap to print and easy to distribute. In fact, there are gigs on websites like Fiverr where flier distributions can be made for as low as $5. What content you put into the flier depends on what you sell. If you are a restaurant owner, then coupons in the fliers provide great returns. On the other hand, if you own a utilitarian business like plumbing or roofing, then offering short terms discounts are a great way to nudge the recipients to act.

Distributing Keepsakes : The reason people go online to search for local businesses is not only because it is easy to look up, but also because people no longer maintain a directory of phone numbers of people and businesses to call while they need their service. Keepsakes like calendars and pens are a wonderful way to ensure that you contact details are always in close proximity to your target prospects. So the next time they need your service, they know where to look for your contact details.

Provide Freebie To Customers : This is a tried and tested way to get customers. Advertise free gifts to customers who purchase your product or service. This can be as small as a pen or diary, or as large as few thousand dollars given to a winner through lucky draw. Either way, the lure of a gift or a prize triggers customers to buy from you and is thus a clever way to get customers.

Distribute Loyalty Coupons : Remember how pizza shops send out discount vouchers as part of their pizza deliveries? According to Jay Barnett from Priority Floor Care, offering a discount voucher to an existing customer ensures that these customers reach out to you (instead of competition) when they need your service. This is of course assuming that you do a good job in the first place. If your customers do not want your service despite these vouchers, then the problem lies elsewhere (in your service quality) and not marketing.

There are dozens of other ways to reach out to your customer effectively through offline means. A lot of these techniques cost pennies, just like online marketing strategies. The idea is to not classify them based on the medium, but instead to focus on conversions and target the strategy that brings in the highest ROI. As a business, this is the factor that should impact your business decisions the most.

What are some offline marketing strategies that have brought your good ROI?