8 Ways For Getting The Most From Your Offline Marketing Dollars

In this digital age where the focus is on online advertising, offline marketing efforts still play an important role in your business plan. Don't ignore these channels that give you unique ways to attract interested consumers. Have fun as you design new offline marketing tools that shine a light on your business.

Start with Your Business Cards

This is like a mini-advertisement, so don't hesitate to leave it wherever people can see it. Besides the usual restaurant fish bowl and coffee shop bulletin board, try these unique locations for dropping off your cards:

• Leave a card with your tip at a restaurant.
• Place them in business-related library books.
• Put them in the free newspaper boxes on the sidewalk.
• Insert them into the free magazines inside the door of your local market.

Put Your Name on Something People Use Everyday

Pens and pencils are still a good way to get visibility to your business. Leave them where people need one quickly:

• Put some on the bank and post office counters.
• Leave one on your table after you sign your dinner check.
• Leave them in coffee shops near the newspaper rack.

Sponsor a Seasonal Event

Festivals and fairs are always looking for someone to donate to keep them running. Most will allow you to place signs or banners up in the event area for your business for even a small contribution.

Dress the Part

You and your staff should be walking billboards for your business. Hats, jackets and shirts emblazoned with your company name and logo should be the required dress code for any employee that goes out into the public. Make sure the information can be seen. Tiny embroidered names over a shirt pocket do little to get your company noticed.

Drive with Pride

The creativity put into vehicle wraps now makes your car a work of art. You become a rolling advertisement for your business, especially while sitting in the stop and go traffic at rush hour. Wherever you go, remember to strategically park so your car can be seen by the most people as they drive by.

Capture the Attention of Pedestrian Traffic

Buy space on the side of buses, inside subway cars, and on the benches at bus stops that will get your business noticed by thousands of pedestrians everyday.

Your Company Name in the Sky

People still look up to see low-flying planes as they carry aerial banners across the sky. When flown over stadiums and outdoor events, you capture the attention of many potential customers in just a few minutes.

Do a Trade with Merchants

Other businesses will give you advertising space in return for helping their business. If you are a landscaper, offer to maintain the flower boxes in front of a small business shop in exchange for putting a sign for your business on the outside of the box.

There are a number of ways to spend your offline dollars to gain visibility to your business. As you walk through your community, keep your eyes open for other places where your company name can be seen. Click here for more information.