n
this time of the internet explosion, and emphasis on exposing your
business to the millions of those who are online, it's easy to forget
about the simple off line advertising. Off line advertising can be very
inexpensive, and even though you might not potentially reach the same
number of people, in my experience I have received better results. Here
is a short list of off line advertising techniques that I have found
effective.Business Cards. You can get these made relatively cheap.
People are often impressed when you hand them your card, and it's a great way to
give out your important information (phone, email, or url)
Flyers. This is one of my favorites. It is very
inexpensive and you get to go out within you community and pass them out. I get
a lot of people that come up and inquire about what I am either handing out, or
posting on a Wal Mart or grocery stores bulletin board. I have found this to be
a very effective way to promote my businesses.
Word of Mouth. It's FREE, and I can not express to you
enough of how important word of mouth is. Talk, talk, talk about your business
to any who will listen, but be careful and make sure they want to listen. You
don't want to be overly intrusive and turn someone off because as good as word
of mouth can be for your business, it can also do as much harm.
Press release. A press release is a great way to get
inexpensive advertising. Here is a great site with information on writing a
press release http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/press-releases/
Letterheads. Letterheads on your stationary papers that
you send out, or on your envelopes, is a great way to get your name out.
Magazine's. Advertising in magazine's can be expensive,
and traffic generated to you can vary. I strongly suggest you closely monitor
the traffic, leads, or sales that come from advertising in magazine's. This will
ensure you are not losing money by advertising in this manner.
Make sure and track where your leads, traffic, or sales are
coming from. You can never know if your ad is working if you don't track it.
There is no sense spending money on or off line for advertising, just to lose
money.
These are just a few of the ways one can advertise off line. Off
line advertising can be inexpensive and effective, so, don't be afraid to change
things up from time to time. Good luck to everyone in your ventures
