When it comes to marketing your startup, you most likely have all the usual methods covered – creating a website and blog, creating social media marketing, setting up an email marketing list, and perhaps even placing advertisements on other popular websites and blogs in your industry. However, that isn’t all that you need to do. Although the older methods of offline marketing may be declining in popularity today, that doesn’t mean you cannot effectively utilize them to help with building your brand. In fact, there are certain methods of offline marketing that work just as well today as they did decades ago.
Here are some of your best options:
#1. Direct Mail.
How often do you get something interesting through the post anymore? If you’re like most of us, then it’s probably not that often. Since the mail has become a service that tends to be reserved only for bills or parcels that you’ve ordered online these days, getting a letter can be a true novelty; adding a nice personal touch that can be difficult to achieve online.
However, it’s important to be careful when you send direct mail to your customers. You need to make sure that they will be interested in the information that you send them, otherwise, your efforts will be in vain. You can also boost your brand by using branded letterheads and a business envelope.
#2. Business Cards.
In a world where we can quickly share all our information with just the click of a mouse or a few taps on a smartphone screen, it’s no surprise that handing out business cards has quickly become a thing of the past. However, don’t rule them out completely, as there are many uses for business cards that can still be very effective today.
Maybe you won’t be standing on the street handing them out to people, but you can certainly boost interest in your company by leaving business cards where potential customers can find them. A good way to do this is to pair up with other local businesses (not your competition, though!) and ask them to display some business cards in return for you displaying theirs.
#3. Flyers.
Flyers can easily be printed online and are a great way of informing your existing and potential customers about a range of things, such as new special deals, the latest products, or even an option to get money off their next purchase. Whatever it is that you want your customers to know, don’t stick to email and social media to get the word out.
After all, regardless of its popularity, some people just don’t use social media that often. Also, with so much information being shared on social media every hour, it can be easy for your update to become lost in a sea of images, videos, statuses, and shares. Handing out flyers isn’t just an ideal method of making sure that your customers get the information; it can also be a great conversation starter.
Do you use any offline marketing methods to build your brand? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
