Here’s 10 Offline Small Business Marketing Ideas

As a small business owner, you know the lifeblood of your business is one thing…

Leads.

But, how do you go about generating leads on a consistent basis?

Well, lucky for you, there’s more than one way to generate leads.

Some are traditional methods that still bode well in today’s modern age, while others are newer; therefore, you may not have heard of them or know much about them.

Either way, the goal is to help you understand there’s more than one way to skin a cat and the sooner you have this mindset, the sooner you’ll be on your way to consistently generating leads.

1. Meetups – A great way to market a small business offline is to align yourself with other professionals in your area and one way to do this is through a local Meetup.
2. Give Away Services – One of the best ways to market a small business offline is giving away your services to those who are in need of your them, and it’s a given that some will become paying clients.
3. Give Away Something for the Needy – Some may say this is a little unscrupulous but if done with the right intent, which is to truly help someone, you will see just how appreciative a community can be. A few ways to accomplish this is to give away a used car, or free groceries, or feeding the needy.
4. Local Publication Advertising – Since the explosion of small businesses marketing online, advertising in local publications has taken a backseat. This means less competition for those smart business owners who still use this proven method to their advantage. Perhaps your competition does?
5. Sponsorships – Sponsoring a local sports team or sponsoring (or co-sponsoring) an event (see #10 below) are inexpensive small business offline ideas that can pay huge dividends.
6. Scholarships – Offering a scholarship is the most overlooked small business marketing ideas out there. Think about it. If you offer a $1k scholarship and in return you get 3 new customers/clients with a lifetime value of $4k each then that’s a great ROI.
7. TV – With so many channels now available to viewers, the barrier-to-entry has reduced significantly, especially in certain locales. This means the cost to produce and run a commercial has dropped. Make sure to run your commercial in the timeslots your potential clients are on (hint: cheesy commercials don’t sell).
8. Radio – Radio advertising can still pack-a-punch when it comes to ROIs but, just like television, there are times to run commercials and times to avoid, and cheesy ads don’t sell here either.
9. Press Releases – Another overlooked marketing idea that many small business owners are afraid to use because they can’t envision all the benefits a press release offers – such as press coverage, high value links back to their websites, leads and of course sales.
10. Sponsoring a Community Yard Sale – We bet you’ve never thought of this one yet it’s a great way to market your small business offline.

In order to get your maximum return from these offline marketing ideas you must ensure the following:

1. Have your correct business contact info (name, address, phone number, website and social media links) on all materials.
2. Maximum effort will equate to maximum results.
3. Make sure your office is spotless as you want to make a good first impression.
4. For offline events, have employees or volunteers wearing branded shirts and have marketing materials ready to provide for anyone who asks.
5. Attitude is everything, especially when it comes to face-to-face encounters with potential clients, so inform your employees that a negative attitude will not be tolerated in the office or outside the office.
6. Stay Involved! When sponsoring a team, make sure to be involved with the team in some capacity throughout the season so as to stay in the public’s eye. Remember to wear your branded shirt!

Conclusion: Of course, there are other offline small business marketing ideas but, as a small business marketing agency, we’ve found that these, when done properly, provide the best ROIs.

Which will you be implementing? Please let us know by commenting below.  If you should have any questions, please contact us and let us know, we are happy to answer any questions you have,

Resources and References

1. Meetup.com